Flight of the Navigator
1986 Directed by Randal Kleiser
Synopsis
Come along on the greatest adventure of the summer!
In Flight of the Navigator, 12-year old David Freeman goes missing in 1978, only to reappear in 1986. In the eight years that have passed, he hasn't aged. It's no coincidence that at the time he comes back, a flying saucer is found. David feels inexplicably connected to the fantastic machine...
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Part of Dastardly Difficult December: film nr.9
I was rewatching this this afternoon because someone mentioned it somewhere in a thread here on Letterboxd. It was naptime here in my house and with everyone asleep I somehow found myself lured to this film.
Halfway through I already knew my love for this film hadn't died one bit. It is a fast paced, fun and really well made boy's adventure. I was transported to those days when I watched this a lot when I was a kid with the greatest of ease. This film still seemed to fit me like a favourite pair of shoes, well worn but unbelievably comfortable.
And then my four year old daughter came downstairs as she…
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At first glance it looks like just another lazy post-E.T. childrens' films of the 1980s, but Flight of the Navigator has an intriguing premise that pushes it close to being a sci-fi mind-bender for kids: A boy who goes missing after searching for his kid brother in some dark woods, returns to his parents eight years later - except he hasn't aged a day.
This being a fun, live-action Disney movie, the horror of this mystery is kept in the background, but is clearly registered on the faces of the boy's parents. Their joy is mixed with shock and bewilderment, and a tearful David (Joey Cramer) - the boy from 1978 who woke up in 1986 - is palpably shaken… -
So much better when you're a child.
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Time for the anal probe navigator. HAHA
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It's better to keep some things as fuzzy childhood memories.
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One of the finest kids films of the 80s. Even has a couple of genuinely funny in-jokes for the grown-ups. Wonderful stuff.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Ovo je mogao biti savršen KLINCI FILM, ali nažalost nije. Prva polovica odlično pripremi teren, ali ga druga još bolje razvali.
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I remember this film seeming cool, probably because I didn't see it when it was released. In fact I probably saw it when it came to TV. There is the cool (and long) bit where the kid hides in a robot; a real bonifide robot that carries mail and food and has a spinning orange light on it. Also the spaceship is kind of cool looking, and it's antigrav is neat…
This afternoon I watched it with the kids. They have better taste than me.
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No la había visto en mucho tiempo y no me ha decepcionado. Es amor.
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A truly splendid and enjoyable film about a boy who missing for eight years to find himself in 1986 as he tries to return home with the help of a spaceship.
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Hach, wie bezaubernd es ist, heute einen ordentlichen alten 80er Jahre Kinderfilm zu sehen... Vielleicht habe ich ihn damals schon in der Disney Filmparade gesehen, erinnern konnte ich mich jedenfalls an nichts. Genau so geht es dem 12 jährigen Titelhelden, der im Wald verschwindet und 8 Jahre später plötzlich wieder auftaucht, ohne gealtert zu sein. Für ihn sind nur wenige Stunden vergangen, an die er sich nicht erinnert. Erst nach und nach stellt sich heraus, dass ein außerirdisches Raumschiff mit der Sache zu tun hat.
Die Geschichte überstürzt nichts, sondern baut langsam Spannung auf. Man ist genau so ratlos wie der Junge. Als sich dann aber sein Verschwinden aufklärt, wird der Film deutlich actionreicher und komödiantischer. Teilweise sogar etwas nervig... mit dem Hauptdarsteller konnte ich nicht viel anfangen. Aber es ist halt ein Kinderfilm, und eigentlich ist das alles auch heute noch ziemlich sympathisch. Selbst die frühen Computereffekte können sich sehen lassen. Definitiv das Richtige für einen gemütlichen Retroabend.
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Such a wonderful movie growing up. It's like a nice adventure warning film for any young child thinking they are old enough to be on their own.
I loved that the craft was basically a ship is loners, and that David and the craft basically became friends. Reubens as the voice was great casting. I loved the time travel aspect and how much it reminds you of your own family.
And Sarah Jessica Parker is probably her best here!
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I've avoided this for decades, but it turns out this is really good: it's not afraid to go to dark places, and has an ending that makes sense and doesn't take the easy way out. Plus the visual effects stand the test of time - now we know where Padme's Royal Cruiser gets it's impossibly shiny and sleek chrome look from.
Despite the hideous artwork on the left here, this is a gem of a movie that gets to be sentimental and emotionally bleak at the same time. Quite a feat for a Disney movie. Highly recommended.
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.