The Last Starfighter

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Alex Rogan lives in a trailer court where his mother is manager and everyone is like a big extended family. He beats the Starfighter video game to the applause of everyone in the court and later that day finds he has been turned down for a student loan for college. Depressed, he meets Centauri, who introduces himself as a person from the company that made the game, before Alex really knows what is going on he is on the ride of his life in a "car" flying through space. Chosen to take the skills he showed on the video game into real combat to protect the galaxy from an invasion. Alex gets as far as the Starfighter base before he really realized that he was conscripted and requests to be taken back home. When he gets back home, he finds a Zando-Zan (alien bounty hunter) is stalking him. Unable to go home and live, Alex returns to the Starfighter base to find all the pilots have been killed and he is the galaxy's only chance to be saved from invasion. To defeat the invaders, who are paying the bounty on him, he must be victorious.

Keywords: 1980s, alien, alien-abduction, alien-contact, ambassador, android, arcade-game, assassin, asteroid, baseball-bat

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[Lord Kril is receiving the broken Zando-Zan transmission]::Lord Kril: The last Starfighter...::Xur: [confidently] Is dead! The last Starfighter is dead! Nothing can stop us now! Ahead full to Rylos!

Alex Rogan: Wait a minute... when did the hangar go up?::Grig: I told you! When Xur attacked!::Alex Rogan: And where were the Starfighters?::Grig: In the hangar!::Alex Rogan: You mean they're dead?::Grig: [scoffs] Death is a primitive concept. I prefer to think of them as battling evil in another dimension.::Alex Rogan: In another dimension? How many are left?::Grig: Including yourself?::Alex Rogan: Yeah.::Grig: One!::Alex Rogan: *One*?::[the Gunstar takes off]

Rylan Bursar: Return the money, Centauri.::Centauri: Return the money? Are you delirious? Do you know how long it took to invent the games? To merchandise them? To get them in the stores by Christmas?::Grig: It must be terribly embarrassing for you and I do sympathize, however...::Centauri: But I saw him fight! He could be the greatest Starfighter ever!::Alex Rogan: That was just a game, Centauri!::Centauri: A game! Well, you may thought it was a game, but it was also a test. Aha, a test. Sent out across the universe to find those with the gift to be Starfighters. And here you are, my boy! Here you are!::Alex Rogan: Right, here I am, about to be killed::Centauri: Killed! You don't seriously think it's dangerous, do you? Don't be silly! Trust me!

Alex Rogan: Store's closed, mister.::Centauri: I'm not here for cigarettes or bubble gum, my boy. Can you tell me the name of the person who broke the record on that game over there, and where I might find him?::Alex Rogan: Alex Rogan, and you're looking at him.::Centauri: Alex Rogan. Ha ha ha!::Alex Rogan: Who are you?::Centauri: Centauri's the name. I invented Starfighter, which is why I'm here.::Alex Rogan: It is?::Centauri: It is. We have to talk about a matter of utmost importance. Step into my office.::[gestures toward the back seat of his car]::Centauri: Step into my office.

Lord Kril: Damage report!::Kodan Officer: Guidance system out. Auxiliary steering out.::Lord Kril: Divert! Divert!::Kodan Officer: She won't answer the helm! We're locked into the moon's gravitational pull. What do we do?::[sound of Lord Kril's eyepiece swinging over left eye]::Lord Kril: We die.

[as Alex's ship lands on his return to Earth]::Louis Rogan: Woo! All right! We're being invaded!

Grig: Remember, Death Blossom delivers only one massive volley at close range... theoretically.::Alex Rogan: What do you mean "theoretically?"::Grig: After all, D.B. has never been tested. It might overload the systems, blow up the ship!::Alex Rogan: What are you worried about, Grig? Theoretically, we should already be dead!

Centauri: [voice in video game] Greetings, Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada.

Alex Rogan: Teriffic. I'm about to get killed a million miles from nowhere with a gung-ho iguana who tells me to relax.

Alex Rogan: Otis, I just never have a chance to have a good time around here.::Otis: Things change. Always do. You'll get your chance! Important thing is, when it comes, you've got to grab with both hands, and hold on tight!