User reviews

Flight of the Navigator is one of those terrific adventure films for kids, even after all these years. It also falls into a long line of fun 80s sci-fi/adventure family movies.

Davey (Joey Cramer) goes into the woods looking for his little brother one evening in 1978. When he wakes up after a brief period of unconsciousness, he turns into a scientific marvel. Nothing is as Davey remembers it, but he can't figure out why because he only fell asleep for a brief period.

Davey is told that his parents reported the young boy missing in 1978, the evening that he went searching in the woods for his younger brother, referring to the incident in the past tense because it is 1985. Only Davey is still exactly the same age and everything he was from 1978, while time has passed for everyone else. His little brother is now his big brother (Matt Adler). His parents are old. Everyone is confused and the scientific world find the situation fascinating.

The scientists turn Davey into their personal guinea pig, running tests and probing him and all that junk. And soon they discover, that Davey was abducted. Davey, understandably a confused little kid, can't figure out what's going on and he sure doesn't want to be locked up in some lab where people prod at him all day long and tell him very little. So, he breaks lose, and hops aboard the spaceship that took him through time before. While it is an escape from the scientists and their security (briefly), it also holds the answers to what happened to him. It is also an opportunity for Davey to learn everything from this spaceship. And a kid's movie isn't complete without personifying inanimate objects. The spaceship is essentially controlled by Max, which is like it's CPU, a CPU with a cool sense of humor who likewise tries to learn about human emotions and condition from his passenger, Davey.

Filmed around Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, it is still a cool movie for kids...teenagers...whatever, having a little bit of something for everyone. Great humor, cool special effects, and the like.

In 1978, in Fort Lauderdale, the twelve years old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) goes through the grove to bring his younger brother back home. He slides, falls in a hole and faints. When he wakes up and goes home, eight years have passed and he has not aged. Meanwhile, NASA scientists find a spacecraft near to a fallen electric tower. David is brought to NASA to be studied and soon he realizes that he can communicate with the UFO. He finds out that he was sent to a distant planet in a very high speed and became the navigator of the spacecraft. In his life, he had lost 4.4 hours. On Earth, eight years have passed. This movie is a delightful entertainment, using good special effects and having a very reasonable story. It is a family entertainment, indicated for all ages. Sarah Jessica Parker, famous presently due to the show `From Sex and the City', has a minor participation as a trainee in NASA. My vote is seven.

You know the drill: 12 year old David falls into a ravine in the woods and discovers when he wakes up that he's been missing for eight years. He also discovers that he's hearing voices that seem to come from a mysterious craft housed in a NASA hangar.

My two cents worth: In a time when all the live action Disney movies seem to be a variant on "I was normal but just discovered I am/have just been mistaken for royalty/merperson/rock star/leprechaun/etc., this movie from the 1980's is a real breath of fresh air.

The scenario, waking up and discovering that everything except you has changed, and knowing you'll be somebody's idea of a guinea pig for the rest of your life, is instantly relatable and creepy, whether you're a kid or an adult. The kid fainting, the change in the two brother's relationship due to the age flop, parents trying to protect their son, government trying to exploit the kid's knowledge, everyone's reactions to the situation are all logical and believable.

And who hasn't wanted a chance to fly a saucer? Having Max, the ship's pilot, be a robot was another stroke of brilliance. So many movies have the aliens flying all the way here to come visit us face to face. But if we send machines to other planets because it's cheaper than going ourselves, why wouldn't they? And having him learn about Earth courtesy of a 12-year-old's TV polluted brain was hysterical.

The movie seems a little dated today; but it's forgivable because, like Back to the Future, it's set so specifically in a certain frame of time (you expect it to look and sound like 1986 because, hey, they keep telling you that's when it is.)

Recommendations: Back to the Future and Big are the two I can think of that are most along these lines.

'Flight of the Navigator' might have been produced in the mid-Eighties but it certainly hasn't lost it's charm over the last twenty years and it does stand up well against more recent family film offerings.

