THE LAST STARFIGHTER
US, 1984, 101 minutes, Colour.
Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Dan O'Herlihy.
Directed by Nick Castle.
The Last Starfighter is delightful science fiction and fantasy. While it derives most things from the Star Wars film, it is fresh in its approach, characterisation and delight in the space conventions.
The film blends the everyday world with the Star Wars imagination world. An ordinary youngster, champion at video games, plays in a trailer park in California - but this is a test for him to be recruited to be an elite starfighter in the galaxies. Lance Guest is a very sympathetic hero, aided by Catharine Mary Stuart (Mischief) as heroine. Robert Preston enjoys himself (much like The Music Man) as Centauri, a recruiter from outer space. Dan O'Herlihy seems also to enjoy himself, more sombrely, as a kind of iguana man.
The star wars are quite exciting, the contrast with Earth and the galaxies entertaining, the substitution of Alex by a look-alike robot is amusing, a good blend of the comic and the adventurous.
1. Entertaining science fantasy? A blend of delight, action? A humane Star Wars film?
2. Audience appeal: various ages? Imagination? Fantasy? Myth and legends?
3. The credits and the camera moving from outer space to Earth? The ordinary California, the caravan park and its environs, an identifiable world? Centauri's car and special effects? The transition to space - driving into space? The galaxies and the special effects, creatures, battles? The robot and its behaviour? The move from galaxies to Earth - with overtones of Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Panavision photography, scope, ordinary stories heightened by imaginative treatment? Score and songs?
4. The plausibility of the scenario: the video games, questions of study and employment, unemployment, the ordinary young man transformed into a galaxy hero? The familiar Star Wars material? Perennial interest? War, demands and heroism? Sufficient for audiences to happily suspend disbelief?
5. California: the trailer park, Alex and his family, his mother, Maggie, the young people, their hopes for the future? Playing video games - and being successful at these? The effect of Alex's return from space on all the people in the trailer park? The robot double and his having to cope - failing and being destroyed? A benign ending because of the close encounter?
6. Alex as hero, his place in the park, his being recruited by Centauri, the experience of space, the puzzle, meeting the hierarchy, meeting Grig - the decision not to be involved in the war, the return to Earth, his conscience, the decision to leave, Maggie leaving with him? A hero?
7. Robert Preston's style as Centauri: friendship, surveying the video games, the car, driving through space, removing his face and his being seen as a space creature, his role as a mercenary and recruiter, the discussions about Alex returning to Earth, supplying the robot, his being wounded, the response by Alex, his finally being alive?
8. Maggie as attractive heroine, meeting the robot and coping, humour, her decision to go to space with Alex?
9. The galaxy and its problems, the creatures, the recruiting and testing, Alex turning town the invitation? War issues and involvement? The perennial choices?
10. Zur and his ruling, tyranny, advisers? Betrayals? The elders? The court? The Star Wars situations?
11. Grig and his eccentric appearance, navigator, friendship, wisdom, returning to Earth with Alex, taking him back to the galaxies?
12. The battles and their spectacle? Video games and reality?
13. A pleasing fable about heroism, games and imagination, choices and commitment?
