The Last Starfighter

Starring:Kay E. Kuter, Dan Mason (III), Lance Guest, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Barbara Bosson, Norman Snow, Robert Preston, Chris Hebert, John O'Leary, George McDaniel, Charlene Nelson, John Maio, Robert Starr, Al Berry, Scott Dunlop, Vernon Washington, Peter Nelson, Peggy Pope, Meg Wyllie
Director: Nick Castle
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

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At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to The Music Man's Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Oldie But Goodie.......2007-07-02

Really gets the imigination going. Like Star Wars in away, but more on a kid level. Good movie.

You CAN Become Important Playing Video Games.......2007-06-24

Alex Rogan (Lance Guest, "Halloween II" and "Jaws: The Revenge") seems to have a dead-end life. He lives in a trailer park and helps keep things in the trailer park running. His life is not his own. The only fun he has is playing a video game, which he is very good playing. One day Alex achieves the high score on the video game and life changes.

A bizarre individual by the name of Centauri (played by the late, great Robert Preston) appears, looking for Alex. Centauri is an agent for the Star League, recruiting potential Starfighters. Centauri's tool for discovering the potential to be a Starfighter is the video game.

Though Alex has longed to escape the trailer park, he struggles with the opportunity to be a Starfighter. Alex thinks of his girlfriend Maggie (lovely Catherine Mary Stewart), his mother and the people he has helped in the trailer park. Eventually Alex realizes that his life has already changed and that sometimes a little risk can yield great gains. Alex heads back to Rylos and the Star League with Centauri, only to discover that he is the last Starfighter. The end of this movie is all fun and excitement.

This movie was released the year after "Return of the Jedi." The Star Wars movies were very serious and contained a lot of depth. This movie avoided the angst of Star Wars and focused on the fun of shooting evil aliens. This movie is a video game with a plot surrounding it. This movie contained significant computer generated affects that helped the movie a lot, and those special effects increased the video game feeling of this movie.

Though this movie relies a lot on special effects, the acting is generally quite good. Robert Preston is awesome as Centauri, and I recommend this movie highly to Robert Preston fans. Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart and the late Dan O'Herlihy as the lizard-like alien Grig are also fun to watch.

There are many kinds of science fiction movies. This movie is fun in the tradition of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. There are spies and evil aliens. There are spaceships that twist and turn and it is clear to the audience that Rylos is worth fighting for. Lance Guest makes a lovable protagonist. In addition to fans of the actors I listed above, I highly recommend this movie to science fiction movie fans.

Enjoy!

Great nostalgia from my 80s childhood.......2007-04-19

I have a soft spot for this movie, and when it came out on DVD I immediately bought it. I must have watched it dozens of times when it was on HBO in the 80s. Watching it again so many years later, it still retains its heart and charm. Sure, the effects may seem very dated but the film stands out as as one of the first to use CG-created ships and environments. Everyone in the film does a great job as well. Robert Preston is excellent as the smooth-talking alien, Centauri. Dan O'Herlihy has a great time playing navigator Grig, and star Lance Guest has two roles, one of disenchated teen Alex Rogan and the other an android double that takes his place while Alex is taken into space to train as a Starfighter. Guest seems to have a lot more fun with Beta, the android role, but makes Alex believable as someone trying to break free of the trailer park where he grew up. (Don't forget Catherine Mary Stuart as the love interest).

The specials features are a welcome addition for fans. I watched every special feature on this DVD the day I got it, and enjoyed learning about the making of the film from the documentary.

This movie is a great bit of nostalgia with a lot of heart.

A Good Movie Back Then, Today, Alittle Rusty In Intertainment..........2007-04-16

Some 80's movies I can watch over and over and still want to watch it again, like The Terminator, but this movie is ok, but I doubt I will want to watch it over and over like some of my other movies. I remember seeing it in the 80's when I was around 15 years old. Today at age 32, it not really that shiny anymore. But its still a good movie. The CG graphics are pretty impressing for the early 80's. Its worth watching once, if you've never seen it at all.

Blast from the past which still entertains even now.......2007-03-26

The Last Starfighter was a nice little sci-fi action movie which was revolutionary when it was released due to it's use of an early version of CGI-effects. For 1984 the special-effects was quite new and showed just what was possible in the years to come.

The movie itself was a fun and simple sci-fi actioner which owes alot to the arcade shooters which were popular during the 80's. Even the main plotline of the film is pretty much about a video game sent by a benevolent space-faring Star League looking to find a few good Starfighters to save their federation from the danger that is Zur and the Kodan Armada. Lance Guest plays Alex Rogan whose only past-time at the trailer-park where he lives with his mother and younger brother is his girlfriend Maggie Gordon (played by 80's genre favorite Catherine Mary Stewart) and constantly playing a video game called The Last Starfighter. Alex's expert skills in beating the game brings about a new wrinkle in his hum-drum life which seems to be going nowhere. A seeming con-man of a salesman by the name of Centauri (played with gusto and energy by Robert Preston) comes out of nowhere and gives him an offer and opportunity that is out of this world.

The rest of the film brings about Alex's reluctance to join the Star League as a Starfighter and pilot of the Gunstar fighter. He thinks its all a mistake and that he wasn't signing up for some sort of intergalactic war that may just kill him. Like most action movies Alex will have an epiphany of what his role and destiny must be and, with some reluctance, finally takes the challenge by the controls and goes off to fight Zur and the Kodan Armada with his lone Gunstar and his trusty navigator and all-around lizardman mentor, Grigg (played with equal parts seriousness and fun by Dan O'Herlihy).

For those like me who grew up during the 80's and enjoyed watching these simple but fun sci-fi movies The Last Starfighter is quite the blast from the past which still delights and entertains despite the corny dialogue and cheesy effects. The CGI-effects of the Gunstar and the Kodan Armada looks dated but I still can't take my eyes off the screen whenever these early looking CG effects come on. The acting is pretty standard B-movie quality with everyone seeming to have fun with the premise and giving it their all. There's nothing to write the Academy about but in the end the performances do just enough to make the audience like the characters.

The Last Starfighter is quite the underrated scifi action movie which should've done better than it did when it first came out. It's since gained a cult following on video and always a welcome sight whenever it comes on cable. The movie may seem dated compared to the super advanced CGI-effects laden blockbusters we have now but it still entertains the people who grew up watching it as kids and who have grown up since.

Average customer rating:

The Last Starfighter
Starring: Bruce Abbott , Marc Alaimo , Ed Berke , Al Berry , and Ellen Blake
Director: Nick Castle, Jr.
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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