The Last Starfighter

Two more films to go to round out my sci-fi marathon, so I watched a true classic tonight.

The Last Starfighter, together with Tron, are credited for being the first movies using extensive CGI in the production, so let's have a look at this space opera.

Plot

Alex Rogan is a teen dwindling away in the trailer park he lives in.  His only means of entertainment is a Starfighter arcade game.  When he breaks the record though, he is recruited by the Star league to aid in the defence of the universe against the tyrant Xur.

The arcade was a device send all over the galaxy to gain new pilots for the Starfighter Corps, but when the Frontier falls, Alex becomes the last starfighter, setting out in a prototype Gunstar starship.

Opinion

This was a fun movie, in the typical hero saves the day against all odds style of the 80s.  The special effects, while blocky as CGI was new back then, are easy on the eye, and the story isn`t half bad. 

It has some great fun moments as an earthling sets out in space for the first time, and it`s a classic indeed.

Rating: 7 / 10