I think it's best to say that after the Japanese saw starwars, well, strange things happen. I have been told this was a movie based off a kids TV show. It doesn't matter, when you talk of Japanese space opera (not kobuki) Sword of the Space Ark is always first to mind (or no mind).

Catagory - Japanese Space Opera / kids film
Director - This might be a bad internet rumor, but it's the guy who did jumping jack flash.
(This is most likely a web rumor, but if it's true, you heard it here first!)

Reason for being made - Some things just look better on paper?

Rating - Kiddies

Scale Rating - 10

Plot - A young member of some space academy is going home to visit his family. Apparently he was only able to book a flight on second rate movie set. Anyway, this ship he's on is owned by a fast-talking (well, not to fast) space pilot by the name of.......well, it's not important. What important is his arboreal sidekick, Baron. To say the least, Baron not only steals every scene he's in, he basically runs away with the movie.

So these two guys and Baron are traveling in space, and out of no where, a previously unknown galactic empire attacks. After taking the ship hijack, your hero lands and runs (yes, he runs) to his dead parents house (they were not dead at one point in the movie, but why make a fuss out of it). Upon finding his family in the previously mentioned state of being, he become enraged and attacks all 4 of the guards holding this planet at bay. Cutting to the chase, the bad guys escape.
This send our heroes on a quest to beat the evil empire. This will take them to the two other planets in the galaxy (or so it seemed, I am still a little fuzzy on this). They will also meet Sophia, a space.....person with some sort of mystic power, and a crystal gal hair style. To make a long story short (which I wish they had done when making this movie), the good guys win.
In the movie there is some Disco skull and bones or something which the leader of the empire gets advice from. I don't' think it's important, and the advice didn't' seem to help, but it certainly sets the atmosphere of the 70's.
The captain of the movie set...I mean Space ship.

Baron............that really about says it all.

Heres The young hero of the movie. Once again caught deep in thought.

Points of Inturest - The first thing to watch out for is Barons drinking problem. He rambles on about the Banana daiquiri. Make sure to pay super close attention to Barons acting style. He does more acting with his eyes then any other modern screen legend. This movie might also be found under the name Sword of the space ninja (thats what the original box had on it).

This is as close to a bad guy as they get.

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