The Last Starfighter

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The Last Starfighter

PG

1984

1h 40m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After finally achieving the high score on Starfighter, his favorite arcade game, everyday teenager Alex Rogan meets the game's designer, Centauri -- who reveals that he created Starfighter as a training ground for developing and recruiting actual pilots to help fight a war in space. Whisked away from the banality of his trailer park life to a distant alien planet, Alex struggles to use his video game-playing skills to pilot a real ship, with real lives at stake.

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Critics Consensus

While The Last Starfighter is clearly derivative of other sci-fi franchises, its boundary-pushing visual effects and lovably plucky tone make for an appealing adventure.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

May 5, 2023

Perhaps the one area in which it’s ahead of its time is in its conceit of an arcade game being used as a military recruiting tool.

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Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

Jul 13, 2022

Writer Jonathan Betuel, to his credit, has invested a very human element in this film, an ingredient that all too many sci-fi, hardware presentations lack.

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Paul Taylor

Financial Times

May 3, 2022

An engaging enough comic fantasy for the post-'60s generation who've given up entirely on the Gutenberg Galaxy and are tracking Horatio Alger's footsteps via the video circuitry route.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Jul 24, 2024

2.5/5

Careens with an unwieldy gait from one idea to the next, representing an admirable number of plates with a regrettable lack of hands to keep them spinning apace. It's basically a wonderful musical theme and a killer concept in search of high adventure.

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Alan Jones

Starburst

Jul 21, 2022

Manages to draw some charm from its two-dimensional characters.

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William Wolf

Gannett News Service

May 3, 2022

The movie is entertaining in an unpretentious way. It also is extremely good-natured, despite the combat scenes, and some may find it a welcome relief from the summers more intense fantasy films.

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Bobbie

Jan 14, 2026

Its a great nostalgic experience. Never saw it on the big screen as a kid, so this was pretty fun for us. Weve seen the movie multiple times, so we knew we liked it. We were just upping our experience level. For a 1984 SyFy film, low stakes action with humor, its a good flick.

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Ch

Aug 27, 2024

What a great revisiting of my childhood this was! I remember seeing this when I was young and jumped at the chance to see it on the big screen again! Thanks for showing great movies like this!

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Ryan

Aug 17, 2024

Great story, though campy at times but thats part of charm Wonderful characters Dated graphics, program to date would make timeless.

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kevin c

Aug 17, 2024

I just got out of this masterpiece. I was lucky enough to see this as a kid when I was 9. Ive watched this so many times Ive lost count, but seeing it on the big screen today was awesome. Happy 40th anniversary to The Last Starfighter

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 9, 2026

The Last Starfighter I own a copy of this movie thus my rating!

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bruce C

@bruce999 Aug 3, 2026

nicely done movie, with suspense, and emotion. one of the best sci fi movies

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Nick Castle

Director

Lance Guest

Alex Rogan

Robert Preston

Centauri

Dan O'Herlihy

Grig

Catherine Mary Stewart

Maggie Gordon

Barbara Bosson

Jane Rogan

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Synopsis

After finally achieving the high score on Starfighter, his favorite arcade game, everyday teenager Alex Rogan meets the game's designer, Centauri -- who reveals that he created Starfighter as a training ground for developing and recruiting actual pilots to help fight a war in space. Whisked away from the banality of his trailer park life to a distant alien planet, Alex struggles to use his video game-playing skills to pilot a real ship, with real lives at stake.

Director: Nick Castle
Producer: Gary Adelson, Edward O. DeNault
Screenwriter: Jonathan R. Betuel
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Lorimar Film Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround

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