‘80s Sci Fi gets anniversary treatment

Posted Aug 27, 2009 by Kevin Walker

Updated Aug 27, 2009 at 02:40 PM

“The Last Starfighter 25th Anniversary Edition”
Stars: Lance Guest, Robert Preston, Catherine Mary Stewart, Ed Berke
Director: Nick Castle
Rated: PG
Running Time: 101 minutes
Extras: The most important “extra” for fans is that the movie has been digitally remastered. It includes commentary from Castle and production designer Ron Cobb, a “making of” documentary,” a picture gallery and trailers.
My take: I didn’t expect to feel as nostalgic as I did watching this movie, which came out when I was in high school. I didn’t even think much of it back then. But I did this time. This is not the best science fiction you’ll ever see, but the idea of a kid being so good at video games that he is recruited to help an alien race drive off an attacking army seems naive and charming by today’s standards. The new digital print looks good, although the pre-CGI special effects looked dated, if you’re feeling cynical.
Who will like it: People who remember Max Headroom and when MTV actually played videos.