During one of my blogathons I read on Rodney’s Fernby Films, that this movie had a lot of impact on him, which made me curious about it. For him growing up it was a movie (besides The Neverending Story) which gave him the idea he could be more than he was. It was the main reason for me to add this movie to my Blindspot series this year. Of course it also helped that this is a science fiction movie from the eighties, which also comes with a lot of nostalgia.
The eighties were, after the immense success of Star Wars, a great time for science fiction. The number of movies that was produced in that genre during that time was big as all the movie companies tried to reach the same level of success. Of course they didn’t always succeed, but I think The Last Starfighter is worth seeing. I don’t even care how dated the movie feels now.
The film seems to borrow several elements from other films which results in a satisfying whole. The movie centers around an arcade game (think Tron) which is constantly played by main character Alex (Lance Guest). He is the best in his community of trailer park inhabitants. It turns out though that the machine was placed there to find out how good someone would be as a fighter pilot. One night Alex is visited by a man in a futuristic car, who takes him into space. As the title already suggests Alex will be “The Last Starfighter” and it is up to him to save the universe (like Star Wars). The movie has several elements which made me think of Spielberg’s movies from that era.
The Last Starfighter is a joy to watch, where the sense of adventure stands out most. Alex is suddenly pulled into a world (or better yet, galaxy) he doesn’t know and where all hope is on him doing a good job. Although most of the movie looks good, the effects once Alex is in space are pretty terrible. The decision was made, we’re talking 1984, to make all the space scenes CGI. It might have looked good then, but now you’ll be able to make something better using your laptop. Miniatures would have been a better choice. Despite that though The Last Starfighter is a very entertaining film. With its great eighties vibe, a couple of fun practical effects for various monsters and a fun story The Last Starfighter was a very pleasant surprise. I understood why this movie would have a lot of impact on a person when he sees this at a young age.
With all the reboots and remakes I was surprised that it was never done for this movie, but it turns out that those who hold the right won’t give permission for it. Even Steven Spielberg has tried, without any result. Earlier this month though there was news about a TV show being developed based on the movie, so let’s hope it will be worth watching.
LOL! Glad you finally got to watch it, my friend! Saw this come up on my Twitter feed and had to come over and check out what you thought. I agree – today, the effects look dated, but then, this was the Terminator 2 or Jurassic Park of its day, pushing the boundaries of technology.
You hit on exactly why this film resonates even now – it’s a fantasy wish-fulfillment picture, mixed with computer games, mixed with the archetypal young unexpected hero narrative. It all just works – it helps that the performances sell the film even when the effects sometimes let things down.
You nailed it. Great review!
Yeah, it took me a while, but I just had to finally get around to seeing it. Yeah, it tried to do something new and it must have looked cool back then. After seeing this I was thinking about the top 10 cars article I did a while ago and I think the car from this movie should be in it 🙂
So what’s your opinion about a reboot in the form of a TV show?
I’m never in favor of a reboot of a film, unless it brings something new and significant to the table. I think a Starfighter series could be interesting in a Star Wars, Star Trek kinda franchise way, but at first blush I just wish they’d get around to making a straight-up film sequel to THIS movie. Not everything needs to be on HBO.
Thank you, Nostra! I was talking about this film the other day without realising. I couldn’t remember what the name was and who was in it, I just said: “There’s an arcade machine and it’s by a log cabin.”
Definitely time for a rewatch, I think.
You’re welcome 😉 Must be time for a rewatch indeed!
https://70srichard.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/the-last-starfighter/
Love this movie. You mentioned a lot of the reasons why. I did a post on it last year. Thought you might want to take a look.
I can understand why 🙂
I, too, loved this movie as a kid. Definitely time for a rewatch.
I think I would feel the same had I watch it as a kid.
I fucking love this movie. Yeah, the effects are dated but that’s part of the fun of it. It is never boring and I love the Lotus Blossom moment.
It probably would be easy to just replace those shots with better ones (I haven’t searched, but wouldn’t surprised me if someone has already done this and made his fan film version of it)
Loved this one as well, and remember waiting in line to watch it. It came out at the same time as “The Karate Kid” and was overlooked because of it. Luckily it gained cult status.
As for the CGI, I think even in 1984 they were dated. But the story still holds.
Didn’t know it was released around the same time. The story is awesome and it will be a movie I’ll rewatch in the future.
I had never even heard of this one Nostra, that’s cool that you’re revisiting a movie because it meant a lot to another blogger!
Seriously, you should check it out Ruth. Although dated by its production values, it’s a solid film with a great story.
Can’t add anything else to that!