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Joey Cramer, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff De Young, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matt Adler ... see more see more... , Howard Hesseman , Robert Small , Albie Whitaker , Iris Acker , Ted Bartsch , Michael Brockman , Parris Buckner , Cynthia Caquelin , Raymond Forchion , Robert Goodman , Julio Oscar Mechoso , Robyn Peterson , Arnie Ross , Paul Reubens , Jonathan Sanger , Richard Liberty , John Archie , Jill Beach , Fritz Braumer , Tony Calvino , Debbie Casperson , Louis Cutolo , Kenny Davis , Gizelle Elliot , Philip Hoelcher , Bruce Laks , Peter Lundquist , Ryan Murray , Rusty Pouch , Chase Randolph , Butch Raymond , Keri Rogers , Michael Strano , Bob Strickland , Tony Tracy , Brigid Cleary

The year is 1978: 12-year-old David Freeman (Joey Cramer), playing in the woods near his home, is knocked unconscious. He awakens and heads home, only to find strangers living there. He also finds tha... read more read more...t the year is 1986, and that he's been officially missing for eight years. NASA officials determine that David was abducted by aliens during his blackout, and hope to scan the boy's brain in order to unlock a few secrets of the universe. Answering the call of a strange, unseen force, David boards a well-hidden spaceship and takes off, guided by the jocular voice of a computer named MAX (voiced by none other than Paul Reubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman). Realizing that he can't fit in to 1986 so long as he's a child of the '70s, David hopes to retrace the steps of his alien abductors and get back to his own time. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

69% liked it

57,473 ratings

Critics

78% liked it

9 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Randal Kleiser

Release Date: July 30, 1986

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DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004

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Stats: 3,204 reviews

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Flight of the Navigator Flight of the Navigator Flight of the Navigator Flight of the Navigator Joey Cramer in: Flight of the Navigator Veronica Cartwright, Matt Adler & Cliff De Young Trimaxion/Max (Voice Paul Reubens) & Joey Cramer Flight of the Navigator Joey Cramer & Rusty Pouch Flight of the Navigator
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Flixster Reviews (3,204)

  • phubbs1
    June 27, 2011
    phubbs1
    Always loved this Disney flick, great effects and adventurous plot that is kinda 'Back to the Future' mixed with 'Explorers' purely for kids with an extraterrestrial twist.
    The effects were fantastic for the time and it was the first film to use environment mapping, the CG was s... read moreome of the first used in motion pictures and in my personal opinion they still hold up very well today, I might add they also used stop motion in the mix too! truly classic workmanship.
    As said the effects were always the star attraction with this film, the ship looked way cool (simple design for today of course), the hydraulic alien arm thing inside was nicely designed, the ships interior was really well designed and looked almost like the interior of the 'Predator 2' ship whilst the other aliens creatures were all decent muppet style creatures which were simple fun and amusing.
    The whole film was so well made and showed so much vivid imagination, it was colourful and a really exciting ride for kids at the time, I loved every minute of it. The only thing I never liked was Paul Reubens voice as the alien later on in the film, that spoilt the sensible aspect of the plot and made it stupid with his 'Pee Wee Herman' voice. SJP made up for it being very very cute and one of my first kid crushes :)
  • deano
    April 6, 2011
    deano
    This lively alien-fantasy-action film is exciting without relying on agression. The extra-terrestrial creatures are bad Muppet imitations, although that alien with a cold is a gem.
    As a NASA intern, Sarah Jessica Parker looks the same as she does now.
  • ajv2688
    January 28, 2011
    ajv2688
    Another movie I saw as a kid, this sci-fi adventure is pretty cool, but very much for kids. I don't think I'd like it as much today.
  • skeletonking101
    December 16, 2010
    skeletonking101
    a fantastic film from the minds of disney and had a gripping story that sucked me in in the first 20 minutes
  • FilmFanatik
    January 7, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    To me, this is Disney's best live action film back when it was a big deal for Disney to do live action movies. A childhood favorite of mine. :D
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Such a rip-off of ET. It's like, make the kid disabled and no one will notice. The only rewarding thing about this movie is when the wheelchair kid rolls down a hill and goes off a cliff. Comic genius.
  • stormyweather980
    October 14, 2009
    stormyweather980
    A childhood favorite of mine for sure that I haven't seen in YEARS! I really want to see it again ASAP, and own it one day.
  • SirPant
    September 21, 2009
    SirPant
    A classic and quite typical 80's child abduction/Alien/talking robot/conspiracy/thriller/family adventure film.
  • superclerk25
    April 26, 2008
    superclerk25
    Great flick about time travel and friendship with a robot space ship. It's a good time and holds up to this day.
  • puffchunk
    October 23, 2007
    puffchunk
    Paul Reubens, you dirty alien! Too many twinkies.

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Critic Reviews

Sarah Wenk
January 2, 2011
Sarah Wenk, Common Sense Media

An exciting time travel adventure. Full Review

David Nusair
November 25, 2010
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Innocuously entertaining... Full Review

Scott Weinberg
April 17, 2005
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Weirdly entertaining kiddie space adventure.

Luke Y. Thompson
September 7, 2004
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times

Pee-wee Herman voices the main robot. If that ain't enough said, you're hopeless.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Caryn James
May 20, 2003
Caryn James, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Pat Graham
January 1, 2000
Pat Graham, Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 27, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Ryan Cracknell
December 14, 2003
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views

No review available.

James Hill
November 8, 2002
James Hill, BET.com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Facts

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    • Max: I crashed into electrical towers and my star charts were erased. I need the ones in your head to complete my mission.
    • David Freeman: So you need ME and my INFERIOR brain to fly that thing?
    • Max: Correction, I need the SUPERIOR information in your INFERIOR brain to fly this... thing.
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Flight of the Navigator Trivia

  • Joey cramer learnt to fly a spacecraft at a very young age in this film, what is the film?  Answer »
  • Who voiced the character Max in Flight of the Navigator (credited under the name Paul Mall)?  Answer »
  • In what 1986 movie does the main charature ger out of the space ship at a gas station to "Phone home."   Answer »
  • Who played the lead role of David in the 1986 movie Flight of the Navigator?  Answer »
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