The Last Starfighter 1984

Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a teenager stuck in a Southern California trailer park with his divorced mother (Barbara Bosson) and 10-year-old brother Louis (Chris Hebert), finds solace in his passion for Starfighter, an arcade game where he defends the virtual “Frontier” against the evil Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada. Aspiring to escape the trailer park’s humble confines and attend a prestigious college, Alex is dealt a crushing blow when he receives a rejection letter from his top-choice institution.

However, his fortunes take a dramatic turn one evening when he becomes the highest-scoring player of Starfighter, emerging victorious in the thrilling final round where he must destroy the enemy command ship. The trailer park erupts in jubilation, with even his little brother Louis joining in the celebration. Later that night, Alex is approached by the game’s enigmatic inventor, Centauri (Robert Preston), who invites him to take a ride in an exotic sports car. As it turns out, the vehicle is actually a spaceship, and Centauri is a disguised alien who whisks Alex away to the distant planet of Rylos, leaving behind his family, including his girlfriend Maggie Gordon (Catherine Mary Stewart), and an android lookalike named Beta (Lance Guest in a dual role) to take his place.

Upon arriving on Rylos, Alex discovers that the Starfighter arcade game is more than just a virtual reality experience. The images and territories he navigated in the game are actual locations and planets caught in the midst of a desperate conflict between the Rylan Star League and the Ko-Dan Empire, an alien lizard-like race aided by the treacherous Xur (Norman Snow). Centauri’s true intentions are revealed: he designed the game as a test to identify individuals with the special gift needed to pilot the actual Starfighter spacecraft called the Gunstar. Alex is thrust into this intergalactic struggle and learns that the Frontier is not just a virtual force field, but an array of planetary-scale barriers protecting Rylos and its surrounding planets from invasion by the hostile Ko-Dan Armada. Moreover, he discovers that Xur has betrayed the Rylan Star League by providing the Ko-Dan Emperor with the technology to breach the Frontier.

As Alex struggles to wrap his head around the shocking revelations surrounding his induction into the Starfighter program, a holographic apparition of Xur materializes before him, shrouding the entire base in an aura of dread. With a twisted grin, Xur reveals the ghastly discovery of a traitor lurking within their ranks and proceeds to broadcast the brutal torture and execution of the unsuspecting infiltrator to the very ears of Ambassador Enduran (Kay E. Kuter), Alex’s estranged father, the Starfighter commander. The gravity of this betrayal is compounded by Xur’s ominous declaration that once Galan (the Rylan moon) reaches full eclipse, the Ko-Dan Armada will unleash its devastating invasion, rendering even the starfighters powerless against their onslaught.

As Alex grapples with the implications of these chilling events, it becomes clear that Centauri has employed an illicit method to recruit him from a planet beyond their federation. This revelation sparks a deep unease within Alex, prompting him to request a hasty return to his home planet. Centauri reluctantly complies, though not before offering a parting rebuke, cautioning Alex that his lack of exceptional abilities will forever hold him back if he does not alter his attitude.

With the Starfighter base now vulnerable and under attack by the Ko-Dan command ship, a small breach in the Frontier is exploited, allowing for the relentless barrage of massive meteors to rain down upon the base. Amidst the chaos, a cunning saboteur succeeds in disabling the defenses, leaving the base reeling from the devastation. The once-thriving facility lies in ruins, its Starfighters reduced to mere memories, with only a lone reptilian alien navigator, Grig (Dan O’Herlihy), surviving the carnage, and an advanced Gunstar prototype spared from destruction.

As Xur’s ire reaches a boiling point upon learning of the sole Starfighter’s escape, the very fabric of the Starfighter program begins to unravel, casting a dark shadow over Alex’s uncertain future.

As Alex steps foot back on his native planet, he’s met with an unsettling surprise: an android masquerading as him has been left in his wake. Without hesitation, Alex reaches out to Centauri, summoning them to retrieve the imposter. Just as they arrive, a hulking assassin materializes, laser gun blazing as it zeroes in on Alex. Centauri springs into action, dispatching the behemoth with precision and skill. As the dust settles, Centauri reveals the truth: this was no ordinary killer, but a Xando-Xan - an interstellar hitbeast sent by the formidable Xur, with more like it surely on their way to eliminate Alex.

Alex’s realization of his precarious situation sparks a desperate decision: he must return to Rylos and take the helm of a Gunstar to safeguard himself. Centauri, sensing danger closing in, sacrifices themselves to distract the hitbeasts, allowing Alex to make good his escape with Beta by his side. But just as they’re making their way back to Rylos, the Xando-Xan’s severed arm proves surprisingly adept at manipulation - and its deadly aim is redirected at Centauri, striking true.

The devastating blow claims Centauri’s life, leaving Alex shaken but resolute. With Beta left behind to draw fire, Alex and Grig set course for Rylos once more, only to find their base in ruins. Grief-stricken and enraged, Alex meets up with Grig and they take the Gunstar into battle against the Ko-Dan Armada - solo. The starship proves a formidable vessel, capable of shrugging off laser blasts with minimal damage and housing a new weapon in the form of the Death Blossom.

