Big screen blast-offs: The top 10 movies set in space

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Apollo 13 (1995)

This Ron Howard flick tells the story of the Apollo 13 crew and their predicament after the shuttle suffers serious damage. It racked up nine Oscars.
Moon (2009)

There are few actors who can essentially carry a movie by themselves. Sam Rockwell does it so well in this mess-with-your-head movie about a contractor in space who's just trying to get home.
Star Wars (1977)

Folks are getting amped up again for a new Star Wars movie later this year. There's almost too much to say about the original trilogy. But when you know the reality of how difficult and time consuming it would be to travel from planet to planet in space, it's neat to think about a time when zipping around galaxies is as easy as firing up the Millennium Falcon.
Gravity (2013)

A more recent addition to the long line of movies set in space, Gravity played off a simple terror — getting stranded in space. It took home seven Academy Awards, including one for visual effects.
Alien (1979)

It's a classic. And once audiences saw that thing popping out of the guy's chest, they were never the same.
The Forbidden Planet (1956)

Robby the Robot might be one of the forgotten screen legends of our time. In this film, it's the 23rd century and a crew has to investigate the fate of an expedition to a planet called Altair IV.
Whatever your personal favorite Star Trek movie is

Whether you're into Wrath of Khan (1982) or Chris Pine and company, there's a good chance there's a Star Trek movie you're willing to pick a fight for.
Starship Troopers (1997)

This is kind of a ridiculous movie, but man, is it fun. The bugs are big, the slime is green, and the satire is thinly-veiled.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Another classic here — Stanley Kubrick's famous cinematic work which bequeathed to pop culture sentient computer Hal.
Galaxy Quest (1999)

This might be the last funny thing Tim Allen did. Riffing on a washed-up Star Trek-esque show, the movie follows the cast as they get tangled up with extraterrestrials who thought the show was real.