User reviews

None of the other reviews of this film (at least those that I have seen) understand what makes this movie so wonderful. This is one of the few movies I can recall that treat teenagers with some respect, instead of as cartoon characters. Alex has the same kinds of dreams and problems we all had at the age of 18, but he really does try to do the right thing, even when it goes against his desires. The film does not show the generation gap as a battlefield, but as a fact of life that Alex has to live with, and not one that is entirely negative.

This film is totally driven by the characters. The plot, and even the CGI, while groundbreaking for the day, are not the real magic here. It is the characters.

I love THE LAST STARFIGHTER... it's a good, fun movie. A matinee type of film. It's not as great as Star Wars or some of the big budget movies of the time... (hmmm, where there any big budget Sci Fi movies other than Star Wars at the time?) The acting, though not great was charming. Lance Guest (brillantly playing Alex and the very naive Beta), Greg O'Herlihy (sp) playing the loveable Lizard creature Grig and of course.... Robert Preston as rascalous Centauri. And something that I forgot for a long time (until I saw it at a local store and had to buy it on DVD) was that this was one, if not THE, first movie to utilize CGI. Yeah, it's a far cry from what filmakers can do now with Apple Rendering software. But when I saw the movie in the Theater, I was impressed and thought that if Computer Graphics were this good in the this first movie... how much it will grow. It's a movie well worth having in your library. And as I'm watching it right now, I'm glad that I have it in mine.

This video game/ STAR WARS inspired space opera epic is more fun than it probably has any right to be. While there is an instant or two where the film suffers greatly from a case of the "cutes", the great casting here makes this one remain worthwhile. In particular Dan O' Herlihy, with his performance as Alex Rogan's alien friend Grig, absolutely steals this movie and gets to deliver most of the best lines. And when he's not stealing the picture, another veteran character actor named Robert Preston (Centauri) is. Good stuff especially suitable for teenage sci-fi fans but even as an adult I cannot help but have a soft spot for this cast...even Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stuart do alright here.

This is a lost gem of a movie from the generation of "E.T.", Indiana Jones, Star Wars, etc...

When a friend showed it to me on VHS in 1984 I loved it for its originality, warmth & humor, as well as being impressed with the first-time computer-generated special effects for this kind of sci-fi film.

When I saw the 'special edition' DVD in Widescreen I snatched it right up and found that I enjoyed it as much as I did 20 years ago! The movie's special effects still looked good to me, especially the "Star Car" (my personal favorite).

But the special effects are not the centerpiece of this film. It has plenty of charm of its own to offer in plot, story, warmth, humor & good performances. Craig Safan's music score for this film is one of my all-time favorites. It almost outsizes this movie but it fits just the same.

"Starfighter" is a real gem from the 80's I will treasure in my movie collection.

Granted, I'm a child of the 80s, so there's some nostalgia at work here, but I'm surprised at how interesting and enjoyable this movie is. It sounds like a turkey when you read the main plot line, but it's very well-done and charming for what it is. Sure, it has its problems, but it never claims to be anything other than teenage sci-fi. A good ride.

The story is simple and has probably been retold in every heroic setting possible. It's also a bit of wish fulfillment for those of us that grew up pumping quarters into arcade video games.

In my opinion the acting is above average for a movie like this. It is much helped by veteran actors Robert Preston and Dan O'Herlihy. Lance Guest does a great turn as Alex as well.

The effects were not appreciated at the time, I think, but hold up fairly well. They were drawn on that Holy Grail of computers to us children of the 80's; a Kray Supercomputer.

The score is well done, the humor timed well and the overall good feeling I get from watching it never fades. You can't go wrong with this gem.

Being a child of the eighties, I can remember this movie fondly and with a lot of nostalgia for a time when movies that are corny now were just pretty damn cool then. The Last Starfighter is a great example except it isn't corny.

Some people are complaining about the visual effects but let me tell ya, they are pretty good even by today's standards. Some of these effects snobs think that if a movie's effects aren't groundbreaking or super realistic, they aren't good. Special effects are effective if they enhance a movie, not just because they use the latest computer effects or bring something entirely new to the movie world. Anyway, back to the movie.

The cast all does a good job but none of them ever went on to fame, a occurance that I blame solely on soulless Hollywood execs. Lance Guest especially, come on he did a good job. He deserves better. The plot is simple but fun and this movie is perfect for kids, as I was at the time I saw this the first thru 300th time. This movie has everything: video games, aliens, space dogfights, lasergun battles, teen angst, and 80's cheese. The Last Starfighter is a classic. Bottom Line: What a movie. If you were alive in the 80's and you missed this then you are so deprived. If you haven't seen it yet then stop reading this and go rent it or something.

