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The Last Starfighter

  • 1984
  • PG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
49K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,602
2,057
Lance Guest in The Last Starfighter (1984)
Watch Trailer
Play trailer2:48
1 Video
99+ Photos
Space Sci-FiTeen AdventureActionAdventureSci-Fi

High schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was just a test, and is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best star... Read allHigh schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was just a test, and is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.High schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was just a test, and is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.

  • Director
    • Nick Castle
  • Writer
    • Jonathan R. Betuel
  • Stars
    • Lance Guest
    • Robert Preston
    • Kay E. Kuter
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    49K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,602
    2,057
    • Director
      • Nick Castle
    • Writer
      • Jonathan R. Betuel
    • Stars
      • Lance Guest
      • Robert Preston
      • Kay E. Kuter
    • 207User reviews
    • 112Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:48
    Trailer

    Photos115

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    Top cast40

    Edit
    Lance Guest
    Lance Guest
    • Alex Rogan…
    Robert Preston
    Robert Preston
    • Centauri
    Kay E. Kuter
    Kay E. Kuter
    • Enduran
    Dan Mason
    Dan Mason
    • Lord Kril
    Dan O'Herlihy
    Dan O'Herlihy
    • Grig
    Catherine Mary Stewart
    Catherine Mary Stewart
    • Maggie Gordon
    Barbara Bosson
    Barbara Bosson
    • Jane Rogan
    Norman Snow
    Norman Snow
    • Xur
    Chris Hebert
    Chris Hebert
    • Louis Rogan
    John O'Leary
    • Rylan Bursar
    George McDaniel
    George McDaniel
    • Kodan Officer
    Charlene Nelson
    Charlene Nelson
    • Rylan Technician
    John Maio
    • Friendly Alien
    Robert Starr
    Robert Starr
    • Underling
    Al Berry
    Al Berry
    • Rylan Spy
    Scott Dunlop
    Scott Dunlop
    • Tentacle Alien
    Vernon Washington
    Vernon Washington
    • Otis
    Peter Nelson
    • Jack Blake
    • Director
      • Nick Castle
    • Writer
      • Jonathan R. Betuel
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews207

    6.748.7K
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    Featured reviews

    7radiopal

    A fun movie and... hey in it's own way... Legendary

    I love THE LAST STARFIGHTER... it's a good, fun movie. A matinee type of film. It's not as great as Star Wars or some of the big budget movies of the time... (hmmm, where there any big budget Sci Fi movies other than Star Wars at the time?) The acting, though not great was charming. Lance Guest (brillantly playing Alex and the very naive Beta), Greg O'Herlihy (sp) playing the loveable Lizard creature Grig and of course.... Robert Preston as rascalous Centauri. And something that I forgot for a long time (until I saw it at a local store and had to buy it on DVD) was that this was one, if not THE, first movie to utilize CGI. Yeah, it's a far cry from what filmakers can do now with Apple Rendering software. But when I saw the movie in the Theater, I was impressed and thought that if Computer Graphics were this good in the this first movie... how much it will grow. It's a movie well worth having in your library. And as I'm watching it right now, I'm glad that I have it in mine.
    10seanboud

    Fantastic Sci-Fi Movie that captures the spirit of 80's Cinema

    The story is simple and has probably been retold in every heroic setting possible. It's also a bit of wish fulfillment for those of us that grew up pumping quarters into arcade video games.

    In my opinion the acting is above average for a movie like this. It is much helped by veteran actors Robert Preston and Dan O'Herlihy. Lance Guest does a great turn as Alex as well.

    The effects were not appreciated at the time, I think, but hold up fairly well. They were drawn on that Holy Grail of computers to us children of the 80's; a Kray Supercomputer.

    The score is well done, the humor timed well and the overall good feeling I get from watching it never fades. You can't go wrong with this gem.
    8davehawk-1

    Its not the plot or effects, its the characters that work...

    None of the other reviews of this film (at least those that I have seen) understand what makes this movie so wonderful. This is one of the few movies I can recall that treat teenagers with some respect, instead of as cartoon characters. Alex has the same kinds of dreams and problems we all had at the age of 18, but he really does try to do the right thing, even when it goes against his desires. The film does not show the generation gap as a battlefield, but as a fact of life that Alex has to live with, and not one that is entirely negative.

