On July 13, 1984, Universal released Nick Castle’s sci-fi action film The Last Starfighter in theaters. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, titled “Starfighter ‘Summer Tonic for Young Sci-Fi Fans'”, is below:
The Last Starfighter is a combat sci-fi adventure that can be a summer tonic for young viewers whose heads are spinning with the concepts of alien planets, powers and intergalactic warriors. For others, this Universal/Lorimar production can be a very familiar journey through familiar terrain and special effects prowess.
Lance Guest plays a recent high school graduate who enjoys video games. The guest lives in a trailer park and aspires to greater things. She wants to go to school, not just the local community college, but she doesn’t have the money. The best thing in his life is his fun-loving girlfriend (Katherine Mary Stewart) and the runaway time he spends is getting high scores in video games.
Her fantasy of escaping the bleak trailer park becomes an exaggerated reality when a rogue archer (Robert Preston) in a felt hat walks into her life and takes her in his spaceship to protect the League of Planets borders. . In short, Preston chose Guest as the main fighter because of his extraordinary video game skills: the warrior of tomorrow is essentially the video game boy of today. But Guest is also a practical young man, initially avoiding what he thinks is a suicidal task.
easily The Last StarfighterThe most satisfying moments occur in the everyday setting of this film. A guest like Matthew Broderick War games, has to deal with daily responsibilities and hassles, and living in a single family is difficult, especially when her mother (Barbara Bosson) takes over as a waitress. Writer Jonathan Bethwell, to his credit, injected a very human element into this film, an ingredient that is missing from many machine-driven sci-fi presentations.
While Ron Cobb’s production design is clearly top notch, and Jim Bissell’s art design (whose credits include design eastern time) higher, The Last Starfighter Does not score high on emotion. This deficiency is probably due to the narrative. There is no sense of urgency in the film. Although we are on the opposite side, the League of Planets he fights for does not attract our sympathies. It’s just a fun bunch of aliens against an even uglier bunch. Aside from the soft-spoken Pretton, these intergalactic good guys aren’t charming enough to support them. Only one, Alex’s ship’s navigator, Grieg (Dan O’Herlihy), seems to have any discernible personality.
The fight scenes are competently done by director Nick Castle, but they don’t particularly excite me. Where The Last Starfighter Standing with her humor, her view of trailer park life is her greatest strength. – Duane Byrge, originally published July 9, 1984.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
