In Collection
#519
Seen It:
Yes
Adventure, Family, Science Fiction
USA / English
| Lance Guest |
Alex Rogan / Beta Alex |
| Robert Preston |
Centauri |
| Catherine Mary Stewart |
Maggie Gordon |
| Kay E. Kuter |
Enduran |
| Dan Mason |
Lord Kril |
| Dan O'Herlihy |
Grig |
| Barbara Bosson |
Jane Rogan |
| Norman Snow |
Xur |
| Chris Hebert |
Louis Rogan |
| John O'Leary |
Rylan Bursar |
| George McDaniel |
Kodan Officer |
| Charlene Nelson |
Rylan Technician |
| John Maio |
Friendly Alien |
| Robert Starr |
Underling |
| Al Berry |
Rylan Spy |
| Director |
Nick Castle |
| Producer |
Gary Adelson; Edward O. Denault |
| Writer |
Jonathan R. Betuel |
| Cinematography |
King Baggot |
| Musician |
Craig Safan |
At the time of its original release in 1984, this modestly budgeted sci-fi excursion had the distinction of offering some of the first examples of purely computer-generated animation, an apt (and frugal) special-effects solution for a movie with a plot line rooted in computer games. Both the computer-generated visuals and the arcade game now look quaint, but writer-director Nick Castle's affable, good- hearted adventure holds up nicely, thanks to a clever premise--the title game is actually a test for prospective starship pilots, planted by embattled aliens under siege from an evil invader. When a restless teenager (Lance Guest) racks up an impressive score, he finds himself spirited away to the besieged planet and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war. Apart from Castle's skill at contrasting his extraterrestrial settings with the mundane details of his hero's earthbound life, the movie gets lift-off from two thorough pros, Robert Preston, who makes the alien recruiter, Centauri, a planet-hopping cousin to
The Music Man's Harold Hill, and Dan O'Herlihy, the alien copilot, who suggests a scaly Walter Brennan. Older fans will snicker, but kids and young teens will find this rite of passage absorbing, while their folks will savor Preston's brash charm.
--Sam Sutherland
| Distributor |
Universal Studios |
| Edition |
Collector's Edition |
| Barcode |
025192051920 |
| Region |
Region 1 |
| Release Date |
8/12/2003 |
| Packaging |
Keep Case |
| Screen Ratio |
Fullscreen (4:3)
Widescreen (16:9)
Fullscreen (4:3, Letterboxed)
Theatrical Widescreen (2.35:1) |
| Subtitles |
English; French; English (Closed Captioned) |
| Audio Tracks |
Dolby Digital 5.1 [English] |
| Layers |
Single Side, Dual Layer |
| Disks |
1 |
|
Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby |
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