Sadly Over-hyped

Pretty Good

Good concept, poorly executed.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Well, this alien invasion sci-fi quickie tries really hard, but it's sure not on par with movies like "The Last Starfighter" (1984) and similar efforts. If you're a ten-year-old, you'll probably think this is one of the coolest flicks you'll ever see. And since I can get with that, I'm being very generous with my rating too. The special effects are entertaining and the film tries to maintain a decent pace. But the story is a heap of nonsense, really. Oh, and Mark Hamill stars in this film. Who would have thought that the Mighty Luke Skywalker would end up in a looney-bin on earth? Watch "Laserhawk", if you don't believe me.

Laserhawk was one of the $1 specials at a dollar store. Previously I bought old Western's (Bonanza, etc) and some good luck at that price before... I'd never heard of Laserhawk before, but enjoyed Mark Hamill in the Star Wars Trilogy, in 2 episodes of "the Flash" (as the Bizarre Trickster), and other film appearances over the years. Laserhawk seemed potentially promising, so for a dollar - I gave it a shot!I like high tech SciFi films, ones with great story lines, but also enjoy some of the low tech "B" films with often half written plots.This film lies somewhere between. The background music and effects work with the mood of this film. The story line has a lot of quirky twists. It's not a totally predictable plot. And, though not modern high tech effects - think of the classic War of the Worlds (1940's), not state of the art, yet it still works well today! For those who enjoyed the original Star Trek Series - effects are at least on a par with that.3 teens are the main characters. I won't even hint of how Mark Hamill fits in. His part isn't the biggest, but it is critical. (One insider joke easy to miss is when they pick Mark up in "Sunnydale", which is where "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" came from!).If you like the offbeat, this will likely keep your interest, and be entertaining. If you only like state of the art effects and academy award performances - this may not be your film.The introduction of this film announces a great menace to the Galaxy, a 250 million year old alien race. There is an unraveling mystery, drama, suspense and action. It never gets gross or "too" intense. I enjoyed it. Will give this one a "7", for fun and interesting plot twists.

Runner up at Cannes in 1997, this sci-fi masterpiece is a film that any cinema aficionado should have in their collection. Part Cinéma vérité, part Neo-noir, the aptly titled "Laserhawk" is a movie that has changed the face of cinema, and for that matter the art of story telling as we know it.Set in mid-western America at the turn of the millennium, "Laserhawk" stars Jason James Richter, who the academy has egregiously passed over numerous times after his Oscar worthy performances in "Free Willy" and "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home". Richter's character borders a delicate balance between adolescent angst and brimming masculinity. Richter frames this duality between boy and man with incredible poise as he valiantly saves the world from a species of invading alien spiders. His acting clearly raises the bar for his accompanying cast, who help mold "Laserhawk" into a pinnacle of thespianism.The story follows three teenagers (two of which are inhabited by alien spirits) who defend earth from a race of evil alien spider invaders who have returned to harvest their crop: humanity. Their tale, spanning from suburban America into the cosmos, is brilliantly interlaced with twists and turns, including a run in with a human inhabited by a 250 million year old alien played by Mark Hamill (who also happens to be the best star-fighter in the galaxy). Sadly he meets his death when he crashes an army supply truck at 15 mph (cue explosion).The brilliant plot is supported by exquisite dialog weaved by the maestro screenwriter himself John A. Curtis ("Xtro II: The Second Encounter"). Characters transcend their very own existence and evolve almost into living beings that the audience cares and feels for, like when the trio's third wheel, M.K. Ultra aka Rodney Terence Stanko, questions his own existence by asking, "Am I only here for comic relief?" Yes, M.K. Ultra aka Rodney Terence Stanko, sadly you are.People may question "Laserhawks" quote un-quote similarities to other sci-fi movies, such as the fact that the evil alien's mother ship looks very close to the one in "Independence Day" and that the heroes have to fly into the ship, dock with it and blow it up from the inside; the fact that Mark Hamill is cast as a star-fighter from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and takes part in leading an "intergalactic rebel force"; that the story slightly resembles various episodes of the "X-Files" and the movie "Alien"; or even that the concept of evil alien bugs was used in "Starship Troopers" and "Men in Black". There are so many movies out there that any film will have a coincidental similarity here and there. However, if you look deeper into the intricate story, "Laserhawk" is the precipice of originality.Much can be said about "Laserhawk": a modern day epic with plot that rivals "The Godfather" in quality, with "Citizen Kane" caliber cinematography shored by "Matrix"-style special- effects, but for "Laserhawk" there is no comparison. This pièce de résistance or magnum opus if you will, could enter into the annals of cinema as the greatest movie ever made (that is until "Laserhawk II"). Let us thank director Jean Pellerin for leaving us with an open ending, so we may be privy enough to witness a possible sequel in our lifetime.

Teens battle Aliens for the sake of the earth. Enough said.I found no redeeming qualities in this movie, except for Mark Hamill. I was surprised he was part of a less than mediocre film like this one. But I guess it pays the bills.The plot is along the lines of Teen-X-Files meets The Last Star fighter.Too many terrible moments to list them all. And as for good parts ....I don't remember any.