The story begins in 1978 with twelve-year-old David Freeman, a happy all-American kid who lives with his loving parents and typically bratty eight-year-old brother Jeff. One night he sets off into the woods to look for Jeff only to be knocked unconscious when he falls from a ravine. When David awakes in what seems like hours later to him, he discovers actually eight years have passed and it is now 1986. Although he is still twelve years old, the world has moved on and even his little brother is older than he is. NASA are very interested in David when his EEG scan reveal readings in the shape of a UFO they have discovered and other scans of the boy result in star charts of distant galaxies being spewed out from the computers. But our hero is determined to return to his family so he breaks free and hides aboard the UFO which holds the key to everything.

Joey Cramer gives a likable performance as David, a boy who enjoys adventures but ultimately just wants to be with his family. I think anyone watching the film would empathise with his character's anger and sense of helplessness when David discovers NASA have no intention of letting him go home. Matt Adler as sixteen-year-old Jeff is another notable actor in the film in the way he depicts his character's uncertainty of dealing with his little big brother and his developing protectiveness towards David. Also, look out for a younger Sarah Jessica Parker.

For those who watched 'Flight of the Navigator' as children in the Eighties, there is definitely a nostalgic feeling to it. However, I think children of present day would still enjoy the film as it has a little of everything and issues raised as still relevant and/or interesting today such as pre-teen crushes, annoying kid brothers, the thrill of following a hero on his 'quest', a fun mentor for the hero (even if it is metallic!) and arrogant scientist-types. It is important to remember that this is a children's film aimed very much at an eight- to twelve-year-old demography so it doesn't delve too deeply but the plot is quite unique, the characters are interesting and it is a film that is well put-together. Certainly one to enjoy with the whole family.

Flight of the Navigator is directed by Randal Kleiser and is adapted to screenplay by Michael Burton and Matt MacManus from a story by Mark H. Baker. It stars Joey Cramer, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff De Young, Sarah Jessica Parker, Howard Hesseman and the voice of Paul Reubens. Music is by Alan Silvestri and cinematography is by James Glennon and Eric McGraw.

Young David Freeman (Cramer) is out in the woods near his home in Fort Lauderdale when he falls down a ravine and is knocked unconscious. Waking up he finds that the world around him has advanced by 8 years but he hasn't. After being reunited with his overjoyed parents, it becomes apparent that David has had an encounter with a extra terrestrial life form, which of course greatly interests the authorities...

It's a family friendly sci-fi with a difference, in that it doesn't have to take us into space for its tale, yet this in no way detracts from how enjoyable Flight of the Navigator is. It is told from young David's perspective (with Cramer impressionable), thus it firmly engages the kids in the audience. The relationship between David and the Phaleon computer system (Reubens) engages with witty chatter and educational purpose, and the effects work should not be taken for granted either. If we are to be picky then the build up is a touch long before the pic goes "extra terrestrial", and Cartwright and De Young are barely given time to impact as parents coming to terms with a family life turned upside down. But small complaints really and this is a lovely film, one that isn't just for 1980s nostalgists. 7/10

Fun sci-fi family movie about a twelve year-old boy (Joey Cramer) who disappears and returns eight years later, still twelve years old and unaware he's been missing. At the same time, NASA finds a spaceship but are unable to open it. NASA attempts to hold the boy against his will, but he escapes on board the spaceship. Paul Reubens is great as the voice of Max, the ship's computer.

This is an awesome '80s movie. A good story told with nice special effects and lots of heart. The cast is terrific. In addition to Cramer and Reubens, there's Sarah Jessica Parker in an early role, Veronica Cartwright and Cliff De Young as the boy's parents, and Howard Hesseman as the film's antagonist.

I had seen this movie on VHS back in the 80's and I now have children and just watched this movie with them on DVD. The film still has presence and the special effects are still quite good even considering they are now near 20 years old. Very impressive and my children are now complete fans of the movie.

If you have never seen this film, I would recommend it whole-heartedly for the entire family. If it has been sometime since you watched this film I would say check it out, well worth a return visit.

One thing I have to mention is the joy I was receiving just watching my children (ages 4 through 8) experience this movie for the first time. Even after all of the Hi-tech movies they have seen in recent years this movie was still able to capture their attention, hold it and entertain just as well as anything in recent memory (such as Spiderman, Hulk or even Spy Kids).

