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Movies that feel like The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

If you loved The Star Wars Holiday Special, the closest films we have are Explorers (1985), Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and Flight of the Navigator (1986). All three share The Star Wars Holiday Special's epic and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, MGM Plus and Disney Plus and others, checked against today's data.

Luke Skywalker and Han Solo battle evil Imperial forces to help Chewbacca reach his imperiled family on the Wookiee planet - in time for Life Day, their most important day of the year!

πŸ… 25% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 2.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Steve Binderepiccerebralwarmcozyawe

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If The Star Wars Holiday Special hit the spot, these will too

Explorers poster
Explorers
1985 Β· dir. Joe Dante
β˜… 6.4science fiction Β· adventure Β· family

Epic where it counts, cerebral underneath

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.

Feels alike?
Swiss Family Robinson poster
Swiss Family Robinson
1960 Β· dir. Ken Annakin
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.1adventure Β· family

Both keep coming back to the same thing: tree house

The difference: Reviewed even better

After being shipwrecked, the Robinson family is marooned on an island inhabited only by an impressive array of wildlife. In true pioneer spirit, they quickly make themselves at home but soon face a danger even greater than nature: dastardly pirates.

Feels alike?
Flight of the Navigator poster
Flight of the Navigator
1986 Β· dir. Randal Kleiser
πŸ… 85%β˜… 6.9family Β· science fiction Β· adventure

The same mix in both: warmth, then comfort

The difference: Lighter on awe

12-year-old David is accidentally knocked out in the forest near his home, but when he awakens eight years have passed. His family is overjoyed to have him back, but is just as perplexed as he is that he hasn't aged. When a NASA scientist discovers a UFO nearby, David gets the chance to unravel the mystery and recover the life he lost.

Feels alike?
Escape to Witch Mountain poster
Escape to Witch Mountain
1975 Β· dir. John Hough
πŸ… 87%β˜… 6.3adventure Β· fantasy Β· science fiction

Both lean on scale more than on adventure

The difference: Leans further into fantasy

Tia and Tony are two orphaned youngsters with extraordinary powers. Lucas Deranian poses as their uncle in order to get the kids into the clutches of Deranian's megalomaniacal boss, evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt, who wants to exploit them. Jason, a cynical widower, helps Tia and Tony escape to witch mountain, while at the same time Tia and Tony help Jason escape the pain of the loss of his wife.

Feels alike?
Zathura: A Space Adventure poster
Zathura: A Space Adventure
2005 Β· dir. Jon Favreau
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.3science fiction Β· adventure Β· family

The same preoccupation in both: space

The difference: Made in the 2000s, in a different era of the craft

After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa, and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. With the help of an astronaut, the boys attempt to return home.

Feels alike?
The Black Stallion poster
The Black Stallion
1979 Β· dir. Carroll Ballard
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.4family Β· adventure

Family built on warmth, twice over

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.

Feels alike?
Forbidden Planet poster
Forbidden Planet
1956 Β· dir. Fred M. Wilcox
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.5science fiction Β· adventure

One thread runs through both: space

Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwelcome by the expedition's lone survivor and warned of destruction by an invisible force if they don't turn back immediately.

Feels alike?
The Incredible Journey poster
The Incredible Journey
1963 Β· dir. Fletcher Markle
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7adventure Β· family

Cozy science fiction, and it commits to that

The story of three pets, a cat and two dogs, who lose their owners when they are all on vacation. Can they find their way home?

Feels alike?
Silent Running poster
Silent Running
1972 Β· dir. Douglas Trumbull
πŸ… 71%β˜… 6.6adventure Β· science fiction Β· drama

Tv movie with a pulse of awe, in both cases

The difference: Played as drama first

After the entire flora goes extinct, ecologist Lowell maintains a greenhouse aboard a space station for the future with his android companions. However, he rebels after being ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions.

Feels alike?
The Journey of Natty Gann poster
The Journey of Natty Gann
1985 Β· dir. Jeremy Kagan
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7adventure Β· family Β· drama

Epic adventure in both cases

America is in the depths of the Great Depression. Families drift apart when faraway jobs beckon. A courageous young girl confronts overwhelming odds when she embarks on a cross-country search for her father. During her odyssey, she forms a close bond with two diverse traveling companions: a magnificent, protective wolf, and a hardened drifter.

Feels alike?
Treasure Planet poster
Treasure Planet
2002 Β· dir. John Musker
πŸ… 68%β˜… 7.2science fiction Β· adventure Β· animation

Cerebral science fiction, and it commits to that

When space galleon cabin boy Jim Hawkins discovers a map to an intergalactic "loot of a thousand worlds," a cyborg cook named John Silver teaches him to battle supernovas and space storms on their journey to find treasure.

Feels alike?
The Muppet Movie poster
The Muppet Movie
1979 Β· dir. James Frawley
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.6family Β· comedy Β· adventure

Common ground: musical

The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!

Feels alike?

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The best-reviewed films that share The Star Wars Holiday Special’s defining feeling.