The next few months could be tough for movie fans. **The historic Hollywood strike has delayed production of most Hollywood blockbusters.** Dune Part 2 was already moved from the end of last year to March this year. Only one film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was scheduled to release three films this year, will be released. There is no news about other Hollywood films that were being planned.

**Space Sweepers (승리호), released in 2021 as a Netflix original film, is a perfect film to watch during this time.** Although it takes settings from various Hollywood space opera films, it has created a rather original and exciting film.

**The protagonists are space junk collectors, as the English title of the film suggests.** The captain of the spaceship VICTORY, Jang Sun-jung (Kim Tae-ri), has modified the spaceship to be very fast and strong. Kim Tae-ho, the pilot played by Song Joong-ki, is always looking for money, and the robot Updong-i, whose voice is played by Yoo Hae-jin, is a hanafuda (East Asian card game) addict. Tiger Park, who always carries a titanium axe, boasts about his fighting skills, but no one seems to believe him yet.

They work hard, but they don't make a lot of money. They also lose all the money they made by damaging the facilities of the giant corporation UTS at the beginning of the film. **UTS is a company that virtually rules the world. Earth has been devastated by pollution, but wealthy people live comfortably in habitats built by the company in orbit.** Citizens of Earth hope to one day enter this paradise.

The crew of the VICTORY, who had always been losing the money they earned, discover an unexpected treasure. They found a hydrogen bomb that UTS was looking for. But what was actually there was a young girl. **UTS was chasing the girl, knowing that the ‘hydrogen bomb’ was actually a child. The crew of the VICTORY are at a crossroads, choosing whether to hand over the girl to UTS and enter the orbital habitat, or protect the mysterious girl.**

If you are a fan of space opera, you will surely have found familiar elements in the introduction. **The VICTORY, modified by Captain Jang, is similar to the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars.** The VICTORY, like the Falcon, was originally just a cargo ship, but Captain Jang modified it to be fast and strong, so it remains intact even when attacked.

**Especially, the climax of the film features a scene that is an homage to the Millennium Falcon infiltrating the interior of the Death Star in ‘Return of the Jedi’.** This film is also full of parodies and homages to various space operas, including 2001: A Space Odyssey.

If you wanted a fresh and new space opera film, you will be disappointed. I felt that way when I first saw this film. But in the current situation where movie fans’ favorite franchises are drying up, this film is quite welcome. **This film is a pretty good substitute for Hollywood franchise blockbusters.** Especially considering that the film's budget was only about 20 billion won (about $20 million), you realize how well-made the film is.