Review – Flight Of The Navigator (1986)

Whenever i think back to the 1980s, and the classic movies that defined that era, it’s difficult not to think about films such as Back to The Future, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Gremlins and Aliens. Now, i thought that The Goonies was fondly remembered by a certain generation, but there’s another film that seems to have just as much of a loyal following, if not more, and that is Flight Of The Navigator. You mention this simple story of family, alien abduction and time travel, to anyone of a certain age, and they immediately go all gooey eyed and begin to share their memories of it.

Joey Cramer plays 12 year old David. He lives with his parents, and his annoying, 8 year old brother in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One night whilst en route to collect his little brother from playing with friends, he falls into a ravine and is knocked unconcious. When he wakes up he makes his way home, only to find his house occupied by people he doesn’t know. The authorities are called, and we discover that David disappeared eight years previously, and hasn’t been seen since. Despite having been missing for the last eight years though, he doesn’t appear to have aged at all. He’s taken into custody, where he’s questioned and analyzed by an assortment of doctors and scientists, who discover his heads full of star charts, and images of a spacecraft, and thus begins this wonderful family oriented science fiction adventure story.

It was directed by Randall Kleiser, whose previous credits include legendary 70s musical Grease. Aside from Joey Cramer the movie stars Veronica Cartwright, who a few years earlier in 1979, starred in Ridley Scott’s terrifying sci fi epic Alien. We also have, among others, Howard Hesseman as the chief scientist, who i mostly remember from the classic 70s comedy show, W.K.R.P In Cincinatti, where he played a DJ, Dr Johnny Fever, at a local radio station. There’s also an early appearance by a very young Sarah Jessica Parker, many years before she took the world by storm, in the series Sex And The City.

This is a movie that’s dated extremely well, compared to other films of that era, some of which seem quite cringeworthy nowadays. The music and attitudes are without a doubt pure 80s, but in these politically correct days, i really don’t think that’s a bad thing, in fact for me it was most welcome. Flight Of The Navigator is a good, fun movie, and my only regret is not watching it at the time of it’s original release, as i’m sure i’d have got a real kick from the wave of nostalgia, it seems to stir up in that generation today. If you’ve never seen it, check it out, and if you’ve seen it before many years ago, revisit it. You won’t be disappointed.