upstill@ucbvax.UUCP (Steve Upstill) (07/07/84)
I can see someone disliking The Last Starfighter, but I can tell you
how anyone can enjoy it: 1) Leave your consistency checker at home,
2) Be prepared to appreciate performance-against-expectations, 3) Expect
a lot of similarities to a lot of films, 4) REALIZE THAT IT IS JUST A
FAIRY TALE.
I can't emphasize the last strongly enough. It feels more like the
kid's daydream than anything real, and that's exactly the terms you have
to take it on. The filmmakers (I am an instant Nick Castle fan) realized
this from the beginning, and abandoned any pretense to realism, and so
should you.
The story doesn't just involve the kid running off to save the universe,
by the way. Most of the attention is given to peripheral stuff: the question
of whether the kid will accept the great honor of being blown up in space, and
the so-called "beta-unit" clone left behind in his stead. And it is in
the peripheral stuff that the fun lies. The climax lasts about 5 minutes.
The story here screams cheap Star Wars ripoff, but virtually everything
else about it is handled like a pro: the acting, the direction, the dialog.
The (sellout) crowd I saw it with loved it, and of the 5 people in my group,
the reactions ranged from great enjoyment to rave.
A solid ***. Steve-bob says check it out.
Steve Upstill