The Last Starfighter

This is a great movie to watch on a Saturday morning or a day off. It's sci-fi & adventure,so if you like those kind of movies, I'm sure you'll like this one.

80's movie. Absolutely GREAT!!!! If you're like me, Gen X, it sure does bring back memories. Love this movie!!

This is a great story about a teenage boy, Alex, who wanted more in life - something most of us desire - and he got his wish. Although the movie is a bit "cheesy", its storyline and creativity reach the imagination and perhaps tickle the viewer's personal secret inner wish to make a huge difference in the world (or in this movie's case, in the universe) - this is probably the appeal. It's a fun, light story with some corny comedy, but also with some laugh-out-loud humor. There is an underlying serious message, but it's not shoved down our throats. Alex is reluctant to become a starfighter, an incredulous concept to Centauri (played by the infamous Robert Preston). Centauri: "Alex, Alex! You're walking away from history! History! Did Chris Columbus say he wanted to stay home? No! What if the Wright Brothers thought that only birds should fly?" Alex: "Listen, Centauri. I'm not any of those guys, I'm a kid from a trailer park." Centauri: "If that's what you think, then that's all you'll ever be!" Good message to digest. The PG rating is more about the language used (a few minor cuss words) than about the content (one or two very chaste "love scenes") and graphic images (a little bit of mild "blood-n-guts"). The characters are quite likeable - we want to root for their success, and we want Alex and Maggie to ultimately end up together. This 25th Anniversary Edition is worth watching because of the Special Features, especially the documentary about the making of the movie. The Last Starfighter has many "firsts" in movie-making with its special effects. Today's CGI may be the norm, but in 1984 it was not.

Classic 80s movie and it is still good today.

Ahhh, the early to mid 80's...seemed like there was a video game arcade on nearly every corner, filled with kids with sweaty palms, pockets full of quarters, and calluses on their hands from excessive joystick manipulation. Sure we had home systems back then, but if you really wanted the full-on audiovisual experience, you had to go with coin-op machines as the home consoles were good, but they couldn't match what was in the arcades. Why am I talking about video arcade games? Well, if you've seen The Last Starfighter (1984), you'll know the crux of the story revolves around the main characters affinity for one such game. Written by Jonathan R. Betuel (My Science Project) and directed by Nick Castle (Delivering Milo), the film stars Lance Guest (Halloween II, Jaws: The Revenge), Catherine Mary Stewart (Night of the Comet, Mischief), and Dan O'Herlihy, who recently passed in February 2005, but many probably know as `The Old Man' from the Robocop movies but whose actually had a lengthy film career dating all the way back until the late 40's. Also appearing is Barbara `Fay Furillo' Bosson (Hill Street Blues), Norman Snow (Manhunter), Chris Hebert (Invaders from Mars - the 1986 version), and Robert Preston (The Sundowners, The Music Man). As the film begins we meet Alex Rogan (Guest), a somewhat typical soon to be out of high school kid with lots of ambition for traveling and seeing far away places, but not a lot of hope of leaving the `flea-speck trailer park in the middle of tumbleweeds and tarantulas' Alex, his mother (Bosson), his brother Louis (Herbert), and his girlfriend Maggie (Stewart) call home....that is until Alex breaks the record on a video arcade game which is actually a recruiting tool used by an alien called Centauri (Preston). Turns out there is a war going on across the universe, one between the peaceful planet of Rylos and aggressors called the Ko-dan. At first Alex balks at the `opportunity', but eventually accepts the offer to pilot a `Gunstar' (that's what they call the high tech alien ships) with the aide of his reptilian navigator Grig (O'Herlihy). Turns out, due to a initial attack by the Ko-dan armada, all the other pilots have been killed, and now Alex is the last of the starfighters, hence the title of the film. Will Alex be able to stop the advancing Ko-dans, or will all beings that yearn to be free suffer under the yoke of Ko-dan tyranny? I think, at least for Alex, this possibly falls under the category of `be careful what you wish for, as you just may get it'... Okay, the first thing I want to know is how in the world did they ever get Dan O'Herlihy, who was pushing 65 at the time, to don all that `alien' prosthetic material to create reptilian character of Grig? That old man must have been sweating bullets the entire time...well, it should be know that this was the first film to exclusively use computer generated special effects with the exception of the make-up and a few other minor elements. Being the very early days of CGI, this gives the spaceships and such a sort of unreal feel, but this was state of the art at the time, so I think one can afford a little leeway in judgment. While the CGI visuals may seem a little phony, the real glue that holds this entertaining film together is the combination of a decent story, better than average acting, and slick direction. I thought most all the actors did very well and seemed cast about as well as anyone could, especially Robert Preston as the slick, schmoozing, scheming Centauri. His character is very much like that of his Harold Hill character from the film The Music Man (1962). I also thought the direction very strong as Castle keeps things moving along relatively well and played of the serious nature of the story well with a good dose of humor, a lot of it supplied by Guest himself playing the dual role of not only Alex, but also the beta unit, or `simuloid' left on Earth to cover for Alex's absence. As far as the non-CGI effects, the aliens looked really cool, featuring more animation within the prosthetics that I would have thought. I would have liked to seen a more extensive battle sequence at the end (was it me, or did the makers of the film introduce the `Death Blossom' element a little too soon in the story?), but I figure the CGI work was probably pretty expensive and ate up a lot of the modest budget of the film. Also, I think the soundtrack is worth mentioning as it felt really appropriate, if not familiar (sort of a mix between Superman and Star Wars). All in all, everything adds up to a humdinger of an sci-fi adventure/fantasy film worth watching more than once. The picture, presented on this DVD in widescreen anamorphic (2.35:1), looks pretty good, but I did notice some minor flaws and the clarity wasn't as crystal clear as I would have thought. The audio fares much better in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. As far as extras, there is a documentary titled Crossing the Frontier: The Making of the Last Starfighter (32 minutes), cast and crew bios, a commentary track featuring the director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb, production photos and notes, am insert booklet, and a teaser and theatrical trailer. Cookieman108 By the way, I learned Wil Wheaton, of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was in the film playing a character cast a Louis' friend (Alex's little brother), but those scenes involving his character were removed, probably in a effort to reduce the running time and maintain a more effecting pacing throughout...even though he doesn't appear in the final cut, his name is still listed in the credits...it would have been cool to see those scenes in a deleted scenes feature, but perhaps they weren't available.

