The Last Starfighter (1984)

A discouraged video-gaming boy finds himself recruited as a gunner for an alien defense force.

Director:

Nick Castle

Writer:

Jonathan R. Betuel (as Jonathan Betuel)

Stars:

Lance Guest, Robert Preston, Kay E. Kuter

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kay E. Kuter	...	Enduran
Dan Mason	...	Lord Kril
Lance Guest	...	Alex Rogan / Beta Alex
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Grig
Catherine Mary Stewart	...	Maggie Gordon
Barbara Bosson	...	Jane Rogan
Norman Snow	...	Xur
Robert Preston	...	Centauri
Chris Hebert	...	Louis Rogan
John O'Leary	...	Rylan Bursar
George McDaniel	...	Kodan Officer
Charlene Nelson	...	Rylan Technician
John Maio	...	Friendly Alien
Robert Starr	...	Underling
Al Berry	...	Rylan Spy

Storyline

Alex Rogan lives in a trailer court where his mother is manager and everyone is like a big extended family. He beats the Starfighter video game to the applause of everyone in the court and later that day finds he has been turned down for a student loan for college. Depressed, he meets Centauri, who introduces himself as a person from the company that made the game, before Alex really knows what is going on he is on the ride of his life in a "car" flying through space. Chosen to take the skills he showed on the video game into real combat to protect the galaxy from an invasion. Alex gets as far as the Starfighter base before he really realized that he was conscripted and requests to be taken back home. When he gets back home, he finds a Zando-Zan (alien bounty hunter) is stalking him. Unable to go home and live, Alex returns to the Starfighter base to find all the pilots have been killed and he is the galaxy's only chance to be saved from invasion. To defeat the invaders, who are ...

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Plot Keywords:

starfighter | alien | planet | trailer park | space battle | 

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Taglines:

In his wildest dreams, Alex never suspected that tonight he would become... the Last Starfighter.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Starfight

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Film Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Preston and Dan O'Herlihy had never met before this movie. When they finally met on the set, O'Herlihy was already in Grig makeup with a full-head mask. O'Herlihy introduced himself and Preston jokingly replied that of course he recognized O'Herlihy because he had "one of those faces."

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Goofs

When Alex first meets the Beta Unit, he already appears to have Alex's facial features and hair - albeit in silhouette. However, he is later taking form with skin and facial features growing over a robotic skeleton.

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Quotes

Alex Rogan: [calling out] Maggie! You're never going to believe this!
Maggie Gordon: [slaps him, angrily] I told you, Alex! Me and my, how did you put it, "strange sexual urges" aren't talking to you anymore!

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Connections

Version of The Starfighter Chronicles

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Soundtracks

Incommunicado
(Craig Safan & Mark Mueller)
Performed by Clif Magness

User Reviews

Its not the plot or effects, its the characters that work...

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.