The evil tyrant Sador (John Saxon) and his army of the mutants Malmori threatens the peaceful Akira farmers of the planet Akir with his Stellar Converter weapon and tells that he will return to collect their harvest. The former Akira warrior Zed (Jeff Corey) advises that they should hire mercenaries to protect them from Sador and offers his spaceship to seek them out. However, the Akira can only pay with food and lodging. The young Shad (Richard Thomas) offers to pilot the ship with the computer Nell to look for mercenaries. He meets Dr. Hephaestus (Sam Jaffe) and his beautiful daughter Nanelia (Darlanne Fluegel) in a space station where he unsuccessfully tries to find weapon. Nanelia comes with Shad and he teams up with the earthling Cowboy (George Peppard), who was going to deliver weapons to a planet that was destroyed by Sador and offers to give them to Shad. Then he meets five clones that share the mind of one entity called Nestor that join him. Shad also recruits the lonely and wealthy assassin Gelt (Robert Vaughn) that accepts the proposed payment. Then the sexy and annoying Valkyrie warrior St. Exmin (Sybil Danning) joins the group since she wants to battle. Shad also recruits Cayman (Morgan Woodward) that wants to kill Sador and does not require any payment. They return to Akir and Sador also returns to attack the planet. Who will win the battle?"Battle Beyond the Stars" is an enjoyable cult movie with a story based on "Seven Samurai" and its remake "The Magnificent Seven" but in space. Inclusive the Akira is a tribute to Akira Kurosawa. "Battle Beyond the Stars" reuses material from other films ("Space Raiders", "Starquest II", "Dead Space" and "Bachelor Party"); the acting is only reasonable; and the special effects, sets and costumes are poor. But who cares? My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Mercenários das Galáxias" ("Mercenaries of the Galaxies")

Space tyrant Sador (John Saxon) threatens the pacifist defenseless agricultural planet of Akir with his weapon Stellar Converter. He pledges to return after the harvest in seven risings of their sun as the planet's new master. The elders send young Shad (Richard Thomas) to find mercenaries willing to fight for limited wealth rewards. He recruits Nanelia (Darlanne Fluegel) escaping from her father in her weaponless ship, Space Cowboy from earth (George Peppard) whose customer has just been destroyed by Sador, rich assassin Gelt (Robert Vaughn) looking for a friendly harbor, a Valkyrie named Saint-Exmin (Sybil Danning) looking to prove herself in battle in her tiny ship, five telepathic alien clones from a single consciousness called Nestor and a reptilian slaver named Cayman looking for revenge.It's cheap Roger Corman production with the bones of the great 'Seven Samurai' and the energetic F/X work of a newcomer named James Cameron. There is definitely cheesy goodness in this. It's a fun space thrill ride. There are some good performances. The writing isn't bad. The production is half cheese and half fun adventure. It all adds up to a fun competent 'Star Wars' inspired B-movie.

This is a truly dreadful film, actors ( ha ) leaving massive pauses between dialogue, awful special effects and a risible script. So WHAT that this pile of rubbish had a limited budget....That's no excuse for ridiculous performances, totally unbelievable characterisations and dialogue. For all that, it will probably attain cult status for BEING so bad. John Boy's spacecraft is shaped like a 3D womb, very bizarre I must say !The plot involves trouble in the form of John Saxon ( he of Enter the Dragon alongside Bruce Lee ) a bully boy, planet stealer/destroyer throwing his weight around. Unless the planet surrenders to him within one week, he will return to set it on fire......making you wonder what's the point. John Boy, a human amongst androids, picks himself to save the planet by recruiting anyone who can fight, seeing as he doesn't like to. Escaping from the under threat planet, he meets up with enough to recreate The Magnificent Seven ( including a bored looking and space weary Robert Vaughan who WAS in that film too )....The pacing of BBtS is all over the place but mainly painfully S-L-O-W......I recommend avoiding this altogether unless you want to spend 104 minutes with your jaw on your chest from shock at how this ever got to be made or from yawning your way through it......There is a third way of watching this but it entails you WANTING it to be as bad as possible....in which case, you will NOT be disappointed.

I can't claim there are spoilers in my review because after 10 seconds of watching this film, you know you're in for a rough and spoiled ride. Are all the reviewers here on crack?? Better than Star Wars?? This makes "Plan 9 From Outer Space" look professional - it's bad acting, make-up, sets, dialog.... Space Marines (a truly terrible film) is so much better. John Boy Walton, who still acts like that's where he is, a huge Valkyrie warrioress who is there for titillation (and not acting), extras from Strange Encounters all add to make a sad melange of awfulness. Who made the models - a blind man from Blake 7 who was rejected because he had no concept of reality? Words fail me. Get a life people - I mean a real one