The Last Starfighter

Part fantasy video arcade, part juvenile space opera, The Last Starfighter was a charming post-Star Wars adventure in 1984 that is just as charming 25 years later. Amiable Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) is the small town teenager who dreams of leaving his trailer park home for big city life but ends up in something much bigger. His high score on a video game launches him into a career as a starship fighter pilot in an intergalactic war against an evil empire. Robert Preston costars as the space-age con man who recruits Alex, and Dan O'Herlihy is the jovial lizardman navigator who becomes a combination best friend, father figure, and military advisor. The simplistic story works, thanks to the energy and light touch of director Nick Castle. The Last Starfighter is also a special effects landmark, being the first sci-fi film to make extensive use of CGI. Of course, the SFX look primitive by today's standards, but work just fine in the context of the gee-whiz adventure here (helped along by Blu-ray's clarity). Extras include commentary by director Castle and production designer Ron Cobb, a “making-of” documentary, a new retrospective featurette (that recalls just how technologically groundbreaking the film was for its time), and an image gallery. While not essential, The Last Starfighter is still good fun, making this a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)