Coming-of-age sci-fi and over-the-top action

The Last Starfighter and Commando

Author

By Shane Churchman

Publish Date

Sept. 20, 2017

The Last Starfighter made to cash in on Star Wars’ success.

The Last Starfighter is an ’80s coming-of-age sci-fi adventure clearly made to cash in on Star Wars’ success. This movie was an early pioneer in computer-generated spaceship battles. What makes it such a great movie is one part nostalgia and one part simplistic, formulaic plot full of a fair amount of heart.

Another ’80s entry, Commando, may be the quintessential Arnold Schwarzenegger action outing. This movie shines as an unapologetic effort to offer some of the most over-the-top dialog and action you can possibly imagine. I mean, the antagonist is an overweight Australian actor wearing a chain-mail T-shirt during a knife fight showdown in a boiler room. Fun, campy, and so much ’80s machismo.