History Film / Starcrash

* AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Akton [[spoiler:fades into nothing as he dies]], which is either this trope or NoBodyLeftBehind. The film is vague on which trope is used.

* {{Fanfare}}: The score by Creator/JohnBarry isn't as bombastic as other ''Star Wars'' homages, but still has plenty of brass and grandeur.

* BaldOfEvil: [[spoiler:Thor]]

* DeathIsCheap: L the robot dies ''twice''. The first time he's shot in the chest by space amazons, but turns out to be NotQuiteDead. The second time he's literally smashed into pieces by cavemen before bursting into a shower of sparks and smoke and yet there's somehow enough of him left for the Emperor to rebuild him.

** Zarth Arn has a BeardOfEvil, an OminousOperaCape, dresses his {{Mooks}} in [[PaintItBlack black versions of the Emperor's troop uniforms]] and cannot go five minutes without [[EvilIsHammy monologuing dramatically]] or at least giving an EvilLaugh. Also he straight-up calls his weapon "The Doom Machine".

* {{Stripperiffic}}: Stella. Apparently, skimpy clothing is perfectly suitable for ''manually moving around radioactive material''. At least she puts on some clothes for the ice planet. To a lesser extent, [[AmazonBrigade the entire population of the planet of Amazons]], ''including their HumongousMecha''.

** Zarth Arn's name is taken from Creator/EdmondHamilton's ''Star Kings'', although there it was the name of one of the good guys - who did have access to a powerful superweapon, and the BigBad was doing all in his power to get it from him.

** The Judge presiding over Stella and Akton's trial resembles the Martian Mastermind from the 1953 film "Invaders from mars".
* Zarth Arn's name is taken from Creator/EdmondHamilton's ''Star Kings'', although there it was the name of one of the good guys - who did have access to a powerful superweapon, and the BigBad was doing all in his power to get it from him.

* InformedAttribute: While we're told what a great pilot and fighter Stella Star is, she doesn't actually contribute much to the missions, never saves anyone, fails to prevent two teammates from dying, and is frequently captured and in need of rescue by her companions. The only thing we see her do is get out of prison, but even that is because other characters arrange for it (whom all drop dead as she runs to save her own skin.) Akton, meanwhile, actually lives up to his build up.

* YouFailLogicForever: "You knew [[spoiler:Thor]] would betray us? Then you can see into the future!"

* GreyAndBlackMorality: The Emperor's regime sees nothing wrong with sentencing people to a lifetime of slave labour in radioactive conditions with no protective clothing... and not even hardened super-criminals, but simple smugglers like Stella and Akton who are presented as not really being all that bad. Still, the film portrays them as the good guys because Zarth Arn is pretty much literally a pantomime villain. Their mooks even wear identical uniforms in different colors.

* GreyAndBlackMorality: The Emperor's regime sees nothing wrong with sentencing people to a lifetime of slave labour in radioactive conditions with no protective clothing... and not even hardened super-criminals, but simple smugglers like Stella and Akton who are presented as not really being all that bad. Still, the film portrays them as the good guys because Zarth Arn is pretty much literally a pantomime villain.

* GenreBusting: Aside from ''Star Wars'' the movie's primary influences seem to be SwordAndSandal flicks, like ''Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts''. Director Luigi Cozzi specifically referred to the film as "science fantasy instead of science fiction."

* HarmlessFreezing: Stella gets buried under a snowdrift and makes a complete recovery through a combination of holding L's hand before being buried and Akton demonstrating yet another unexplained superpower.

* ObviouslyEvil: Zarth Arn has a BeardOfEvil, an OminousOperaCape, dresses his {{Mooks}} in [[PaintItBlack black versions of the Emperor's troop uniforms]] and cannot go five minutes without [[EvilIsHammy monologuing dramatically]] or at least giving an EvilLaugh. Also he straight-up calls his weapon "The Doom Machine".

** As explained in CoversAlwaysLie, L the robot ''looks'' a lot like a low-rent Darth Vader but his personality is basically the complete opposite. He's basically a somewhat less obnoxious [=C3PO=].

* DeathIsCheap:
** L the robot dies ''twice''. The first time he's shot in the chest by space amazons, but turns out to be NotQuiteDead. The second time he's literally smashed into pieces by cavemen before bursting into a shower of sparks and smoke and yet there's somehow enough of him left for the Emperor to rebuild him.
** [[spoiler: Akton, maybe. He doesn't come back, but he does promise that he'll live forever, even if this body dies.]]

** RealityIsUnrealistic: There have been actual people named Stella Starr, and at least one Stella Star.

* ShootingSuperman: Akton suddenly develops the superpower to block ray gun shots, yet [[spoiler:Thor]] just keeps shooting at him. Akton deflects the rays back at him, and ''[[spoiler:Thor]]'' continues shooting'', hitting himself four or five times before he dies.

** Zarth Arn, the villain, is much more like Darht Vader, only he's the actual BigBad, not just TheDragon.

* ShoutOut: The Imperial warship at the beginning is named ''Creator/MurrayLeinster''. Two of her officers are named [[Creator/ArthurCClarke Clarke]] and [[Creatore/RayBradbury Bradbury]].

* ActionGirl: Stella Star. She's the best pilot in the galaxy, a smuggler, a good shot with a ray gun, and ends up being the hero of the film.

* FollowTheLeader:
** ''Star Wars'' ripoffs were all the rage at the end of the 1970s -- this is the best-known European example.
** 'Zarth Arn' is also the name of the younger son of the Galactic Emperor in Edmond Hamilton's 'The Star Kings'. This is probably coincidence, though that book did include a star system destroying weapon (implied to be galaxy or universe destroying if handled incorrectly).

* VacationDearBoy: Creator/ChristopherPlummer's reason for taking the role.

* GreyAndBlackMorality: The Emperor's regime sees nothing wrong with sentencing people to a lifetime of slave labour in radioactive conditions with no protective clothing... and not even hardened super-criminals, but simple smugglers like Stella. Still, the film portrays them as the good guys because Zarth Arn is pretty much literally a pantomime villain.