Flight of the Navigator

Starring: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens (voice), Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matt Adler, Howard Hesseman, Robert Small
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Science Fiction
1986

Times Seen:
Tim: 3

Summary: A boy (Joey Cramer) falls in the woods and when he wakes up, eight years have passed. He soon becomes connected with a mysterious spaceship that could explain where he's been.

Review:
Tim: As a kid, I loved Flight of the Navigator. It was a wonderful family adventure film that hit the right sci-fi notes. It was the kind of movie that made you jealous- as a young kid, you wanted to have the adventures you saw on screen. Decades later, I can say this movie holds up remarkably well. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, even though I'm in my 30s now.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film is what creates all the tension and excitement. A young boy is walking in the woods and falls down a ravine. He's knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, he runs home, only to discover his family doesn't live there anymore. That's because eight years have passed. Even today, with the thousands of movies I've seen, this is still a remarkably cool concept. For the boy, hours have passed. For the rest of the world, he vanished eight years ago. That is crazy and I love when the film explores this. His family has moved on, although they never gave up hope of seeing their boy again. His little brother is now years older than him. His parents have aged. Culture is completely different- the most popular bands are all ones he's never heard of. The cool music of his youth is now dated. It's a wonderfully simple concept that you can explore in great depth. That is still my favorite part of the movie. Fortunately, there's even more in this film.

It soon becomes apparent that he's connected with this mysterious, impenetrable UFO that was discovered. It's obvious to us that he's been with the UFO for the last 8 years, but the mystery unfolds slowly. I have to say that even 30 years later, the ship still seems futuristic and cool. That is a stunning achievement for those responsible for its design. I remember being a kid and wishing desperately that I could fly around in it. Even now as an adult and a father myself, I'd still love that opportunity. Whether it shoots upward 20 miles or flies along the grounds at hundreds of miles per hour, it's just such a cool visual.

I also really liked Max. I enjoyed him more at the beginning than at the end, but he's still such a cool character. Paul Reubens did a great job voicing him at the beginning. He's alien and different, but his personality still makes you feel connected with him. To be fair, I liked him significantly less after he downloads the memories. Reubens goes into full Pee-Wee Herman mode, which got annoying very quickly. I wish he'd shown a bit more restraint. At this point, Pee-Wee was a well known character, so I'm not sure why they let him just run with it. It doesn't ruin the movie, but it hurts it a bit.

Outside of Reubens' voice work, Joey Cramer does a good job as our protagonist. He just felt like an authentic kid and was relatable when I was that age. He brings a nice sense of realism to the part. It's fun now seeing Sarah Jessica Parker in an early role. Back when I was a kid, I obviously had no idea how famous she'd become. I probably thought she was cool, but I doubt she made much of an impression. I thought Cliff De Young gave a good supporting role as the father. Veronica Cartwright always felt a bit weak as the mom.

Flight of the Navigator is a fun family adventure film. I like that it wasn't afraid to dip into mature territory for its story. It's kind of scary for a kid to think about disappearing for eight years, but the movie doesn't shy away from embracing that aspect of its story. This is an exciting, entertaining movie that is as much fun today as it was in the mid 80s. It's a thoroughly engaging adventure story that will appeal to all ages.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial, Explorers