My children wanted to re-watch it immediately after it ended, it was that good in their (short attention span) minds.

5 out of 5 stars from me and mine.

**Although regarding the DVD transfer, it could have used some extra's, even a trailer from the original film, however there were none, simple menu access and set-up options only, enjoyable none-the-less.

David Freeman (Joey Cramer) was a regular 12-year-old boy living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida until he fell into a ditch and was knocked unconscious. When he awoke things had drastically changed. For him it was merely four hours later but for everyone else it was eight years later. He discovered this massive time shift when his house was occupied by new people.

At this same time NASA got a hold of a UFO with no discernible way of entering it until they became aware of David. David would eventually be drawn to the spaceship--which spoke--and the two of them went on a high speed adventure.

Along with giving us Paul Reubens aka Pee-Wee Herman as a voice for the ship we got some other 1980's specific nuggets. Carolyn McAdams (Sarah Jessica Parker) reminded us that from 1978 to 1986 music videos were created, rock groups had weird names like Twisted Sister, computers and robotics were on the uptick, and coke had at least four types (New Coke, Classic Coke, Cherry Coke, and Caffeine Free Coke). This movie should've been put in a time capsule.

The movie was really about David and the ship's adventure. The ship was standard robot speak for a bit until it began to sound more like Pee-Wee Herman. This was a fun mildly exciting movie that is perfectly suited for kids.

This film is to blame for my over active imagination. Saw it on TV when i was at school and watched it over and over ever since! Though the quality of the film was not something i would have noticed when i was that age, i did notice the amazing special effects (for that era of cinematographic effects).

The ship design (Steve Austin) is truly inspired (especially when in 'first class manouvre' mode!!) and stylistically has stood the test of time (it could quite easily pass off as futuristic in new films today. Maybe he should have done some more design work(?).

And my favourite character ... 'Al', the big guy at the service station ('Rusty' Pouch), best bit of acting ever!

The flight scenes and the concept of flying in a cool spaceship caught my young mind most of all. As i watched it time and time again, the many other factors proved to play a major part of the film. The music score for one is great and for me has become a critical part of the film (I love the 80's synth!)

All in all, this piece of cinema was very very well thought out, constructed, produced, acted, all fitting together in a film that many films could never achieve.

Go buy it on DVD!

E:)

I remember catching this on TV as a kid and really liking it. Not much has changed in the years since, as this is still a cool, fun kid's adventure film, perhaps not as in depth or as well made as Joe Dante's EXPLORERS but nevertheless a firm staple of a 1980s childhood.

The storyline is split into two halves, and the first half actually turns out to be an intriguing mystery about a boy who suffers a fall in the woods and who wakes up to discover eight years have mysteriously disappeared. Joey Cramer makes for a likable lead; maybe he's not the best actor in the world but I found myself caring about and identifying with his character.

After this set-up, the second half lets rip with an exhilarating fantasy set piece in which the lad takes a journey around the world in a really cool-looking UFO. There are some excellent special effects here and plenty of humour thanks to the reliably strange Paul Reubens in a voice performance. It's all very lightweight but no less entertaining because of it. Sarah Jessica Parker turns up in an early supporting role and Veronica Cartwright (ALIEN) is as good value as ever playing the kid's stressed-out mother.

For the fist time I saw Flight of The Navigator when I was a kid, nearly twenty years ago. I remember young soviet kids flocked into the theaters to see a strange American movie and somehow taped it but too many time has passed and all these years it was like a rather unclear distant memory for me, a distant memory of something pretty good and even beautiful. Since then I was unable to find it and watch it again and only recently I caught in on a cable TV channel. Despite being twenty seven years old now I still liked it a lot.

Flight of The Navigator is a very good Sci-fi family movie despite (or some people could say thanks to) it is not as overloaded by the special effects as most of such modern movies. That left enough place not only for pure entertainment bit also for emotions and some pretty nice scenes with rather good dialogs. It the story of an eleven years old boy, who after a strange and quite inexplicable contact with something looked like an alien ship got moved through the time into future several years ago, which passed for him like a couple of hours. In this future he takes an adventure to find an explanation what really happened with him. Flight of The Navigator is a very enjoyable movie for whole family, which deserves much more appreciation than overwhelming majority of recent family movies.

