The Last Starfighter is an 80’s feel-good teenage movie about a boy who uses his video game skills to save an alien race. The movie was moderately successful for it’s time, but never really took off like some over science fiction movies. But it was fondly remembered enough to have spun off a musical in 2004 and there are rumors of a sequel (with the same writer, director and lead actor). But is it worth seeing?

Alex is a teenage handyman at the trailer park he lives at with his Mom and younger brother. But his real passion in life is the Starfighter video game that is (inexplicably) in the trailer park. Alex is the best Starfighter player in the trailer park (yeah I know, damning with faint praise and all). One night the whole trailer park gathers around and watches (since it’s a trailer park and there’s not much to do) as Alex finally defeats the entire game. Shortly after a strange man named Centauri (hey look it’s Harold Hill from The Music Man) comes over introducing himself as the inventor of the game and invites Alex for a ride. This being the beginning of the movie, Alex accepts and it turns out that Centauri is an alien and the Starfighter game is based on a real problem his species has. There is another species that is trying to eradicate them and they created the game to find someone who can pilot the Starfighter and help them win the war (since a military academy would have been too much trouble).

Since this is a teenage movie, you get the usual set up of Alex saying no, then being pushed into saying yes to help out his family and I don’t need to tell you how it ends. The best part of the movie is the robotic doppelganger of Alex (played by the same actor who played Alex). We have a robot double (named Beta since Alex must be the Alpha) who is obviously not Alex and makes amusing robotic mistakes, but no one notices that it’s not Alex. The special effects should be pointed out as well. Computerized special effects were used to help cut the costs at a time when computerized special effects were not used that much. It probably helped the movie become a money maker instead of a money loser. Mildly recommended for a fun cheesy adventure.