    This film is totally driven by the characters. The plot, and even the CGI, while groundbreaking for the day, are not the real magic here. It is the characters.
    tfrizzell

    War Beyond the Stars.

    With the original "Star Wars" trilogy still fresh in the public's mind in 1984, "The Last Starfighter" was produced. Commercially the film did only fairly well at the box office, but that is not saying that this is not a more than adequate little science fiction entry. High-schooler Lance Guest is approached by a couple of aliens (Robert Preston and an unrecognizable Dan O'Herlihy) to go to a galaxy far, far away and fight an evil empire. Sound familiar? He is recruited for his mission via an arcade game of all things. Catherine Mary Stewart shines as Guest's love interest. Nothing spectacular and somewhat dated, but still a pleasant surprise that you will not regret watching. 4 stars out of 5.
    7chvylvr80

    80's Sci-Fi at it's best

    Being a child of the eighties, I can remember this movie fondly and with a lot of nostalgia for a time when movies that are corny now were just pretty damn cool then. The Last Starfighter is a great example except it isn't corny.

    Some people are complaining about the visual effects but let me tell ya, they are pretty good even by today's standards. Some of these effects snobs think that if a movie's effects aren't groundbreaking or super realistic, they aren't good. Special effects are effective if they enhance a movie, not just because they use the latest computer effects or bring something entirely new to the movie world. Anyway, back to the movie.

    The cast all does a good job but none of them ever went on to fame, a occurance that I blame solely on soulless Hollywood execs. Lance Guest especially, come on he did a good job. He deserves better. The plot is simple but fun and this movie is perfect for kids, as I was at the time I saw this the first thru 300th time. This movie has everything: video games, aliens, space dogfights, lasergun battles, teen angst, and 80's cheese. The Last Starfighter is a classic. Bottom Line: What a movie. If you were alive in the 80's and you missed this then you are so deprived. If you haven't seen it yet then stop reading this and go rent it or something.

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    Related interests

    Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek (1966)
    Space Sci-Fi
    Anna Popplewell in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
    Teen Adventure
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to screenwriter Jonathan R. Betuel, the idea for this movie came about because he wandered into a video arcade and saw a young boy playing a video game. At that time, he was reading the book about King Arthur, "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White. He wondered what would happen if a video game were a metaphorical sword in a stone, and a boy racked up an incredible score, which would cause a ripple effect across the universe. During the movie, when Centauri gets into trouble for using the game to recruit starfighters, it's referred to as "The Excalibur Test". Excalibur was, of course, King Arthur's sword.
    • Goofs
      When Grig is trying to restore power shortly after using the Death Blossom, there is a cable for a 9-volt battery attached to the circuit board in his hand. However, it does not automatically mean that it can only connect to a 9-volt battery, or that something that looks like Earth-technology must be from Earth.
    • Quotes

      Centauri: [voice in video game] Greetings, Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada.

    • Alternate versions
      On the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray and DVD, a brief musical cue is missing from the soundtrack. In previous versions, the reveal of Beta's half-formed face as he pulls the bed covers away (about a half-hour into the film) is accompanied by a string/cymbal crescendo, followed by a loud, low brass/percussion sting, which then crescendos into the next scene. This cue is completely absent on the 25th Anniversary Edition (though it is audible on the commentary track).
    • Connections
      Edited into No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Never Crossed My Mind
      (Craig Safan and Mark Mueller)

      Performed by Clif Magness

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    FAQ24

    • How long is The Last Starfighter?Powered by Alexa
    • What is The Last Starfighter About?
    • How is it that Wil Wheaton was listed in the cast as "Louis' friend" when he at no point had anything to do with Louis, he was only seen in the background "Playing ball" and you didn't actually see his face!!
    • Has there ever been a "Starfighter" game released?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 13, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El último guerrero espacial
    • Filming locations
      • 9411 Soledad Canyon Rd., Canyon Country, California, USA(small town where Alex lived)
    • Production companies
      • Lorimar Film Entertainment
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $28,733,290
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $6,011,695
      • Jul 15, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $28,736,154
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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