Another film from my youth and fabulous. A kid from a trailer park is recruited to fight in an intergalactic battle against an evil madman and his unstoppable armada in a star fight to the death. And he doesn't want the job. I really got into this one it's totally enjoyable. There is a lot of humor and action mixed quite well. Robert Preston is like butter he's good no matter what. He delivers the quips and jokes with just the right amount of wit and energy. And he warms your heart. I miss that guy I was very sorry to find out he had passed on. I remember him from many films like Beau Geste and the Music Man. I simply cherish this film and many other people do too.

This is a hybrid of Sci-Fi/fantasy/ and comedy ; dealing with a video-gaming boy, seemingly doomed to remain at his trailer park home all his existence , finds himself enlisted as a gunner for an alien defense force. He is named Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) who lives in a remote trailer court where his mummy (Barbara Bosson) is manager and everyone is like a big extended family and along with his enjoyable girlfriend (Catherine Mary Stewart) . Meantime, Alex turns the top player of Starfighter, a stand-up arcade game where the player guards "the frontier" from "Xur and the Kodan armada" in a space battle ,after getting video game prowess it makes him the main objective from extraterrestrial forces as good aliens as bad aliens. After achieving his best score, he is approached by the Arcade game's inventor, named Centauri (old Robert Preston's last movie). In his wildest dreams Alex never suspected that tonight he would become...The Last Starfighter , a gunner from outland and all sorts of bizarre things begin to happen . Stepping into Centauri's vehicle, he is seemingly doomed to stay at his roulette all in his life ; however ,he soon finds himself recruited as prime pilot for an alien defense force (commanded by Daniel O'Herlihy) to do battle in outer space and take on arch-villains.

This agreeable comedy/Sci-Fi film packs action , comic dialog ,hilarious situations, thrills , a love story and is pretty entertaining . Passable computer generator FX , though nowadays dated , with spectacular dogfighting and innovative by that time of the 80s. Very good and rousing musical score by Craig Safan in John Williams style .

Likable Lance Guest as a videogaming boy living in a trailer park home who undertakes a risked adventure , a gorgeous and enjoyable Catherine Mary Stewart and Dan O'Herlihy who's unrecognizable in lizard-like makeup ; of course , excellent, as always, veteran Robert Preston as Centauri who actually is a disguised alien who whisks him off to another planet . The motion picture is professionally directed by Nick Castle . He is a prestigious writer and filmmaker as ¨The boy who could fly , ¨Tag : assassination game¨ , ¨Delivering Milo¨ , ¨Dennis the menace¨, ¨Major Payne¨ and ¨Tap¨. It's viewing delight and amusing though toothless entertainment that benefits greatly from sympathetic acting and rudimentary but effective special effects.

Back in the 80s, the use of models and practical effects were common. This must have been a challenge for directors attempting to make it as realistic as possible in a time before CGI. For most part, they did a very good job with 'The Last Starfighter'.

The effects are obviously dated by today's standards and the new generation might not appreciate the film, or even find the effects laughable. If you can transport yourself back around four decades, you'd understand how great this must have looked back then. The film also has great costumes and make-up.

This is an interesting action adventure fantasy to pass the time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It also weaves humor and romance into the action and fantasy, making it a good choice for a family movie. It wasn't fantastic, but it was entertaining enough.

29. THE LAST STARFIGHTER (SCI-fiction, 1984) For young Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) living in a trailer park is boring. He wants to escape from his rural existence and go to the city where he hopes to go to College. But for his girlfriend Annie (Catherine Mary Stewart) the prospect of leaving her grandmother behind is hard. Alex's only real excitement is playing a video game called 'Last Starfighter', having played it so many times that he finally breaks the game's points record. Soon after he's visited by a friendly alien power. They want to recruit him as one of their elite 'Starfighters' in an inter-galactic war where his skills will prove the turning point. Here he finds an unexpected chance to finally break free and follow his dreams. But will Annie join him?

