I’m in a nostalgic mood. I’ve had The Last Starfighter on my mind lately, and I can’t help wishing that movie had been a mega blockbuster so that it would have inspired at least one sequel. It’s a movie that feels both perfectly self-contained and also like it’s setting up even greater things to come.

Here are four ideas for sequels to The Last Starfighter that I’ve been bouncing around. You might think they suck or they sound interesting. I spend a lot of time thinking critically about films as they are, so I think it’s only fair that I put forth some ideas on what I would love to see in feature films.

So let’s go right ahead and explore four sequels I would have loved to see to The Last Starfighter.

Sibling Rivalry

Alex and Maggie have a child. Meanwhile back on Earth, Louis follows in his older brother Alex’s footsteps and becomes an expert at the “Starfighter” arcade game. He joins the Star League just as Alex’s son comes of age. A Children of Dune-type story develops where Louis resents his nephew’s success, and we get to see history repeat itself as Louis (much like Xur) allows his reckless ambition to lead him to engage in open rebellion and civil war.

Alex’s Nemesis

A mysterious new video game hits the market. It’s similar to the original “Starfighter” game, but Centauri had nothing to do with this one. It turns out that there’s another alien race besides the Rylans and the Ko-Dans that has learned that Alex came from Earth, and it’s trying to find the next great Earthling pilot to lead its evil forces into battle. They finally discover a young man of similar caliber and yearning as Alex. He gets trained as one of them and is forced to go up against the legendary Alex Rogan. Will one Earthling be able to triumph over the other, or will Alex be able to convince the confused young man that he’s been duped into fighting against his own species’ survival?

Xur Returns

The villainous Xur returns with a plan for peace. He wants to reconcile the differences between noble Rylos and the ambitious Ko-Dan Empire. This time he’s backed up by a secret army he’s been building up for years. While claiming he’s working for peace, he manipulates the two sides to distrust each other. He launches a sneak attack against the Ko-Dan Empire and frames Rylos for it. It’s up to Alex, Maggie, Centauri, and Grig to uncover Xur’s plot and keep the universe from erupting into another destructive war.

Maggie’s Adventures

Maggie and Alex go from one adventure to the next in their new life among the stars. Alex struggles to rebuild the Star League as Maggie deals with separation anxiety from everyone she knew on Earth. With the Frontier down, Alex leads a squad of fighters deep into uncharted territory. They disappear. Refusing to despair, Maggie begs Grig to help her track Alex down and bring him safely home. He agrees, and the two set off on a journey of discovery. She learns she has skills she never knew she possessed as she uses her mind and might to find her way to Alex.

I hope you enjoyed these simple thoughts. It’s always fun to think about what might have been and what still could be in the future.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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