"Battle Beyond the Stars" (1980) combines elements of Star Trek – specifically the original series and the 1979 film – with the fantasy aspects of Star Wars, resulting in a vibrant interplanetary story made on a Roger Corman budget. The narrative follows a young man inexperienced in combat (Richard Thomas) who journeys into space to gather mercenaries (George Peppard, Robert Vaughn, Morgan Woodward, among others) aft…

The film’s cheap production values are obvious, yet it manages to be a reasonably entertaining science fiction take on "The Magnificent Seven," featuring Robert Vaughn in the cast. Richard Thomas, recognizable as “John-Boy,” portrays “Shad” and inhabits a planet of uncomplicated people facing danger from a villain with an oversized laser weapon (played by John Saxon), who is seeking their crops. Shad attempts to asse…