Rating: 
Summary: I love this Movie!
Review: Anyone that was raised on Atari, can relate to this movie. It's one of my top ten all favorite movies. It's different from most of the sci-fi movies out there.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my fondest memories...
Review: One of the fondest memories of my childhood was watching this movie while eating a Chef-Boy-Ardee sausage pizza. (remember those?) Many hot summer days were spent enjoying the adventure of Alex Rogan travelling to Rylos and realizing his dreams and his destiny as a Starfighter with his navigator, Grigg. This is one of those inexplicably optimistic films that popped up in the 80's. Despite the fact that the special effects may look dated now, the story is timeless and well written for this genre. The video presentation on this DVD is rather crisp and clear but the audio could be a "little" better. Still, this is a wonderful film for kids and nostalgic adults alike. Oh, the extras are nice as well. I hadn't seen the "Making of" documentary since it appeared on HBO when I was a kid. This is a wonderful film.
Rating:
Summary: Cool but dated effects, pretty good acting...
Review: I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy this film. Well, I also really enjoyed "TRON" when it came out. Maybe I'm a sucker for computer graphics.In any case the story line is based on a small town just graduated HS student who escapes his mundane life by playing a video game. Then one night he breaks the high score -- he's the hero of the trailer park. Well, before long aliens appear, he's whisked off on an adventure, and everyone else is wondering what's happening! The story is classic radio sci-fi fantasy, the acting is fine, and the computer animation that supports the story broke the trail for the more sophisticated digital animation that rules in box offices today. I give this movie four stars only because of the somewhat dated appearance of the FX, but I still thoroughly enjoy this story. It's worth a try, as long as you're not expecting too much -- a great movie for a calm Saturday afternoon.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Starfighter
Review: The other reviews on this site cover most of what I want to say. But I would like to add that with all the sci-fi films that have been made, most on vastly superior budgets, none have brought me the sense of joy this film engenders. Certainly the CGI sequences (all space scenes were CGI, making this a ground-breaking film) are a bit quaint to our modern eyes. But many modern directors have become so enamoured with CGI that they forget about little items like plot etc.
This film has a straight-forward but well-balanced plot, full of subtleties and humour, a coherent script written by someone who understands the English language, good acting (Robert Preston nearly steals the show) and is well directed.
I couldn't estimate how many times I have watched the video - certainly more times than anything else in my collection - but I think this video is one of the most enjoyable sci-fi films ever made. I am 60, and I enjoy some of the classic films in the genre from the 50s (despite the terrible 'rocket' ships and flying saucers) right through to some of the better films being made now. (I'll let you into a secret - I like some of the bad ones too, just for the fun of it). But the Last Starfighter deserves to be remembered for what it achieved at its time in the history of sci-fi films; and for the sheer joy and warmth anyone can experience on watching it.
Rating:
Summary: When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Starfighter!
Review: THE LAST STARFIGHTER is definitely a product of the 1980s. The hair, some of the clothes, the video arcades, the cars, etc. Despite the time period in which it is set, it does a wonderful job of tying in to everything that's great about youth and the optimism of coming of age.
The movie tells the story of Alex Rogan (Lance Guest). Alex is a young kid living in a trailer park who dreams of bigger things and unlike many of those at home, is trying to pursue those dreams. He wants to go to college away from home and begin a new life. Only thing is, he gets rejected from the school he applies to. So Alex starts playing the arade. The trailer park has one arcade game outside of its little country store and Alex is a pro at it. The game is called Starfighter and one night Alex ends up beating the game and achieving an all time new high score. The next day a man named Centauri who claims to be a representative of the company who invented the game. Turns out, Centauri is an alien who invented the game to find new recruits to join the Star League, an elite group of starfighters who keep the peace throughout the galaxy. Centauri takes Alex to Star League command and he is given a whirlwind tour. The situation is overwhelming for the lad and he requests to be sent home. He does, but by then things have gotten way out of hand and before Alex can say Beta, he finds out that he's the last starfighter.
The acting in the movie is good, especially for a cheesy 1980s sci-fi, boy in space picture. Robert Preston made his final motion picture performance in THE LAST STARFIGHTER and watching some of the behind the scenes stuff on the DVD it's clear that the man was much more talented than many people ever gave him credit for. The special effects in THE LAST STARFIGHTER might seem lame by todays standards but they really aren't all that bad. TRON is recognized as being the first movie to use CGI, but it was THE LAST STARFIGHTER that first used CGI for all its special effects. The effects were produed by the now-ancient Cray Super Computer.
The movie actually is a joy to watch. It's got some snappy dialogue, some interesting concepts (the whole Beta thing), and the first feature length CGI effects in a major motion picture. The film isn't going to change anyone's life, but it is a great movie to sit back and watch at home with a cool Dr Pepper and a bucket full of buttered popcorn. A delightful piece of mind candy that speaks to child in all of us.
The DVD special features include the director commentary, a behind the scenes featurette, production photos and info, and theatrical trailers.
Rating: 
Summary: Didn't age well...
Review: One of my favorites as a kid but upon viewing recently I found out that just because you liked something 20 years ago doesn't mean you are going to like it now. Ashame, but that's how it is.
The movie has a paper thin plot and almost no character development plus it tries to work overly hard at pulling at the heart-strings.
Computer graphics were great for them but are distracting now.
If you have a child and they like video games they may like they movie but it is a product of the 80's.
My only question is, what happened to the Beatiful Catherine Mary Stewart?
Rating:
Summary: Video game sci-fi
Review: I've seen some comic strips in the past where 6 figure jobs were advertised for people who had skills in playing video games. Can you break Space Invaders? Great! You get a $200,000 bonus! Here is a movie with the following premise: what if there really WERE pragmatic uses of video games?
