PATREON EXCLUSIVE UNCUT REACTION - The Last Starfighter (1984)

A strong point of this film was using early CGI. I realise it doesn't look great now, and certainly didn't even begin to compare with practical effects back then. But they were trying to push the boundaries of what was possible at the time with computers. What saves the film is the excellent acting, direction, and solid writing. And myself - I find the CGI charming. I don't want a remake. I feel like The Last Starfighter stands as a testament to its era, to be enjoyed for what it is :-)

I loved this movie as a kid, and still like it. The effects are not great, but at the time I felt it was trying to make it look like he was actually in a video game. Looking forward to meeting the cast and Director along with the writer in a few weeks. Fun movie

This movie came out when I was eight and I thought the graphics were cool -- like the best video game you'd ever seen. The laser head-melting moment bothered me so much as a kid that I had a false memory that it was much more graphic than it is. Nobody's mentioned that Robert Preston is playing the role exactly as he played The Music Man in the 1962 musical, a big hit at the time. (Now that I know Josh is a musical guy, seems relevant.)

Such a good movie. As someone who grew up in the 80's and 90's I just wanna say two things - 1. The thing with everyone gathering around to see someone break a high score record really did happen back then... not sure if it happened in trailer parks, but still... 2. The CG effects that look bad now were actually really eye-catching back then, and extremely cool looking. It's the epitome of a "dated looking special effect", because at the time it was top of the line and a selling point, but now looks awful.

Others have already mentioned two Star Trek connections, Meg Wyilie and Marc Alaimo, but there's a rumor that Wil Wheaton is one of the kids running through the park playing during the opening scene. His part was cut from the film, leaving only the two shots of him running in the background.

This is a deep cut but the alien that turns up to assassinate Alex (and gets his face changed by the Starfighter machine) is played by the actor Marc Alaimo. He guest starred in The Neutral Zone (S1) of TNG as the Romulan commander. No spoilers but this actor will turn up again in the Star Trek franchise down the road. 😉

You mentioned how kids all wanted to be astronauts when this came out. Unfortunately, what is often credited as ending that is the Challenger shuttle disaster that happened about a yeah and a half later with a huge portion of the school kids in the US watching live.

The grandma was played by Meg Wylie who also played the main Talosian in the TOS episode The Cage/ TheManagerie

Forget Saturday morning cartoons , Saturday morning target video. TLSF was a movie that lifted away the world around me as due to a BS legal fight my world fell apart. I walked across the street from my apartment complex in aug 1984 and paid a dollar to escape the BS. I felt good for several days after, distracted and reliving dozens of humorous moments. The co pilot for lance guest’s character underneath all that lizard prosthetic is the actor who played the ceo of OMNI consumer products from Robocop 1987 Good choice , and a nice Saturday wake up.

I’m so thrilled you finally got to see this! I did indeed see this when I was a kid (off a VHS tape), and it was and still is one of my favorite films. There is a very good reason why the CGI isn’t quite up to par nowadays, and that’s that this film is the VERY FIRST use of CGI to represent reality in a film. There’s a very good documentary on the DVD and probably on the Blu-ray about how and why they went with CGI and not the model photography. Personally for me, the music is the most outstanding element in the film, but it’s all and all a very good, tightly written film. If they ever made a sequel, I think it would be following Lewis and the rebuilt Starflighter Legion. Probably call it “The Next Starfighter”. Fun Facts: Two Trek Alumni here (technically 3, but the third is from a series you haven’t gotten to yet), Wil Wheaton as “Lewis’s Friend” (His part was cut, but he’s still in the film at the very beginning. The kid in the red jersey running around the part. The other is Granny! She was the Talosian keeper in “The Cage”! The company that produced the CGI elements, “Digital Productions”, produced a short clip of some X-Wing Starflighters in flight for ILM to see. The way the screening went, the ILM model makers and photographers had to collect their jaws off the floor because they couldn’t even begin to conceive how to produce that shot with models. George Lucas on the other hand, just said “neat”, and walked away. They went bankrupt not too long afterwards.

Thanks guys! Just what I needed tonight. I'm not a huge fan of the film but it was sure fun watching it with you! I appreciated it more with your comments. Thanks so much!

I stayed up and watched this. 14:45 Actually, it kinda did happen. You ever hear of Tickle Me Elmo? Seriously, that shit was wild. Growing up it was Tickle Me Elmo, Furby, and the first generation of deluxe sized Buzz Lightyear. Parents were literally getting into knock-down drag out slug fests over toys for their kids.... MERRRRRY CHRISSTMASSS...! I remember catching this movie on TV at some point when I was a kid. I came in around the time that his duplicate was finishing coming together in his bed. That was kinda nightmarish, i'm not going to lie. TLSF is one of those wholesome pure adventure films that we really... We really don't get them anymore. I look forward to the discussion on this one.

I am so glad you guys watched this. I can't wait to get off of work and see your reactions!

YES!!!! This and Flight of the Navigator were so much fun as a kid! I was quite freaked by many scenes.

Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom is what prompted the creation of PG-13.

Saw this as a teen in the theater with my dad. Fun memory.