Last Starfighter

( 12 )

Overview

Trailer-park teenager Lance Guest regularly escapes from his humdrum existence by playing the video game Starfighter. His expertise at this recreational endeavor attracts the attention of affable stranger Robert Preston. Before he knows what's happening, Guest is whisked by Preston into the outer reaches of the galaxy! It turns out that the Starfighter game is being played in deadly earnest in outer space, and that Guest is expected to join Preston's Star League, then do battle with the wicked Kodan forces. ...
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Blu-ray (Wide Screen / Bonus DVD)
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More About This Product

Overview

Trailer-park teenager Lance Guest regularly escapes from his humdrum existence by playing the video game Starfighter. His expertise at this recreational endeavor attracts the attention of affable stranger Robert Preston. Before he knows what's happening, Guest is whisked by Preston into the outer reaches of the galaxy! It turns out that the Starfighter game is being played in deadly earnest in outer space, and that Guest is expected to join Preston's Star League, then do battle with the wicked Kodan forces. Guest's principal ally is the lizardlike Grig Dan O'Herlihy--and we didn't recognize him either. His great rival is the traitorous Xur Norman Snow. The contrast between Guest's earthbound life as the son of single-mother Barbara Bosson and his new position as Starfighter is daunting at first, but soon the boy is manning a spacecraft and zapping the baddies as though he's been doing it all his life. The Last Starfighter was clearly designed with "sequel" in mind: giveaways include the resurrection of a "dead" character and the surprisingly casual escape of the villain. While the film didn't stir up enough business to warrant a sequel, the Starfighter video game remained a much-sought-after commodity by joystick-happy "warriors" all over the country.
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Special Features

Heores of the screen; Crossing the frontier: making of the Last Starfighter; Image gallery; Feature commentary with director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
At the time of its release, The Last Starfighter attracted a strong following among critics (if not viewers) because it used state-of-the-art effects to create a world separate enough from Star Wars to escape accusations of plagiarism, yet magical enough to inspire wonder. The passage of time has not elevated it to the level of common cultural reference, nor did it result in the franchise the producers clearly wanted. But the film's efforts toward originality are still appreciable. For one, instead of taking place in the future, The Last Starfighter imagines that intergalactic strife and epic gallantry are concurrent with the humdrum lives of American teenagers in trailer parks, and it shifts between these two realms with ease. It provides a satisfying logical leap for those who have dreamed themselves away into video games. It cleverly substitutes a robot doppelganger for the departed Alex Rogan, creating a deft subplot about the infiltrator's attempts to sidestep suspicion. It casts an eternally wise Robert Preston as an interstellar mentor/tour guide, and a boyishly charming Lance Guest in the hero role that should have earned him a lot more film work. The CGI spaceships look crisp, too, even if they stand a little too cleanly against the background. The best explanation for the popular failure of The Last Starfighter is that it caught the audience on a downtrend away from science fiction, which went through a period in which it was box-office poison compared to escapist alternatives like sleek thrillers and action-adventures.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/28/2011
  • UPC: 025192108082
  • Original Release: 1984

    • Rating:

  • Source: Universal Studios
  • Presentation: Wide Screen / Bonus DVD
  • Language: English
  • Time: 1:41:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 19,687