Critique: The 'Star Wars' phenomenon inspired a slew of science fiction films in its heyday that, surprisingly enough, has continued to this day. Although the 1980s produced its share of memorable films, this is one of the most appealing of the bunch. Capturing the youthful exuberance and innocence that made the 'Star Wars' fantasy a worldwide smash. The 'once upon story' line works from the disillusioned, dreamy nature of those kids whose earthly existence leave much to be desired. Wishing they could be whisked away to another galaxy, and take part in some far-off adventure.

An added bonus to the film is the pairing of the 2 young leads. Exacting the warmth and amazement of encountering such a journey, and taking their love to the infinite reaches of space. This is a true and forgotten gem of what was an otherwise a forgetful decade for sci-fi films.

With the original "Star Wars" trilogy still fresh in the public's mind in 1984, "The Last Starfighter" was produced. Commercially the film did only fairly well at the box office, but that is not saying that this is not a more than adequate little science fiction entry. High-schooler Lance Guest is approached by a couple of aliens (Robert Preston and an unrecognizable Dan O'Herlihy) to go to a galaxy far, far away and fight an evil empire. Sound familiar? He is recruited for his mission via an arcade game of all things. Catherine Mary Stewart shines as Guest's love interest. Nothing spectacular and somewhat dated, but still a pleasant surprise that you will not regret watching. 4 stars out of 5.

I just watched this again for the first time in probably a two decades. Sure the CGI has been eclipsed but it definitely pushed the envelope at the time and should be considered an excellent evolutionary example. Heck I remember when Cray was synonymous with supercomputing and it was so cool to have a film rendered on one. The cast was definitely above average for an 80's flick and they, along with the movie in general, has aged rather well. The soundtrack is also rousing and satisfying for the genre. One thing I noticed this time is that I'll bet Luc Besson saw this movie and copied the "frontier" in 'The Fifth Element'. Oh, and I also caught the 'Dr. Strangelove' line before even looking at the trivia (although I was surprised that it was an actual audio clip from Slim Pickens scene). Anyhow a great little escapist movie for those who dream of the day their Centauri shows up and whisks them away to a glamorous and heroic new life. (sniff) :-D

This is true sci-fi. A little campy? No it's not, it's science fiction, not t&a excuse. A complete story line, the setup for a sequel (which never materialized) is not even apparent unless you watch it twenty times. No political agendas, just an excellent story! If you haven't watched it, do.

I remember seeing this as a little boy in the cinemas when it came out, and back then I was mesmerised and awed by the story and the new things shown from it. I remember that my younger me was wishing for something like this to happen to me. The same thing I wished from Star Wars and E.T.. It really fired up my imagination, such was the impact of this movie (and others like it).

Now, nearly 37 years later, the story is still as fresh. Sure, the graphics now looks dated - even modern video games have better graphics - but the movie and it's story telling has held the test of time. A true 80s classic.

Nowadays, most movie makers rely on CGI and big cinematic moments to wow the viewers, but with the script generally left wanting. Back in the 80s, movie makers really focused on the story telling. Coupled that with great scripts and capable directors, plus a dose of wonderful actors, produces quality classics. The 80s really produced some great movies that have stood the test of time like, E.T., Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Back to the Future, My Science Project etc.

VERDICT? Get the popcorn ready, it's a must see classic movie for the whole family.

Alex Rogen (Lance Guest) gamer nerd professional gets recruited to be a real Starfighter, such a lovely gem! I love the atmosphere this movie is way cooler than I thought and sweet. The Last Starfighter is kinda underground in terms of popularity it was only recommended to me a few times otherwise I didn't know much glad I bought the Blu-Ray recently. Nick Castle created something very unique and special; which is wild cause he also played as Micheal Myers in Halloween I didn't know he directed!

I was 13 when I first saw this movie in the theater, coming on the heels of Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and every other sci-fi film or show that had kids dreaming of flying around space in a fighter and blowing baddies to smitherines! Sometimes, when we rode our bikes, we also imagined we were flying around in a spacecraft.

The late 70s and early 80s was truly the launching of science fiction. Yes, there had been Star Trek and 2001, but Star Wars truly kicked the genre into a major player. Oh, what a time to be a kid!

The Last Starfighter's special effects are certainly dated, and the story is a simple one and a bit far-fetched. But so what! The point was that Alex Rogan represented every kid who had the dream.

The film has a good cast in Lance Guest, Dan O' Herlihy, and Robert Preston, not to mention a very awesome musical theme that anyone would love to blast while hurtling through space!

Kids today aren't likely to like or appreciate this film. But kids of my generation will always have a fond place in their hearts and a soft spot for The Last Starfighter.

