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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets poster

Movies that feel likeValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

If you loved Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the closest films we have are The Fifth Element (1997), The Marvels (2023) and The Wandering Earth II (2023). All three share Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' epic and cerebral feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Star Trek Beyond (2016).

πŸ… 47% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Luc Bessonepiccerebralkineticawe
12 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· Hulu Β· Disney Plus

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If Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets hit the spot, these will too

The Fifth Element poster
The Fifth Element
1997 Β· dir. Luc Besson
πŸ… 70%β˜… 7.6science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Besson's own earlier vision of a wildly colorful, alien-packed future

The difference: A scrappier, funnier save-the-world plot with a much tighter budget feel

In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.

The Marvels poster
The Marvels
2023 Β· dir. Nia DaCosta
πŸ… 63%β˜… 5.5science fiction Β· adventure Β· actionDisney+

Cosmic-scale spectacle where mismatched heroes must learn to work as one team

The difference: A superhero-universe sequel, plot-lighter than Valerian's dense mythology

When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, Carol's powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.

The Wandering Earth II poster
The Wandering Earth II
2023 Β· dir. Frant Gwo
πŸ… 83%β˜… 6.7science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Vast, effects-driven spectacle built around saving humanity's future

The difference: A hard-sci-fi disaster epic, grounded rather than dreamlike and fantastical

Humans built huge engines on the surface of the earth to find a new home. But the road to the universe is perilous. In order to save earth, young people once again have to step forward to start a race against time for life and death.

Star Trek Beyond poster
Star Trek Beyond
2016 Β· dir. Justin Lin
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7action Β· adventure Β· science fictionParamount+

Both land scale and ideas at once

The difference: Reviewed even better

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Solo: A Star Wars Story poster
Solo: A Star Wars Story
2018 Β· dir. Ron Howard
πŸ… 69%β˜… 6.9science fiction Β· adventure Β· actionDisney+

Kinetic and awestruck in the same breath

Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023 Β· dir. James Gunn
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.9science fiction Β· adventure Β· actionDisney+

Epic adventure, and it commits to that

Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

John Carter poster
John Carter
2012 Β· dir. Andrew Stanton
πŸ… 52%β˜… 6.6action Β· adventure Β· science fictionDisney+

A soldier thrown into a lavish alien civilization bursting with strange species

The difference: A Mars-set planetary romance, more classic pulp than dense sci-fi world-building

John Carter is a war-weary, former military captain who's inexplicably transported to the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars) and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It's a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon poster
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 Β· dir. Michael Bay
πŸ… 35%β˜… 6.2action Β· science fiction Β· adventureParamount+Starz

Dense, effects-heavy spectacle packed with alien technology and conflict

The difference: A robots-versus-humans war story, blunter than Valerian's world-building

The Autobots continue to work for NEST, now no longer in secret. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

Power Rangers poster
Power Rangers
2017 Β· dir. Dean Israelite
πŸ… 51%β˜… 5.9action Β· adventure Β· science fictionRent or buy

Science fiction built on ideas, twice over

Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove β€” and the world β€” is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.

Moonfall poster
Moonfall
2022 Β· dir. Roland Emmerich
πŸ… 35%β˜… 5.2science fiction Β· adventure Β· actionRent or buy

A mysterious cosmic threat forcing a desperate race to save civilization

The difference: An Earth-bound disaster spectacle, not an alien metropolis adventure

A mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker poster
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
2019 Β· dir. J.J. Abrams
πŸ… 51%β˜… 6.3adventure Β· action Β· science fictionHuluDisney+

Kinetic action in both cases

The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire poster
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
2023 Β· dir. Zack Snyder
πŸ… 22%β˜… 5.6science fiction Β· action Β· adventureNetflix

Adventure with a pulse of awe, in both cases

When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.

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The best-reviewed films that share Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ defining feeling.