Flight of the Navigator

[areaseven]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0gj8xuc11w
Flight of the Navigator
Walt Disney Pictures, 1986
Directed by Randal Kleiser (Grease, Red Riding Hood)
Based on a story by Mark H. Baker
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rated PG for mature situations and strong language.

Cast
Joey Cramer (Bobby in Runaway) as David Scott Freeman
Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens as Trimaxion/Max (voice)
Veronica Cartwright as Helen Freeman
Cliff De Young as Bill Freeman
Sarah Jessica Parker (like anyone here doesn't know who she is...) as Carolyn McAdams
Matt Adler as Jeff Freeman (16 years old)
Howard Hesseman (Charlie in Head of the Class) as Dr. Faraday
Albie Whitaker as Jeff Freeman (8 years old)

Synopsis
David Scott Freeman is an ordinary 12-year-old boy living in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 1978. One night, on his way to pick up his younger brother Jeff, he falls into a ravine deep in a forest and is knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he finds out that he is in the year 1986 - eight years after his parents reported him missing. Everything and everyone around him has changed over the years, except for him. Overwhelmed by the events that just happened, David passes out and is taken to a hospital, where doctors perform tests on him to find out where he's been for the past eight years.

Meanwhile, NASA officials arrive at a scene where an unidentified flying object just crashed through some power lines. They take the ship to their facilities to examine it. At the same time, while David is undergoing a test, his brainwaves transmit information directly related to the spacecraft. He is promptly taken in by NASA for 48 hours, where they discover that his brain contains alien navigational data and star charts. It doesn't take long before David leaves his room in the facility and makes contact with the ship, where he realizes he is its navigator. Together, David and the ship's pilot - nicknamed "Max" - leave the NASA base and embark on a journey to fulfill Max's mission.

"Compliance!"
Over the past 30 years, Disney's live-action films haven't usually been the memorable type. Most of them were fun to watch when you were younger, but nowadays, you'd steer clear of them. Some of them are just plain crap, such as Flubber, National Treasure, The Pacifier and the Jackie Chan version of Around the World in 80 Days. (I personally haven't seen The Black Hole, but if you have, and thought it was crap, feel free to tell us about it.) But among the pile of rubbish are some diamonds in the rough. Of course, you have your box office blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean and The Chronicles of Narnia, but there are those rare gems that are unbelievably good. One such product is The Rocketeer, which I believe is still the last great Disney live-action film.

And then, of course, there's Flight of the Navigator - a film that came and went at the box office at warp speed, collecting a mere $18 million. Watching this movie is like going back in time. Sure, it reeks of '80s cheesiness and the acting leaves much to be desired. But what makes this movie shine is its innovation in special effects. Universal's 1984 film The Last Starfighter may have been the first to use full-time CG animation, but Navigator was the first to feature environment mapping - over a decade before it was standard on video games. Five years before Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out, Navigator first gave viewers a look at what a moving chrome-colored object would look like on film. Even after 20 years, the flying piece of chrome still looks great. The aerial shots are also breathtaking.

Max: "What are you doing?"
David: "Can't I have a little privacy?"
Max: "Do not know privacy."

It's hard to believe that Alan Silvestri (Predator, Back to the Future) composed the score for Navigator, as it's primarily synthesizer music instead of orchestral. And because of this, it does make the film seem outdated.

"Navigator, I do not leak. You leak. Remember?"

Paul Reubens steals much of the film as the voice of the klutzy pilot Max. He starts out serious at first, but as soon as he scans David's brain, that's when his Pee Wee Herman persona kicks in. Other than that, a young Sarah Jessica Parker also has a bit role in the film. Not that anyone around here cares for her...

"Hey, blimpo! Oink Oink! Too many Twinkies!"

Overall, Flight of the Navigator is surprisingly enjoyable for a family film. Definitely a great rental at most, as the DVD has no extras at all (unless you really, really like this movie).

Rating: B

DVD Extras: F
What extras? Looks like we're gonna have to wait a lifetime for a proper DVD release.

Reference
The Internet Movie Database
Wikipedia

"See you later, Navigator! Ha ha!"

Edited July 20, 2013 by areaseven

[The Shade]

Yeah, this movie started off well. A bit of mystery: what happened to David, how did he not age for 8 years. What is that weird craft NASA found? Then, David & Max meet up, and the whole thing went crashing down. The movie turned from a semi-serious adventure story into a full-blown kiddie movie. Man, was Max ever annoying: his voice & personality both got on my nerves so badly, I just wanted him/it to be shot down. He was voiced by Paul Reuben? Didn't know that, but probably lowers my opinion of this film even more.

Edited August 29, 2007 by The Shade

[Max Jenius]

Hehe, I remember liking this movie as a kid. It had a weird creepy tone to it for a while, I kind of wish it had stayed a little more serious, but oh well. Still a fun movie.

[MilSpex]

One of my favorites from when I was a kid (I`m 29 now). Up there with ET and the Karate Kid for me. I dont really want to go back and watch it in case its not as good as I remember.

[JsARCLIGHT]

The '80s was the decade for what folks call Kidsploitation movies but going back and watching them today is painful. The only kid's movie from the '80s that I feel "still holds up" today is the Goonies, and that mostly has Richard Donner and Stephen Spielberg to thank. All the other movies just feel so... schlock. I saw Flight of the Navigator on cable a year or so after it came out (like 87 or 88 if I remember) and thought it was horrid. Then again I have this issue with Paul Reubens. That man's laugh is one giant fingernail on a chalkboard to me.

[Roy Focker]

From some reason I hated it. Can't remember why.

[Apollo Leader]

I have good memories of Flight of the Navigator. Paul Reubens was the voice of the ship??? No way! Didn't realize that the ship was CG.

[Kelsain]

One of my favorites from when I was a kid (I`m 29 now). Up there with ET and the Karate Kid for me. I dont really want to go back and watch it in case its not as good as I remember.

Here, here. Some things are better left to memory...

[The Shade]

Here, here. Some things are better left to memory...

And some things are best left forgotten.

[Knight26]

Even as a kid I thought it was a hokey movie, fun for a kid but definitely doesn't hold up and I could never watch it with the kids without wanting to cut my ears off due to Pee Wee's annoying voice. Give me Goonies any day, seriously as was stated the best kid movie ever.

[gerwalk25]

I remember when it aired on ABC's Disney Sunday Movie in the late 80's. It was a fun and enjoyable movie and what I remember most are the TF and Gijoe toys on David's bed at NASA.

[baronv]

Watched this movie in one of my elementary school classes. I remember the SFX being real good but I did get annoyed when they turned the ship into a flying chrome almond-shaped Pee Wee Herman alien.

[areaseven]

Didn't realize that the ship was CG.

When I first saw the movie in theaters 21 years ago, I knew the ship was CG. I thought everything about the ship's animation was CG, until I found out the hatch opening and steps formation were actually stop-motion.