A space-faring rescue mission gives Doraemon the freshest backdrop it's had in years. Roppel and Chami arrive as something other than just another problem for Nobita to stumble into; they're refugees, and suddenly the usual gadget-and-hijinks formula has actual stakes. The film doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it reminds you why these characters work: they help because they're built to, and that quiet decency plays differently when the world actually needs saving.

Nobita keeps dreaming about a boy named Roppel and his small companion Chami traveling through space. Then he meets them for real: fleeing pursuers, Roppel warped his ship under risky conditions and tore a rift in space and time that links the vessel to Nobita's room. The boys soon become friends, and once the ship is repaired, Nobita and Doraemon travel with Roppel to Koya Koya, the new world his group of colonists has settled. A gang of villains after the planet's plentiful special crystals keeps harassing the settlers, so Nobita and Doraemon resolve to help them fight for a peaceful life in their new home. The feature film blends adventure, comedy and fantasy.