The world of science fiction cinema is a rich one, and that includes the dazzling variety of settings for these feature films. Unlike most other genres of cinema, science fiction can be set practically anywhere, including fictional planets such as Tatooine, Vulcan, Klendathu, and more. But the real planets of our Solar System often get a chance to shine, too.
Some planets are more popular than others for sci-fi, such as the red planet Mars and its fictional inhabitants or the gas giant Jupiter, though all eight have been represented at least once in cinema. Movies from the mid-20th century to the present day take place on these astronomical venues, and many of them are classic titles everyone knows and loves. Others are much more obscure due their age or low production values. All are fine cosmic adventures.
8 MERCURY: Sunshine Gets Close To This Tiny Planet During A Mission To Save The Sun (2007)
This sci-fi adventure movie primarily concerns the Sun, hence the title, but it does take place reasonably close to the Solar System's first and smallest planet, the barren Mercury. In Sunshine, the Sun is dying and Earth is freezing, so physicist Robert Capa takes part in a mission aboard the Icarus II to set off a bomb and kickstart the Sun again.
The Icarus II crew approach Mercury and the original Mercury mission, and things get dire when the crew members disagree on what course to take next. Time is running out, and Capa and the others face many perils as they try to survive and save the Sun before all is lost.
7 VENUS: Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet Depicts A Strange Vision Of Venus (1965)
This movie really shows its age, and not just because of the lack of CGI and contemporary movie stars. For years on end, many astronomers and scientists were sure that Venus was home to vast oceans and rainforests, since Venus is shrouded in thick clouds. They couldn't have been more wrong.
In reality, Venus is dry, hot, and barren, but that didn't stop filmmakers from imagining a "lost world" of dinosaurs and monster plants, among other bizarre things. It's almost like King Kong, but on a very strange alternate-reality Venus.
6 EARTH: Independence Day Shows A United Humanity Declaring Independence From Alien Threats (1996)
It's easy for any movie to take place on Earth for obvious reasons, but not just any movie can make the Earth feel truly special like this one does. Independence Day, releasing in 1996, stars Will Smith as an ace fighter pilot who helps fight back against alien invaders trying to kick humanity around.
Not even the destruction of the White House can force humanity to submit. Instead, the entire human race unites to launch a counterattack, complete with borrowed alien tech, and the rebellion is a success. Never will Earth submit to an alien power.
5 MARS: The Martian Is A Futuristic Robinson Crusoe Adventure (2015)
Many works of fiction depict a lone survivor, or several, in a hostile environment far from civilization, such as J.J. Abrams' series Lost or Castaway starring Tom Hanks. In 2015, Matt Damon portrayed astronaut Mark Watney, who must survive alone on Mars until help can arrive.
Mark Watney is primarily a botanist, though he has expertise in other scientific fields, too. He grows a potato farm, sets up a homemade communications array with NASA, and treks across the dry Martian landscape to meet his rescuers when they come. All of humanity is rooting for the lone Martian, praying for his safe return to Earth.
4 JUPITER: 2001: A Space Odyssey Asks The Big Questions (1968)
Stanley Kubrick's hit sci-fi movie is an instantly recognizable classic, from the mysterious black Monoliths to the legendary opening credits music to HAL 9000's eerie robotic glare and cold-blooded willingness to kill the Discovery's human crew. Astronaut Dave Bowman must make it to Jupiter or die trying.
The Discovery's crew members is eager to reach Jupiter and discover the origins of the Monoliths, but HAL 9000, not trusting the fallible human crew with this vital mission, tries to kill them. David must proceed to Jupiter alone and discover the truth...if he can handle it.
3 SATURN: Silent Running Depicts The Last Forest In Space (1972)
This charming 1970s sci-fi feature is mainly set aboard a spaceship called the Valley Forge, though the Valley Forge does come close to the ringed planet Saturn, making this one of the few times Saturn has been a major setting for a feature film. In this movie, it's the survival of Earth's plant life that's on the line.
A few domed gardens are preserving what little remains of plants and trees from Earth, and Freeman Lowell, a botanist, gets defensive when his crew receives orders to sacrifice the forests to free up room for other cargo. He flees with the Valley Forge into Saturn's rings, and he becomes an outlaw — then gives his very life — to defend the sole remaining biodome. To him, it's a worthwhile sacrifice.
2 URANUS: Journey To The Seventh Planet Is A Creative Take On The Remote Uranus (1962)
Very few movies or other works of fiction take place around the Solar System's seventh planet, Uranus, which is arguably much less interesting than Jupiter and Saturn. However, in the early 1960s, the joint Danish-American feature Journey to the Seventh Planet indulged this remote world for one adventure.
This movie definitely shows its age, but otherwise, it's a fine adventure, and the visuals are quite creative. In 2001, a space crew finds itself on the forests of Uranus with an alien brain deceiving them with visions of their deepest desires and fears alike. The crew must fight back and triumph before the alien brain uses its tricks to attempt a conquest of Earth itself.
1 NEPTUNE: Space Truckers Is A Wild Adventure On Neptune's Moon Triton (1996)
This comic book-style sci-fi movie from the 1990s is rather silly by today's standards, but it does have its charm. The space-trucker adventure begins on a base on Triton, Neptune's largest moon, and chaos ensues when space trucker John Canyon arrives and gets in trouble with the law.
The plot is impressively complex for such a premise, boasting more than a few twists and turns. Space Truckers has it all: outer-space trucks, villainous pirates, and even a cyborg, not to mention the odd visual treat of square pigs. At least they're easy to stack and store for a long journey to Neptune.