Giochi stellari

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.

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.

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.