Flight of the Navigator (1986)

About Flight of the Navigator

"Flight of the Navigator" is a captivating sci-fi adventure released in 1986 that ambles around time travel and human-alien friendship. It can be summarized as the story of a 12-year-old boy named David Freeman, who mysteriously vanished in 1978, only to reappear in 1986, without having aged a day. Soon, David finds himself whisked on an incredible adventure aboard an alien space ship controlled by a sentient artificial intelligence named Max.

Making / Production

The film was directed by Randal Kleiser, who was famous for "Grease". The script was written by Michael Burton and Matt MacManus. The movie was a Walt Disney production and was filmed on location in Florida and Norway.

Actors

• Joey Cramer played the role of David Freeman. Cramer portrayed the character with innocence and curiosity which resonated well with viewers.
• Paul Reubens (credited as Paul Mall) lent his voice to Max, the artificial intelligence in the spaceship, making the character wildly eccentric yet intriguing.
• Veronica Cartwright gave a touching performance as David's worried mother, Helen Freeman.
• Cliff De Young, as David's father, Bill Freeman, effectively communicated the helplessness of a parent in the face of a lost child.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The spaceship model used in the movie now sits on display at the All-Star Movies Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
• Paul Reubens used a disguised voice in the film to avoid being recognized as Pee-Wee Herman, his most famous character.

Awards

While "Flight of the Navigator" did not win any major awards, it was notably nominated for the Best Science Fiction Film at the Saturn Awards in 1987.

Quotes

• "Compliance!" - Max
• "This is the pits – whoa! I get it. Calm down, see you later, alligator!" - David Freeman

Music, Soundtrack

• The film's musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri, with memorable pieces like "Main Title" and "The Ship Beckons".
• Popular songs of the era also featured, such as "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" by Eydie Gorme.