OK. If this were 1984 (the year of The Last Starfighter's theatrical release), you can be sure that I'd most likely be raving about this Sci-Fi/Comedy, kiddies' film with a little bit more enthusiasm. And, yes, rating it with a higher score than just 3 measly stars, as well.

But, as things stand - Now 30 years later (after being thoroughly saturated for the past 3 decades by an onslaught of CGI effects in every single alien-related movie around), one can't help but see how totally inferior The Last Starfighter is in so many, many ways.

Had I been able to somehow relate to the youthful characters in the story, I might have leaned a little less critically on this film, which I view as a blatant rip-off of Star Wars.

But, as it stood - The Last Starfighter's story was a pretty well-worn tale that held no surprises and quickly got stale within its first half-hour.

Yes. I will admit that some of the visual effects here were quite good - But this didn't come anywhere near to compensating for the rest of The Last Starfighter which, pretty much, sucked to infinity, and beyond.

Today's audiences will rarely see a movie that doesn't contain some sort of CGI effects. But back 1984 they were just taking the first steps into this age of effects. Both The Last Starfighter and Tron took the leap, and both made the most of it. While the effects of Starfighter are certainly dated, the movie isn't. Simply because it doesn't make the mistake that so many effects-heavy movies do...it never loses sight of character. The characters and the story are the most important elements here, and that's what makes timeless. Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is a young man that, like Luke Skywalker, dreams of his life becoming more than what it seems he is destined for. In Star Wars, you can feel the dreams that Luke has as he looks out over the Tatooine desert at the twin sunset. There is a similar moment in Starfighter when Alex sits in his room, and stares at the mobile of the solar system on his bedroom ceiling being blown about by the wind coming through the window. When he breaks the record on the Starfighter game, he is recruited by a mysterious visitor named Centauri (Robert Preston), who is in fact an alien that reveals to him that the Starfighter game is a test sent out across the universe to find the few with the "gift" to become true Starfighters. Whisked away to the planet Rylos, Alex finds that he is needed to defend the universe against the villains he defeated in the game. Back on earth, Alex is replaced by a "simuloid" called Beta who looks like Alex, but has no idea on how to be him. Especially when it comes to matters of the heart with Alex's girlfriend Maggie (the stunning Catherine Mary Stewart). But heart is what this movie has in abundance. It's light hearted, exciting, funny, and moving. It's literally the kind of movie you don't see anymore, and that's a shame. In today's age, the characters in movies similar to this, are as phony as the CGI worlds they inhabit. But Starfighter never lets us forget that no matter how spectacular a visual effect is, it's an empty thing without people to care about. Another element that cannot be ignored is the musical score by Craig Safan. It's one of the best of the 80's. Similar to John Williams' Star Wars and Superman themes, it change in tempo can make it exciting or romantic. I really wish I could find it on CD. I saw this movie for the first time in 1984, and today I shared it for the first time with my two kids, ages 9 and 7. They LOVED it. My son wanted to know if there was a REAL video game for it, or if there were action figures for it. It was really special to share this movie with them. It proves it's multi-generational, and worthy of a place in movie history, for more reasons than just it's ground breaking visual effects. A classic.

Okay, no Music Man jokes...

This was one of those films that got green-lighted because Star Trek and Star Wars were making obscene amounts of money, and other studios wanted to get in on the action. It wasn't like some of the truly bad stuff, like anything produced by Roger Corman or Glen Larsen at the time. This was just kind of harmless.

All that said, the movie has a fun premise, some engaging characters. What doesn't hold up are the special effects. This was one of the first movies that held that computer generated graphics could be a replacement for the old "Green Screen and model" method of spaceship filming, but they were probably about a decade too early. One would also notice that the "Gunstars" bear an uncanny resemblance to Babylon 5 Star Furies, but I digress.

'The Last Starfighter' is a film for children made in the early 1980s which copies off of the successful 'Star Wars' trilogy. The star of the film is a young man who is very good at playing video games, and since he is good at the game, he is recruited to defend the galaxy. This has got to be every child's dream at one point after watching 'Star Wars', so I am not surprised that this film was produced for those of us who enjoyed the 'Star Wars' movies. Although I enjoyed the 'Star Wars' films, I did not enjoy this film, and the last time that I saw it, I must have been close to 15-years-old. It's a little bit of a juvenile film, and I do not think adults will enjoy it unless they had fond memories of it from the 1980s.