The Last Starfighter (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
by Nick Castle
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Barbara Bosson, Catherine Mary Stewart, Dan O'Herlihy, Lance Guest, Robert PrestonDirector: Nick Castle
Brand: Universal Studios
Cinematographer: King Baggot
Editor: Carroll Timothy O'Meara
Producer: Edward O. Denault
Producer: Gary Adelson
Producer: John Whitney Jr.
Producer: Robert E. Swanson
Writer: Jonathan R. Betuel
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
Published: 1999-06-01
DVD Release Date: 1999-06-08
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of The Last Starfighter (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: A VERY DIFFERENT TREK TO THE STARS IS SET IN THE PRESENT & DEPARTS FROM A REMOTE TRAILER PARK !?
Summary: 5 Stars
IN A NUTSHELL: A SWEET NICE FILM SET IN SPACE OR - - - - -
A terrific film about a young man's coming of age which requires that he takes the risks that are sometimes unavoidable when one desires to grab hold of the brass ring. In this case his opportunity comes in the form of being qualified to become a desperately needed starfighter. The risk comes in the form of being the object of an inter-galactic manhunt.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL: "THINGS CHANGE - ALWAYS DO!" [WARNING -- plot spoilers below -- WARNING]
Alex Rogan [Lance Guest] is not a happy camper. He lives in a remote trailer court, has little prospect for the kind of exciting, upwardly bound future he desires, and he has very little time to spend with his lovely girl friend Maggie [Catherine Stewart]. Instead, Alex's days are spent patching together old fuse panels, plunging toilets and adjusting peoples TV antennas. Meanwhile, Maggie either waits for him, or goes on outings with their friends, that they had both planned to go on, but without Alex. Not a pleasant time for Alex, to be sure. However, as Otis [Vernon Washington] says, "THINGS CHANGE - ALWAYS DO!"
WHY I LIKE THIS FILM: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR-YOU MIGHT GET IT!
"THE LAST STARFIGHTER" uses numerous devices that are new, not for having never been used, but for having never been combined. For instance, Alex Rogan is not from a far away place, long ago, instead he is from the here and now. Alex gets recruited into something universal via a computer game [of all things]. His score makes him an instant superstar in the galaxy, and vital to the continued existence of the "Star League" and Earth too!
Before Centauri [Robert Preston] showed up to collect Alex, after his record breaking game score, Alex was going through the motions of protesting against the prospects of a very dull and ordinary future. Almost as if Alex had made a wish upon a star, from the starlight trailer court, Centauri crashes into his life and wisks him away to another planet.
Upon taking Alex with him, Centauri leaves a Beta unit behind. Beta is a kind of cloned courtesy replacement to take Alex's place while he is gone. A nice touch that opens up numerous opportunities for sub-plots, comedy and danger on earth from the Kodan and the Beta unit's lack of worldliness.
And then of course there's the "MUSIC MAN IN OUTER SPACE", in the form of a galaxy weary but still irrepressible Rylan, by the name of Centauri [Robert Preston]. Still talking a light-year a minute, and in different interstellar languages, we now know where Professor Harold Hill has gone.
BUT THERE'S STILL MORE ---
We have aliens; good aliens - bad aliens and traitors. We have starfighters [before Alex became the Last Starfighter], hit-beasts, and "gung-ho iguanas" - Grig [Dan O'Herlihy]. We have a Xurian cult, led by Xur [Norman Snow], who is the son of the Rylan leader. Xur has provided the Kodan with secrets that will allow the black scourge of the Kodan to penetrate the Rylan defense perimeter, known as the "Frontier". Scary stuff, sort of, at least enough to make Alex feel rather threatened.
So, for Alex Rogan to escape his toilet plunging future in the trailer court he will have to take some very real risks because that is what will ultimately set him apart from everyone else - not just his score on the test, but more importantly his mettle and character. How ALEX ROGAN faces the challenges in space that will either make or break him is what this film is all about.
-- THE CAST --
*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
*John O'Leary - Rylan Bursar
*Peggy Pope - Elvira
*Wil Wheaton - Louis' Friend
*Bunny Summers - Mrs. Boone
*Vernon Washington - Otis
*Meg Wylie - Granny Gordon
-- THE CREW --
*Nick Castle, Jr. - Director
*Jonathan Betuel - Screenwriter
*King Baggot - Cinematographer
*Craig Safan - Composer (Music Score)
*Ron Cobb - Production Designer
*James D. Bissell - Art Director
ABOUT THE DVD: LIGHT-YEARS AHEAD OF THE VHS - here's why:
* First, the DVD is Widescreen [2.35:1 aspect ratio] and remastered, so it looks very clear and sharp. However, it is the documentary, "Crossing the Frontier: The Making Of The Last Starfighter", hosted by Lance Guest that makes this DVD an easy sell for me.
* It also has commentary with Director Nick Castle and Production Designer Ron Cobb
BOTTOM LINE:
The CGI was a brand new art form at the time and this film is a milestone in its development. However, that's not the reason this film is worth seeing. "The Last Starfighter" is quite novel, and different from other space fantasy films. The combination of romance, hope, taking a chance for the brass ring with enough humor inserted to prevent it all from getting too heavy, makes this film a very satisfying experience.
I wish there were a sequel, as I did see a ray of hope for one when Xur [Norman Snow] made a hasty escape before the Kodan command ship crashed, BUT -- --
Summary of The Last Starfighter (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to "The Music Man"'s Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm. "--Sam Sutherland"At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to The Music Man's Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm. --Sam Sutherland
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