The Last Starfighter.

Name: The Last Starfighter
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Family
Released: 1984-07-13
Duration: 100 min
Cast: Lance Guest, Robert Preston, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Barbara Bosson

That high score comes with a spaceship.

Alex dreams of leaving his trailer park and spends his spare time mastering an arcade game. The game's alien inventor recruits him for an actual space war, turning a familiar screen into a much bigger responsibility.

76%Tomatometer90 critics · Rotten Tomatoes

Checked Oct 20, 2026. About these scores

Why it’s a little special

An imaginative 1980s adventure gives an ordinary teenager a grand escape and a reason to return home with confidence.

BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY

Know the story.
Know your little people.

Parental guidance suggested

US film rating

Space battles, deaths, threatening aliens and unsettling transformation effects. Includes profanity, kissing and sexual references beyond many newer PG films.

Our notes are a starting point, not an age recommendation. G and PG films can still include intense moments. You know your family best.

BEHIND THE SCENES

The little details.

Directed by: Nick Castle
Starring: Lance Guest, Robert Preston, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Barbara Bosson, Norman Snow, John O'Leary, Chris Hebert, Scott Dunlop
Written by: Jonathan R. Betuel
Produced by: Gary Adelson, Edward O. DeNault
Release date: July 13, 1984
Runtime: 100 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Family
Studio: Universal Pictures
Language: English

YOUR SOFA. YOUR CINEMA.

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