As it turns out, an arcade game called STARFIGHTER was actually put on Earth as a simulator of a real spacecraft (gunstar). It was placed here to test the proper skills necessary to fight a nasty armada of fighters.
The big score on the game is achieved by a high school kid who lives in a trailer park out in the middle of nowhere. So, the aliens come to pick him up and "recruit" him for the mission they have designed for him. That is to say, to fly a REAL gunstar against a REAL armada in order to save the universe. Great fun!
I remember in the mid 1980s the special effects in this film looked awesome. Watching it 20 years later, most of the FX look almost pitiful. However, it is still a fun movie even though most kids will find the effects almost insultingly bad.
One of the biggest reasons to pick up this DVD is the lovely Catherine Mary Stewart. I've always had a crush on her, and this was one of her earliest flicks. It's nostalgic to see her high school aged as she's about the same age as myself.
So, if you want a happy-go-lucky sci fi film, this one might be worth checking out. If you're really big on FX, this one may disappoint. However, it's such a feel-good movie that it's bound to please most people.
Rating:
Summary: Greetings, Starfighter!
Review: "Greetings, Starfighter! You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Xur and the Kodan armada..."
One of the movies I have loved when I was a kid and still love watching even now. In fact, it's the only movie I have watched a lot more than my other favorites. And I have loved it so much that until now I can still say most of the key dialogues! ha-ha!
The main attraction of this movie is that it's a sci-fi movie that has great special effects. In fact, it is the first movie to really incorporate massive CGI (computer graphics interface) sequences.
Most of you might say, "So what? It's just another sci fi movie."
Well, if you take time to watch it, then you'd agree that it's not just a sci-fi movie. It's about growing up and making important decisions that will shape one's future. It's about "when the opportunity comes, you must grab it with both hands, and hold on tight." It's about having dreams and striving to reach them.
The story centers on Alex Rogan, a simple suburban lad who had dreamed of getting a better life and got more than he imagined, but with dangerous risks and mind-blowing feats which only he and a very "gifted" few in the galaxy have.
This DVD is recommended for those who appreciate good old movies with substance. Must buy for collectors and fans, and a great movie for good old fashion entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: One of my fondest memories...
Review: If you're looking for a masterpiece film that rewrites the sci-fi genre with intense drama and gritty characters, this isn't the movie for you. If you're looking for a really fun film that's a great mix of Star Wars, Saturday morning cartoons, and video games then stick this in your DVD player. The movie's special effects hold up suprisingly well, considering that they're 20 years old. When Alex Rogan is flying the gunstar, it's like you're there with him, especially if you grew up loving this film. The characters are developed enough that you care, but not so much that it's like a daytime soap opera. Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: "You have been recruited by the Star League!"
Review: In 1984, Lorimar Film Entertainment and Universal Pictures joined forces to create a very engaging and entertaining sci-fi film entitled "The Last Starfighter". Directed by Nick Castle, the story begins in the dreary and dusty "Starlite Starbrite" trailer park where the teenager Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) lives with his mother Jane Rogan (Barbara Bosson) and his inquisitive little brother Louis Rogan (Chris Hebert). Alex has very little free time for himself as he has become the de facto trailer park maintenance man, repairing various problems in neighbors' trailers. He would like to go to college and leave the trailer park behind, but his mother's meager wages make that impossible. His girlfriend Maggie Gordon (Catherine Mary Stewart) also lives in the trailer park. When not with Maggie, Alex's favorite enjoys playing a videogame called Starfighter located next to the trailer park's office. Alex becomes very skilled at beating the videogame to the delight of trailer park residents. One night, a mysterious, fast-talking man named Centauri (Robert Preston, 1918-1987) pulls up in a fancy car. After asking about who beat the videogame, he invites Alex to join him in his car for a meeting. To Alex's dismay, Centauri drives them away from the trailer park and then into outer space, where he takes Alex to the planet Rylos so that he can become a real starfighter to fight the evil Xur (Norman Snow) and the Kodan armada. With inspiration from the first three "Star Wars" films (which were released in 1977, 1980 & 1983), the highly successful 1982 videogame-based film "Tron" and the overall popularity of videogames in the 1980's, "The Last Starfighter" is a fun film to watch and was one of the earliest films to use computer-generated graphics to depict outer space scenes. As always, Robert Preston did a magnificent job of acting in what unfortunately was his last big-screen appearance. Lance Guest's portrayal of Alex was probably not as good as Mark Hamill's portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the 1977 "Star Wars", but it was good enough to keep the film's momentum going. Catherine Mary Stewart did do a good job with her portrayal of Maggie. Other memorable characters in the film include Alex's lizardy copilot Grig (Dan O'Herlihy), trailer park manager Otis (Vernon Washington, 1927-1988), trailer park resident Elvira (Peggy Pope), Maggie's grandmother (Meg Wyllie, 1917-2002, who played the Talosian Keeper in the original 1965 "Star Trek" TV series pilot "The Cage" that was later refashioned as the two-part episode "The Minagerie"), Lord Kril (Dan Mason) and Enduran (Kay E. Kuter, 1925-2003). Memorable scenes include Alex at the trailer park, Alex beating the videogame, Centauri's arrival and trip into space, Alex's arrival on Rylos, meeting the other starfighter pilots, the surprise attack, Alex talking with his beta unit, the Kodan spy, Alex's time with Grig, the battle scenes and the final scenes. Overall, I rate "The Last Starfighter" with 4 out of 5 stars.
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