9 out of 10

I watched this on television, seemingly cut for such. I think I expected different things of this, but I can't claim that it's poorly done. The acting, perhaps excepting any other kid(which there weren't many of) than the main one, is rather solid. The plot isn't bad, and they did employ an actual scientific theory. The pacing is remarkable, this flows and flies smoothly. The writing is good and consistent, albeit viewers are required to accept stuff that strains suspension of disbelief. The humor is plentiful, with no overdone gags or jokes, if repetition and silliness(I could have done without the gross-out material, even if there isn't that much of it, and the fact that it was confined to a single scene) are apparent throughout this, and the entire thing, partially also clear in the tone, while that isn't that bothersome, is directed at children. I must admit that it is done with care. The cinematography and editing are talented. The effects are fantastic, and not just for the time, with realistic reflection and fluid motion. There is a little language in it, maybe harsh at least considering who its intended audience is. There is nothing else that parents may deem inappropriate for their offspring, save for a couple of actions that can be imitated(and definitely shouldn't be). I recommend this to those who enjoy lighthearted sci-fi fare, in particular those who can appreciate that kind of film not being, or having to be, stupid. 7/10

This is a tough one. I saw this movie as a child, and it stuck with me as something I loved. But then I revisited it as an adult, and it didn't hold up that well. I wish I could give two ratings, one from me as a kid (probably an 8 or 9) and then one for me as an adult (probably a 3 or 4 at best). To make the compromise I did a 5.

The story is fairly original, and the acting is fine. The spaceship effects hold up relatively well. I like the kid (what else did he do?? I feel like I didn't see him in much else).

I don't think this is a spoiler, or hope not anyway, but if you're at all concerned with things like then then read no further.

One place that really messes the movie up for me though, is when the alien ship AI personality makes a shift from this kind of cool mysterious robot voice, to the voice of Paul Reubens (AKA Pee-Wee Herman, doing his Pee-Wee Herman voice no less). I felt like as a kid this worked, it was kind of hip and cool and fun. But as an adult, it turns the alien ship into a really annoying character, and I feel a lot less sympathy for everyone involved.

When you watch a movie as an adult, and it hits like when you were 7, you know its well written. No awkward prologue, no clunky transition, no agenda, no sanitation of affection between boys and girls. its a more than a fine movie, its a perfect adventure. Well, almost perfect. I could do without the annoying Pee Wee Herman voice. I hated it then, still hate it now.

A time when people thought NASA actually had some sort of authoritative power. When calling someone a geek was really an insult. And when a '64 mustang was a car you gave to a teenager.

So I took off a few points off for the Pee Wee Herman imitations. Of course, I know Pee Wee's gross adventures weren't known at this time but that's not way. I took off a few points because the pluky voice throws the WHOLE flow and feel of the movie off. It doesn't match. I refuse to believe that the people who wrote this movie are the same people who made the alien talk like the Pee. It was as if someone in the board room (someone who didn't even read the script) told them , "Hey, good work, but the alien needs to talk like Pee Wee Herman because Pee Wee is a hit with the kids. k bye."

Shows nowadays sanitize kid's movies so much that they are flavorless. I think things were simpler then. But I am most impressed that there is some significant tension between the alien and the boy, rather than just a typical love at first sight. So if I took a few points off for Pee Wee, then I'm adding a point for those things.

Almost thirty years now, so I definitely have accepted the answer to David's final question. Good luck Max.

ps. I can't believe they said the S word!

"Flight Of The Navigator" is a kids movie and as such it has every right not to really make sense. In other words everybody who tries to pick it apart and tries to find plot holes is a hopeless geek who takes things too seriously. This movie isn't even trying to convey a coherent story.

Nonetheless, it is a bit disappointing that after the first very strong half the movie kind of drifts into an amusement park ride with the main character just flying around in the alien ship. That may be fun to watch for kids who also like "Knight Rider", but it's kind of tedious for anybody who's a fan of actual storytelling. Ultimately, it's the movie's gimmicky, but plot less second half that prevented "Flight Of The Navigator" from becoming a box office hit, let alone a classic like "E.T.". That's a bit of a pity since the direction and especially the special effects hold up extremely well to this day and could have made for a much more memorable motion picture.