As they pursue their enemies across the Frontier, Alex is forced to confront the harsh realities of war when he encounters a scout ship sent by Xur. Destroying the enemy, Alex can’t shake the sense of unease that settles over him. Grig’s counsel - that Alex isn’t yet battle-ready and should return home to live out his days - falls on deaf ears. With the stakes crystal clear, Alex forges a plan to take down the Ko-Dan Armada, ultimately deciding to stay and fight for what he holds dear.

As Beta-Alex navigated the uncharted territories of human connection at the trailer park, his interactions with Maggie became a fascinating study in contrasts. By night, he donned the guise of an amiable companion, bonding over campfires and camaraderie with friends by the lake. However, this fleeting sense of belonging was short-lived, as another assassin, disguised as a policeman, emerged from the shadows. The rogue agent’s true intentions were revealed when they attempted to take out Alex with precision shots around the campfire. Beta’s awkward attempts at romantic banter with Maggie only served to further heighten the tension, culminating in his admission that he was, in fact, an android Beta unit.

The assassin’s laser fire ripped through Beta’s synthetic flesh, releasing a geyser of green fluid into the night air. As the killer fled the scene in their commandeered police car, Beta seized the opportunity to reclaim the initiative. He hotwired a nearby pickup truck and joined Maggie for a high-speed chase across the desert landscape. When the assassin finally arrived at their spaceship, they attempted to broadcast a dire warning to the Ko-Dan Armada: “The last starfighter is…”. However, before the transmission could be completed, Beta’s determination to stop the assassin led him to force Maggie out of the truck and then ram the vehicle into the spaceship, effectively silencing the would-be messenger.

In the aftermath, as the dust settled on the destruction, it became clear that Beta had paid the ultimate price for his actions. The transmission to the Ko-Dan Armada was cut off, leaving Xur and the armada’s command ship oblivious to the true nature of the last starfighter’s fate. It was only a matter of time before they would launch their attack on Rylos, unaware that the supposed target lay in smoldering ruin.

As Xur’s armada bursts through the breach in the Frontier, Alex and Grig seize the initiative by deploying their stealthy asteroid strategy. They slip into a small celestial body near the damaged Frontier, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike. Their target: the Ko-Dan command ship, caught off guard by the sudden attack from behind. The arrival of the GunStar is detected, prompting Lord Kril (Dan Mason), the imperious commander of the Ko-Dan fleet, to lash out at Xur, his trusted advisor, for perceived treachery and mismanagement. In a stunning display of tactical prowess, Alex and Grig cripple the command ship’s communications and disable its fighter wing, reducing the once-formidable Ko-Dan forces to a mere shadow of their former selves. The battle rages on, with Alex employing his cunning “lone wolf” tactics honed from countless hours spent piloting virtual starfighters. Though his arsenal is eventually depleted, he refuses to back down, fueled by determination and a deep-seated sense of justice.

As the Ko-Dan command ship teeters on the brink of collapse, Xur seizes the opportunity to escape, exploiting Alex’s distraction to slip away unnoticed in an escape pod. Lord Kril, enraged by his advisor’s betrayal, orders the command ship to ram the lone GunStar, now temporarily drained of power due to the devastating effects of the Death Blossom. Grig, ever resourceful, taps into the GunStar’s life support systems to recharge its batteries, allowing Alex to unleash a barrage of retaliatory firepower that cripples the command ship and sends it careening towards the moon of Galan. The resulting collision is catastrophic, claiming the lives of Kril and his remaining Ko-Dan warriors. In the aftermath, Alex is hailed as a hero, having single-handedly saved Rylos from certain destruction.

However, this fleeting triumph is soon tempered by Enduran’s sobering revelation: the Star League remains vulnerable, its very foundations shaken by the collapse of the Frontier and Xur’s daring escape. Confronted with the grim reality of his responsibilities, Alex agrees to remain on Rylos, dedicating himself to rebuilding the Legion and rallying other starfighters against the lingering threat posed by Xur. Amidst this newfound sense of purpose, Alex is heartened to discover that Centauri has miraculously recovered from his injuries, a testament to the indomitable will of the Rylosian people.

As Alex’s Gunstar thunders onto the trailer park’s dusty terrain, a whirlwind of excitement and anticipation surrounds him. Grig, ever the loyal ally, hastens to share tales of Alex’s unyielding heroism within the Rylan Star League, proclaiming him a starfighter destined for greatness. With each triumphant tale, Alex’s legend grows, illuminating the path he will forge as a mentor to future intergalactic warriors. Moreover, Grig hints at an even more profound impact: Alex’s valorous deeds will one day safeguard Earth from the Ko-Dan Empire’s nefarious grasp. The news sends shockwaves of pride and awe through the trailer park community.

With his friends and family now privy to his extraordinary exploits, Alex reveals a crucial caveat: his services as a starfighter remain in high demand by the Rylan Star League, making it uncertain when he’ll return to Earth’s familiar shores. Undaunted, Alex turns to Maggie, extending an invitation to join him on the celestial frontier. With Granny Gordon’s (Meg Wyllie) warm blessing, Maggie embarks on this interstellar adventure alongside Alex, leaving behind a trailer park forever changed by his arrival.

As the Gunstar vanishes into the Rylosian horizon, Louis finds inspiration in his brother’s journey. He begins to master the game that once bound him so closely to Alex, driven by a newfound determination to follow in his sibling’s footsteps and claim his own place among the stars.