For our Film at 11 podcast this week, my young son learns a valuable life lesson from watching the 1984 sci-fi adventure The Last Starfighter, which unambiguously delivers the message that playing video games is the most important skill any kid can ever learn and may literally help save the universe. As a parent, I have mixed feelings about this. However, as someone who was about the same age when I first saw the movie myself, I find it difficult to argue against it too much.
More importantly, Thomas and I also discuss how those 1984 computer graphics hold up for a kid in the 2020s raised on today’s mega-budget CGI blockbusters. In a pleasant surprise, while he definitely called them out in his observations, he wasn’t as bothered by them as I expected.
| Title: | The Last Starfighter |
| Year of Release: | 1984 |
| Director: | Nick Castle |
| Watched On: | Blu-ray |
| Also Available On: | 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Various VOD rental and purchase platforms |
The choice of topic this week comes from a reader request. My thanks to J, who suggested it in the comments to my recent post about Stand By Me.
In an amusing happenstance, I was unaware until the end of this viewing that Wil Wheaton (star of that other film) is also credited with a role in The Last Starfighter. I didn’t spot him while watching it. Apparently, all of Wheaton’s speaking lines were cut and he can be barely glimpsed in the background of a couple scenes in the trailer park.
The Blu-ray
The Last Starfighter first came to high-definition physical media with a release from Universal Studios on the now-defunct HD DVD format in 2007. A comparable Blu-ray followed two years later. Both were criticized for sub-par picture quality. In 2020, Arrow Video licensed and remastered the film for a new Blu-ray release that was much more warmly received.
More recently, Arrow reissued the film on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2023. I haven’t made that upgrade yet, and am not sure I feel it necessary. The movie’s photography is quite soft by nature and is already grainy as all get-out even in HD. I fear that 4K resolution will just make the grain even harsher, and will offer no favors at all to the 1984 CGI that was likely originally rendered somewhere below 720p before being softened further when composited onto film. Maybe I could be wrong about that. Nevertheless, I’m skeptical.
For its part, the Arrow Blu-ray’s 2.35:1 image looks decent enough for my needs. If anything, I think the label may have overreacted to complaints about Universal’s use of DNR on the old master by leaving the grain completely unfiltered and untamed here. Many scenes have a very gritty, sandpaper-like texture. I’ll still gladly take this over the smeary mess that Universal delivered, but I suspect an acceptable compromise between the two could have been reached with some careful grain management.
If there’s any room for improvement in 4K, contrast on the Blu-ray seems a little flat and washed-out. An HDR grade could benefit that aspect.
Arrow offers three options for the movie’s soundtrack: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and 5.1 (both copied from the Universal Blu-ray, if I’m not mistaken) as well as an exclusive 4.1 track stated to be “originally created for the film’s 70mm release.” Because I was watching with my son, I had to pick one choice and couldn’t switch back and forth to compare the others. I went with the 4.1 mix, which is very directional and has a nice swell to the musical score. At this moment, I’m not prepared to judge whether the other alternatives sound any better or worse, but it’s nice to have all of them available should a viewer have more interest in doing a deep-dive into this film’s audio. The 4.1 was satisfying enough for me.
Extras start with a couple booklet essays and a folded poster inside the Blu-ray case. On disc are then found three audio commentaries:
- Director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb (legacy track from Universal)
- Star Lance Guest and his son (new to Arrow)
- The Projection Booth podcast host Mike White (new to Arrow)
Following that are interviews with star Catherine Mary Stewart, composer Craig Safan, screenwriter Jonathan Betuel, special effects supervisor Kevin Pike, sci-fi author Greg Bear, and an arcade game collector – plus an archival featurette and documentary, image galleries, and trailers.
Related
- Wil Wheaton
- Ron Cobb (production design)
- Video Game Movies & TV
The Video File Blog 
As a child of the 80’s, 1981-84 were simply the best years ever for movies. Always liked this one. We have the 2020 Arrow BD.
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Funny. My two favourite movies of all time are from 1985.
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Which movies are your favorites?
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My top-5:
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I considered including 1985 for Back to the Future. But I had to draw the line somewhere. I was definitely still a kid in 1984.
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When I watched it recently, I was surprised at how efficiently they set everything up characterization-wise. If I remember correctly, all of the main characters’ motivations and personalities we clearly defined in like the first 15-20 minutes. I also forgot how good the music was too, and Alex’s “Gotta go, Ma…” at the end always makes me smile.
I’m glad Thomas liked it. I’d recommend the 80’s Flash Gordon with Sam Jones, but I haven’t seen it in years. I remember it being a little risque in spots, but I loved it as a kid, and I think it would be fun to see his reactions to such a visually bonkers movie. It’s another Arrow 4K disc I picked up a while back.
Do you think he could handle Pacific Rim? I don’t know what he normally watches. It is a bit intense in spots, but I think it could be a fun time for him. Also, you could watch it in 3D.
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Hey Julian…I tried responding directly to your response, but for some reason, the website wouldn’t let me.
That’s a great list. I still need to see The Truman Show. One of the coolest SteelBook collections I have is for the 4K versions of BTTF. The covers form a large montage picture of the DeLorean in each movie’s timeline.
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‘The Truman Show’ is excellent. Saw it as an impressionable 14-year old in November 1998, and it blew me away. Bought the 4K last month (the French edition with English audio/subs, great price at $13) and the movie, the themes and the message hold up very well. I also have the BTTF SteelBooks! Quite nice indeed!
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