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Lance Guest Alex Rogan
Robert Preston Centauri
Dan O'Herlihy Grig
Catherine Stewart Maggie
Barbara Bosson Jane Rogan
Norman Snow Xur
Kay Kuter Enduran
Dan Mason Lord Kril
Bruce Abbott Alien soldier
Marc Alaimo Hitchhiker
Ed Berke Cop #1
Al Berry Rylan Spy
Ellen Blake Clara Potter
Geoffrey Blake Gary
Owen Bush Mr. Boone
Maggie Cooper Rylan Sergeant
Cameron Dye Andy
Chris Herbert Louis Rogan
Bob Kenaston Uncle Bob
Britt Leach Mr. Potter
John Maio Friendly Alien
George McDaniel Kodan Officer
Charlene Nelson Rylan Technician
Peter Nelson Jack Blake
John O'Leary Rylan Bursar
Peggy Pope Elvira
Kimberly Ross Cheerleader
Suzanne Snyder
Robert Starr Underling
Bunny Summers Mrs. Boone
Vernon Washington Otis
Wil Wheaton Louis' Friend
Meg Wyllie Granny Gordon
Technical Credits
Nick Castle Jr. Director
Gary Adelson Producer
King Baggot Cinematographer
Jonathan Betuel Screenwriter
James D. Bissell Art Director
Ron Cobb Production Designer
Edward O. Denault Producer
Brian Frankish Asst. Director
Melissa Manchester Songwriter
Mark Mueller Songwriter
C. Timothy O'Meara Editor
Robert Fletcher Costumes/Costume Designer
Craig Safan Score Composer
Terry Smith Makeup
Jack Solomon Musical Direction/Supervision, Sound/Sound Designer
Linda Spheeris Set Decoration/Design
Jim Teegarden Set Decoration/Design
Glenn Wilder Stunts
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Last Starfighter
1. Main Titles [2:42]
2. A Sparklin' Day [5:28]
3. Sad Starfighter [4:19]
4. Record Breaker [5:51]
5. Recruited [4:08]
6. Stardrive [4:17]
7. What's Goin' On? [3:51]
8. The Ambassador [2:49]
9. Highly Irregular [4:53]
10. The Frontier [4:46]
11. Back on Earth [9:47]
12. Back to the Future [5:19]
13. Last Starfighter [10:41]
14. Hide and Seek [:17]
15. The Command Ship [14:40]
16. An Old Friend [2:00]
17. About Alex [2:55]
18. End Titles [8:09]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Last Starfighter
   Play
   Scenes
   Bonus Features
      Heroes of the Screen
      Crossing the Frontier: Making the Last Starfighter
      Image Gallery
      Teaser Trailer
      Theatrical Trailer
      Feature Commentary With Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb - On
      Feature Commentary With Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb - Off
   Setup
      Spoken Language: English 5.1
      Feature Commentary With Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb
      Subtitles: English SDH
      Subtitles: Español
      Subtitles: Français
      Subtitles: Off
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 12 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(8)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing 1 – 9 of 12 Customer Reviews

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    Feeling Nostalgic

    I remember watching this movie when I was younger. It's great for remembering your youth. The visuals were not the best compared to present day standards but for the time it was set it they were good, for example when the Beta Unit takes off his head to repair himself it looked like someone with their head off. The acting was believable. Who wouldn't freak out when aliens show up to try to kill you because you were good at a video game?
    I've been looking for this movie everywhere for years. It's a good find. There's lots of action but nothing that might be too scary for younger viewers.
    Although I do wonder what happened to the Beta Unit after it rammed the truck into the satellite.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Star Wars Trilogy
    Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection
    Masters of the Universe
    Enemy Mine
    Spaceballs

    Classic Sci-Fi!

    I remember absolutely loving this movie when I was younger! It has been many years since I last saw this movie, and I'm honestly not sure why it is that I didn't even have this on DVD yet, but I figured it was finally time to own this classic. My brother recently sent me a gift card, and I wound up buying this with part of it. I don't remmeber every single thing about this movie, because it's been a while since I last saw it, but I do remember chunks of it, cool parts...parts that made me remember how good it was. Sure, I bet that when I watch it again, it won't seem quite as cool back then, simply because of the special effects from back then compared to now & what not...but I don't gauge movies that way, because I like movies new and old...so long as they're fun/good and have at least decent acting and a decent premis & story...and I remember this one being pretty good. A worthy investment, for sure. I look forward to watching this again soon. It'll be a nice trip down memory lane, but also sorta refreshing, considering it's been years since I last saw it. If you're a sci fi lover, definitely check this movie out. It may seem a little out dated, but that doesn't mean it's not a great movie.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 11, 2008

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    Posted April 19, 2010

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    Posted June 9, 2013

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    Posted January 27, 2011

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    Posted January 2, 2009

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    Posted April 12, 2009

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    Posted August 17, 2009

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Sort by: Showing 1 – 9 of 12 Customer Reviews