The Last Starfighter **** (1984, Lance Guest, Dan O’Herlihy, Robert Preston, Catherine Mary Stewart, Barbara Bosson) – Classic Movie Review 6531

‘He didn’t find his dreams… his dreams found him.’ Director Nick Castle’s 1984 movie showcases an extremely jolly, charismatic performance by Robert Preston as a humanoid alien called Centauri, who recruits the young video game champ Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a dreamy small town teenager, to help him battle their enemies in space.

Lance Guest plays young video game champ Alex Rogan.

Castle’s Star Wars-style movie is an unexpectedly enjoyable comedy sci-fi, with a funny screenplay by Jonathan R Betuel, endearing turns from old-timers Preston and Dan O’Herlihy as an alien lizard man named Grig, and effective computer graphics.

With a PG certificate, it is mainly intended for teens and kids, but there is plenty here to keep adults entertained and more than content.

It was Preston’s last cinema film, though he did two more TV movies. He was Oscar nominated for Victor Victoria (1982).

Also in the cast are Catherine Mary Stewart as Alex’s girlfriend Maggie, Barbara Bosson, Norman Snow, Kay E Kuter, Dan Mason, Wil Wheaton, Cameron Dye, Chris Hebert, John O’Leary, Al Berry, Robert Starr, Charlene Nelson, George McDaniel, Geoffrey Blake, Vernon Washington, Peter Nelson, Peggy Pope, Meg Wyllie, Ellen Blake, Britt Leach, Bunny Summers, Owen Bush and Scott Dunlop.

It is shot in Technicolor by King Baggot, produced by Gary Adelson and Edward O DeNault, scored by Craig Safan, and designed by Ron Cobb and James D Bissell, with special visual effects by Kevin Pike.

It was fairly costly ($15,000,000) and fairly successful ($28,733,000 US gross).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6531

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