I watched this several times and ready to watch again.

The Last Starfighter was the biggest sleeper of its time. The story is unusual, fun and a sweet romance. Alex Rogan is a smart and generous young man, caught in a dull life at a trailer park. His prospects are low. He wants to attend college and make something of his life, but his mom is a waitress and single. He has a little brother, Lewis, who makes life a little more interesting with his Playboy collection and his rude antics. Alex has a girlfriend, Maggie, with whom he is close, and plans to stay with her always, but, as mentioned, his life is rather dull. The residents of the trailer park are good people, but that doesn't help Alex improve his future. One night Alex breaks the record on the local "Starfighter" game. All the residents are very happy for him, and they have a short, impromptu celebration. A while later, a stranger comes by and invites Alex to look into an opportunity. When Alex enters his car, it turns into a spaceship and takes Alex to another planet! There Alex is invited to become a Starfighter. It only gets weirder from there. This movie is one of the first to use a LOT of CGI effects in it. Because it's from the pioneering days of CGI, many today will be unimpressed, but don't let the effects get you down. The story and characters are more important and still very entertaining. I always have and always will recommend this movie. The DVD is pretty much what I expected and has a few nice special features. I am just happy to finally have the movie again. I purchased it once years ago, but it was lost in one of my many moves. So glad I could replace it!

A wonderful family movie for I'd say for about 10 years old and older. Kind of silly movie but a lot of family fun. If you're looking for a good family movie this is it. Best Blessings. Keith

llego en tiempo , en excelente estado muy buena pelicula ochentera, audio solo ingles, los subtitulo si tiene en español

The Last Starfighter isn’t an innovative or particularly blockbuster SF movie of 80s cinema, but for a lot of Gen-Xers who were kids at the time, the idea that being good at video games allows a nobody from a trailer park to save the galaxy still holds a lot of nostalgic value. The movie’s been available on various home video formats over the years, but as we move into the age of streaming, it’s quite possible this 4K limited edition from Arrow Video is the best the movie will ever look. The Last Starfighter had a rough entry into the HD era. The original Blu-Ray released by Universal back in 2009 was a pretty careless transfer, smearing out details with some aggressive digital noise reduction or DNR that made the image look waxy and unnatural in an attempt to get rid of film grain. Arrow did a proper HD restoration in 2020 that corrected this and was a much more respectful treatment of the film. In 2023, Arrow came back and did a 4K transfer with HDR, and the image, while a noticeable step up from its previous BD, is a huge step up from the older Universal transfers. Grain is present but stable and free from artifacts thanks to a high bitrate. Details are sharp, and while the 80s CG can’t look super clean and detailed, it’s still better than it ever was; it gets a big boost from the HDR, as does everything else, from nice, inky blacks to bright neon signs, and of course, video game interface screens. This is just a fantastic 4K/HDR restoration that brings viewers back to how they might have seen it on the big screen the very first time in the 80s. Audio also brings some nice surprises, although not if you already own the previous Arrow HD restoration. There’s no Dolby Atmos mix here, so home theater owners won’t get the full natural benefit in audio, though upmixing can take some of the sting out of that. However, the movie does include a lossless 5.1 mix, a 2.0 mix, and, perhaps most surprising of all, a 4.1 mix derived from 70 mm prints of the film that were reserved for premium movie theaters of the time. All the mixes are good, though none go the extra mile the way some 80s restorations have, such as the surprising Dolby Atmos audio for Dragon Slayer or even Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but what’s here kicks in the subwoofer at appropriate times and still utilizes surrounds when appropriate. For extras, fans are in for a treat. The same extras present in the previous Arrow BD limited edition are included here, and there are a ton. An informative booklet with essays about the film and its special effects, three audio commentaries, including the original first DVD commentary, and two new ones from the previous BD restoration, one with star Lance Guest and his son, and the second from a knowledgeable film fan podcast. There are interview features with other stars, SF novelists, and archival extras that were present in the past Universal disc, like documentaries. There are also image galleries and, of course, trailers. There’s a ton of extras here to make any fan happy. All in all, if you don’t yet own The Last Starfighter in 4K and want it in 4K, get this immediately; it’s a safe buy for you. If you own the previous Universal versions and you’re wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade, it totally is, and you should get this version. If you already own the previous Arrow BD restoration, there’s not a whole lot new here, but the 4K/HDR upgrade is still a noticeable step up from the BD, and if it will bug you that your 4K/HDR display isn’t getting used to full potential, then scratch that itch with this version.

Un film che ho cercato e ricercato , quasi introvabile , manca la lingua italiana ma per dire la verità non lo trovo un difetto dato che preferisco la lingua originale ( att.ne i sottotitoli sono in inglese ), qualità video ottima ed effetti speciali ( vintage ) da film targato 1984. Film legato a ricordi di conseguenza per me , ora parzialmente adulto , è fantastico poterlo rivedere .

80's gem. English subtitles.

Het was keileuk om zo'n fantastische film die ook mee aan de basis lag van de enorme ontwikkelingen van CGI gebruik in films volledig geremastered terug te kunnen bekijken. Thx