X
- 1986
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
- 1986
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
Summary In 1978, a boy travels 8 years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.
Directed By: Randal Kleiser
Written By: Mark H. Baker, Michael Burton, Phil Joanou
- 1986
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
- 1986
- PG
- Buena Vista Pictures
- 1 h 30 m
Flight of the Navigator
64
8.1
Where to Watch
Summary In 1978, a boy travels 8 years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.
Directed By: Randal Kleiser
Written By: Mark H. Baker, Michael Burton, Phil Joanou
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
64
69% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
31% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
64
69% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
31% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The film doesn't have the pace or the scale of Back to the Future, but it does have the same sweet moment when a child declares his love for his parents because he's seen them in a different light. Joey Cramer is quite winning as David.
Not a particularly original or insightful film of its kind, and marred slightly by the whining of Cramer in the lead role, this is nevertheless enjoyable fare for kids.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 18 User Ratings
8.1
89% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
11% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 18 User Ratings
8.1
89% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
11% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Flight of the Navigator may not have the originality of a true classic; and while its special effects provide some dazzling moments, they are not quite fresh enough to be brilliant. But the film is so absorbing, such constant fun, that it may well be the best family film around.
Flight of the Navigator is a cheerfully unaccomplished little movie, a kind of E.T. for kids that recalls the Disney live-action films of a generation ago. E.T is not the only movie borrowed from here; there are echoes of Back to the Future and most of the rest of the last decade's science-fiction fantasies, though Flight of the Navigator is generous in acknowledging its sources. It's a happy knockoff. [31 July 1986, p.C5]
There's no mistaking Flight of the Navigator for a really first-rate children's picture like, say, The Black Stallion. But Flight of the Navigator is an enjoyable film that encourages kids to use their heads. Unlike those children's movies that spoon-feed their audiences, this film keeps setting up challenging situations that young moviegoers must think through.
Never brave enough to feel far-reaching (or, ironically, far-fetched, when time-travel and space flight are so popular at the movies), Navigator still fulfills its mission, distracting the family for bang-on an hour and a half.
Instead of creating an eye-opening panorama, Flight of the Navigator looks through the small end of the telescope. Life on Earth is magnified but without an expansive vision.
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 3 Nominations
Young Artist Awards
• 1 Nomination