If you like adventure movies with a nostalgic 80's feel to them, "Flight Of The Navigator" will not fail to entertain you on a Saturday afternoon. Kids between 8 and 13 are going to love it anyway.

An upper-middle class kid from Miami falls into a dark, spooky ravine, bumps his head and wakes up eight years later, physically unchanged. While undergoing tests at the local hospital, his brain waves hijack the electronic monitoring equipment to display star charts and spaceship schematics. This quickly draws the attention of NASA, who have just captured a matching craft, and they take him in for further evaluation.

I think any kid who came of age in the '80s saw this multiple times, like a rite of passage, so there's a certain amount of nostalgia at play that's tough to overstate. It looks like the '80s, acts like the '80s, most definitely sounds like the '80s, and that feels intrinsically warm and welcoming to middle-agers like me. Hey, I can still remember seeing boxes of Transformers in the kid's temporary bedroom, cheap trinkets to make him feel at-home inside the cold government testing facility, and wishing we could swap places.

Viewing it now, as an adult, I think the aura is nice and enjoyed the entry-level explanation of how light speed travel can cause such weird time paradoxes. But, despite the intriguing premise and challenging first act, the plot doesn't really go anywhere spectacular. All the momentum pushes us toward the ship, yet when we finally climb aboard, there isn't much to see. After ogling all the chrome fixtures, making nice with the AI (voiced by an ascending Paul Reubens) and browsing an onboard zoo of Muppet critters, we just sort of joyride around the country for a little while, dodge a few helicopters and go home. I thought it was building to something more consequential.

This movie is an entertaining fantasy, but there's quite a bit more to it just beneath the surface. The protagonist is a 12-y/o kid raised, as most are in Western culture, to be incompetent, overly dependent on adults, and untrusting of his own judgment. When he finds himself aboard an alien spacecraft, he naturally first attempts to transfer that dependency to the robotic pilot Max, which, all-seeing eye and all, represents the omniscient grown-up. As time goes on, though, David begins to realize that: 1) his own interests do not in fact always coincide with Max's, 2)that therefore he must advocate for himself to achieve a favorable outcome, and 3) that he's the one who has to decide just what outcome will best meet his needs. Much unlike most "kid movies," this character shows real growth, and in the end confronts a real moral and personal dilemma. Whether you agree with his choice or not, you have to respect him for what he has become.

This film stands out as my favourite childhood movie. I have searched my brain for the name of it for years, even as I remembered full scenes, extremely detailed. I just couldn't remember the name of the film. I started renting anything I recognized from when I was young - and ended up watching some great films (although most were slower than I remembered them to be). But, finally, I found this, my favourite film, and I have to say it is just as exciting and cool and exciting as I remembered (keep in mind, even as a young person, I had a keen eye for excellence in film :) ). I recommend this film completely.

Enjoy it!

Independently made and later picked up by Disney for distribution this science fiction comedy directed by Randal Kleiser is a likeable family adventure with a big heart. It's not in the realms of E. T. and the special effects are rather clunky by today's standards but if you can look past that there is much to enjoy in this sweet, charming family film with a good cast, including a scene stealing computer voiced by Paul Reubens.

I've been saving that DVD to watch for a rainy day or a day off in my case. I was way too young too remember this movie from 1986 as I was only three years old. Cool sci-fi movie that is in the same realm of coolness as ET. A young boy is asked by his mother to go get his younger brother from the neighbors. The kid named David, falls down this ravine and hits his head. He passes out and finds himself awake 8 years later and everything has changed including his family. I am not going to wreck the plot anymore you will have to watch this movie. My roommate is already mad at me for spoiling some of the plot because I thought this movie was awesome. And Sarah Jessica Parker is pretty hot as she is sooooooo young in this movie and it was way before her Sex In The City success in the nineties. Flight Of The Navigator is a movie I know I will watch again as I love movies from the eighties and movies filled with adventure and worlds we couldn't even imagine in our existence.