There's nothing quite like a Star Wars movie.
Next to that, there's nothing quite like a Star Wars ripoff.
But the first time I experienced the story of Orin, the hard-on-his-luck kid who's been raised his entire life under the guise of a lie, and who happens to be the one last human who can wield the hilt of a sword that emits a laser-like beam that can cut through robots — I didn't really put it together.
In fact, it wasn't until I was somewhere in my 30s, when someone else pointed it out, that I realized it really was indeed a Star Wars knockoff, complete with a gruff pilot of a down-on-its luck yet unbeatable ship — complete with some witty droids on board.
I never did get the chance to see it in its 3D glory, but even as a young kid, I was captivated by the just-almost-too-weird animation and the storyline of someone who had lived their entire life underground, with no knowledge of the big, wide world above.
This was another one of those movies I probably shouldn't have been allowed to watch, considering there were such fun moments as meeting the Man-Droids, half-human/half-robot beings who are decaying and want to literally tear Orin apart limb by limb to harvest his body parts.
And while there are certainly elements of Star Wars here — the New York Times apparently speculated why lawyers hadn't been called in at the time — for me, the movie stands on its own. Perhaps it was only possible because of Star Wars, but I don't recall seeing anything about humans being enslaved for millennia mining crystals for a false god in our beloved space soap opera.
The moral of the story is that you should watch it. The whole thing is currently on YouTube, and pretty easy to get your hands on otherwise. And if you still have a VCR, I'll even lend you the used VHS I got on eBay about 12 years ago.
So here's to chasing stars ... and warring in them ... and all that crap.
Share This Article
Read Next

December 8 in nerd history: Imagine all the people living for today
By Classic Nerd | December 8, 2023
What to know before you visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood
By Classic Nerd | April 26, 2023
September 27th in nerd history: I like my milk like I like my cake — chocolate
By Classic Nerd | September 27, 2023
January 25 in nerd history: That time video games were invented
By Classic Nerd | January 25, 2024Final Jeopardy! from January 12 2000
By Classic Nerd | January 11, 2024
The best '80s movies where kids go to outer space
By Classic Nerd | March 6, 2024
January 4 in Nerd History
By Classic Nerd | January 4, 2024
January 19 in nerd history: Kevin Bacon, Muhammad Ali, and I Love Lucy
By Classic Nerd | January 19, 2024Want More Nostalgia?
Check out our other quizzes and random trivia questions!