Search - Craig Safan :: The Last Starfighter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Not quite Star Wars but hey ... what is???

Muzikluvr | NY NY | 09/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Last Starfighter is one of Craig Safan's best works. For anyone who hasn't see it ... Starfighter was an early 80's cheesy sci-fi flick. It did boast rather advanced special effects for the day and actually has the distinction of having the first ever fully CGI ship in movie history. The story of the movie is pretty basic ... human teen is recruited through a video arcade game (remember - its the 80's and video arcades are on every other street corner!) to save the universe during an intergalactic war. Boy leaves girl to save universe ... boy is replaced by a replicant who his girl never seems to realize ISN'T him ... boy saves universe ... boy comes back and takes girl into space to live happily ever after.



Enough about the movie ... the score is AMAZING!!!! It stands up there with just about anything from John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith or James Horner. The score has no empty, pompous big-orchestra blatherings. It is solid and one of the only genuinely good post Star Wars sci-fi scores. What Mr. Safan offers is a space opera sound without falling into the cheap Star Wars imitation trap. Everything revolves around strong melodies, which were often lost to experimental sound in that era. The theme for The Last Starfighter has lived on as a favorite of movie theme buffs and is one of the most noble and heroic ever produced. The most remarkable thing about this theme is its versatility; its highly melodic construction allows for it to serve in romantic and dreamy situations as well as the battle sequences.



In the end, however, the depth of the layered brass is what elevates this score above most of its contemporary peers. I highly recommend this for anyone's score collection!"

Amazingly enough...

snowleopard | Oregon | 06/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I tend to agree with all the other reviewers. This is a good bold soundtrack with a lot of melodies and themes running through it, in the vein of Jerry Goldsmith, or John Williams perhaps, but not quite at that level. It did fit the film well and is fun as well. The main theme is just terrific. Those not able to find this CD can often find it through a torrent, or if you're just looking for the main theme, it's on one of the Sci-Fi movie compilation re-recordings by Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops and an excellent recording, probably better than the soundtrack.



What may be most interesting, and a somewhat obscure fact, is that Safan had a mere five days to work with a large orchestra to get the sound. Adding to this, he was mostly known as a composer and synthesist who liked to improvise using his powerful Synclavier system, so to hear him kick something out like this was really something. Safan later said it was the highlight of his career. The one disappointment is that for being such a skilled and accomplished synthesist, Safan's synth sounds on this soundtrack sound hokey and dated. None the less, it doesn't deter that much from the listening experience."