MovieChat Forums > The Last Starfighter (1984) Discussion > Doesn't have the same flame for me.........

Doesn't have the same flame for me........

posted 13 years ago by MartinBlank05
24 replies | jump to latest

as it used to,such a shame because it was one of my top movies from my child hood.Im watching this again right now and have been only watching cretin parts it just seems so corny now, Maybe it's the acting maybe it's the plot or even effects but compared some other child hood favorites like Monster Squad the gate ghostbusters gremlins and countless other's this one has just lost its flair with me. Has this happened with any one ells,maybe Im just not remembering it as fondly as I used to.

[–] devilmaster 13 years ago

The plot is bland because it follows the monomyth structure, so it reminds you of every other work following the monomyth structure (and there's a lot of them, just search "monomyth" in Wikipedia).

[–] Max06 12 years ago

It's still a fun movie though. And the Cray CGI is interesting to look at all these years later. I miss the early 1980s...

[–] SpiltPersonality 12 years ago

There isn't neccessarily anything WRONG with monomyth. Plenty of entertaining novels and movies follow the structure.

SpiltPersonality

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] beecee101 12 years ago

Sorry Martin you lost your sparks. Great movie /have it on DVD....Come on and remember playing an arcade game...plus whatever.

I remember being the youger brother/sibling and can relate. Plus so much other stuff...Come on dude, we all have one short life to live. Great movie and good luck to you; dont let common day society and garbage affect your life.

[–] Minus_The_Beer 12 years ago

It's a very time-sensitive movie. The special effects, while innovative at the time, haven't aged well at all, and the fact that you could tell how the movie would end from the first five minutes alone doesn't work in its favor, either.

Still, it's a fun and innocent movie worth watching once in a while when nostalgia strikes.

[–] woollybully07 12 years ago

I admit the story is nothing special but I liked all the actors and the special effects kinda fit into the so bad "primitive" it's good category. But for me the movie just has this charm about it that makes me really enjoy watching it even though the film is average but sometimes just simple charm can help your movie so much.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] herbsuperb 12 years ago

I liked this one quite a bit as a kid, I still enjoy it but it doesn't really hold the magic it once did. It hasn't aged well in the sense that as the viewer ages it seems less and less appealing. For kids though I imagine it is still a lot of fun.

Some films from that era seem to get better and better as the years go by. I still love The Princess Bride, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and The Neverending Story. Those haven't lost any of their considerable charm. Huzzah for the 80's. Best kids movies ever (although Pixar and Dreamworks have really stepped it up since Toy Story came out in '95).

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] herbsuperb 12 years ago

Sounds like 'Pete's Dragon'. I used to watch that one when I was a kid. Don't imagine I'd like it too much these days though based on what I remember about it. Think it came out in the late 70's. I do remember that Mickey Rooney was in it. He's usually pretty good.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 12 years ago

"Charm"
Thank you!
Just the word I was looking for to describe this movie.

And, for me, a little nostalgic: I was just a kid of 38.

As in "Star Wars", most of the elements had been used before; it was how they were put together that made it memorable.

— And to those people who bash this movie so mercilessly for it's lack of the latest and greatest 3D fx (usually in lieu of a plot and acting), I offer another quote from our favorite author:

Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.
— Arthur C Clarke

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 12 years ago

ROFL!

Also: Yay! Someone who reads! (We seem to be rare on these boards.)

Careful: I also quote Asimov:

Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
— Isaac Asimov

(Aren't they, though?)

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 12 years ago

Good one.
I'll let it stop with that before we get too far off track.

[–] evilknick 12 years ago

I was 6 years old when I had my dad pick up Return of the Jedi from the grocery store video rental, and he, not giving a damn about movies, picked up the Last Starfighter instead as it was in the new releases (and it was 1986)

I was so freaking disappointed.

Not just because it was the wrong movie, but because this looked like dated corny crap compared to Return of the Jedi. I've never been able to warm up to this movie now 20 years later because of that day lol

[–] Frumious_Bandersnatch_46 12 years ago

I try to keep in mind another apt quote:

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

Because we bring everything we've already seen and read and experienced to every new story.

You didn't like it because you were disappointed at not getting the finale to the first Star Wars trilogy. You will never like it because you will never forget the disappointment.

For me it was new and exciting and the first I'd seen of computer generated graphics.

I remember when Cleopatra went to the Temple of Ra to lead a few cheers.

[–] JohnDylan6 10 years ago

Yes, it's outdated in terms of CGI effects and some tongue and cheek acting. But it is what it is. It's a what if scenario, that, for me, was a lot of fun to watch as a kid. It was made in 1984 with the best special effects of that time. What's important is the story and what you take from it and also the voyage you take once you hit play on the dvd/blu ray player.

It's a really fun adventure movie.

I wish they would make a sequel and also fix the CGI in the first film with new digital effects. I would totally buy the movie again and go see the sequel.

[–] westal_sage 10 years ago

That's too bad. I think I like it even more now than I did when I was a kid. It's a nostalgia thing, and the movie has alot of simplistic character.

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

by MartinBlank05 » Fri Jun 24 2011 20:18:36 Flag ▼ | Reply |
IMDb member since October 2005
Post Edited: Fri Jun 24 2011 20:27:38
as it used to,such a shame because it was one of my top movies from my child hood.Im watching this again right now and have been only watching cretin parts it just seems so corny now, Maybe it's the acting maybe it's the plot or even effects but compared some other child hood favorites like Monster Squad the gate ghostbusters gremlins and countless other's this one has just lost its flair with me. Has this happened with any one ells,maybe Im just not remembering it as fondly as I used to.

Well, it was meant for a younger audience. I still enjoy it for what it is, but even at the time I saw simple adventure film.

[–] residentevil6901 10 years ago

Sounds to me like you got old and lost your inner child lol

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

Well, it's a young boy's fantasy. You're an adult now, and our sense of wonder is a bit beyond Alex Rogan's fantasies, but it's still there if you dig deep down and wonder about it.