| | | He Didn't Find His Dreams...His Dreams Found Him.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, English, French, Dolby, Dolby Digital (5.1), Digital Audio
Millions of light-years ago, a great frontier was constructed in the universe to protect the star League of Planets from its enemy, the evil KO-DAN. But now a defector has given the key to the frontier to the KO-DAN, and Starfighters from throughout the galaxy are needed to defend the peace. One recruiter, the alien scalawag Centauri, visits Earth to fill his quota of recruits and finds Alex, an 18-year-old Earthling with an extraordinary talent for video game wizardry. Alex is quickly propelled into the regions of outer space to join others from planets throughout the Star League to fight a war to save the universe.
"Overlooked sci-fi tale. Great fun." Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
"A cult classic long overdue its proper respect!" Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
"If you're going to shamelessly rip off Star Wars, make sure you do it with as much spirit as this film." Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
"...[a] warm-hearted adventure...engaging." Videohound's Sci-Fi Experience
Editor's Note
Teenager Alex Rogan lives and works in the trailer-park that his mother owns. His life consists of contemplating his rather bleak future, and waiting for word on his college loan application to arrive. One night all this changes forever. Alex possesses an extraordinary skill at video games, and when this skill attracts a space-travelling recruiter looking for pilots to protect the galaxy from outside forces, he suddenly finds himself on another planet in the middle of an inter-galactic war. It seems that his game-playing abilities are an invaluable military asset to the embattled "Star League of Planets."
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround Sound | | Feature Audio Commentary With Director Nick Castle & Production Designer Ron Cobb | | Featurette: Crossing The Frontier - Making The Last Starfighter | | Interactive Menus | | Original Theatrical Trailer | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, French | | Theatrical Teaser | | This Is An HD-DVD Made For HD-DVD Format Players Which Produce Higher Quality Picture & Sound |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 9/18/2007 |
| Running Time: 101 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1984 | | Catalog ID: 61032936 | | UPC: 00025193293626 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...[It] taps its sources with the zest of a vampire, and the result, if unoriginal, is nevertheless buoyant....Good-humored, bent on action and even touching..." 07/13/1984 p.C5Variety
"...Awe-inspiring....Preston is perfect..." 07/11/1984 DVD Verdict 8 of 10
The Last Starfighter, although in many respects following the footsteps of Star Wars, broke into new ground with its pioneering use of computer generated visual effects...The acting is generally good...Lance Guest conveys the desperate yearning and conflicted desires of Alex Rogan quite well, and has the added challenge of making the "Beta unit" substitute act similar to but also quite different from Alex. Catherine Mary Stewart is a natural beauty, supportive of Alex but fearful of making her own break. In his last film, Robert Preston shines as the intergalactic con man Centauri, always ready with a smile and a disarming word. Finally, I must commend the efforts of Daniel O'Herlihy. That he is able to give Grig such a variety of facial expressions and personality despite being hidden behind all that latex and makeup is a testament to his dedication...If you like a feel-good space adventure flick, or are interested in the historical evolution of computer graphics, I give this disc a qualified recommendation. - Nicholas Sylvain
Chicago Sun-Times 7 of 10
The Last Starfighter is not a terrifically original movie. The video game concept seems inspired by Walt Disney's Tron, and the battles in space are such close copies of the Star Wars movies that George Lucas might have a lawsuit. For example, when Grig gives the kids lessons in how to fire from the cockpit of his rocket, the cockpit's swivel chair looks directly inspired by the original Star Wars. If the movie isn't original in its special effects, it tries to make up for that in the trailer camp scenes...The Last Starfighter is a well-made movie. The special effects are competent. The acting is good, and I enjoyed Robert Preston's fast-talking Music Man reprise (we've got trouble, right here in the galaxy) and the gentle wit of Dan O'Herlihy's extraterrestrial. But the final spark was missing, the final burst of inspiration that might have pulled all these concepts and inspirations and retreads together into a good movie. - Roger Ebert
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