Flight of the Navigator – Review

As alien orbs fly through the sky… they are caught by dogs who snag the Frisbees in their jaws. It’s July 4, 1978 in South Florida and it’s family weekend as well as Frisbee Dog Competition time. Who can ask for more.

As young kid David (Cramer) preps his pup Bruiser, his parents Bill (Young) and Helen (Cartwright) and his 8-year-old brother Jeff watch from the crowd. As they get in their car to leave the event later, the sky is darkened by… a large blimp. No big deal, and still no aliens. On the drive home, Jeff jumps out of the car to hang out with friends. When back home, David rushes up to his room to stalk his crush Jennifer Bradley from afar via telescope, in totally normal fashion. His pops enters and gives him advice on girls before his mom sends him through the woods to meet Jeff who is headed back for dinner.

David and Bruiser go off into the woods, but the path is foggy and ominous. Bruiser runs off to confront a noise. David stumbles through trees and… is startled by his brother. But Bruiser… he found something off in the woods which David goes to look at.

He slips and falls, sliding down an embankment into a ravine, waking up a while later and eventually trudging home. His dog is gone however, and doesn’t come when called. And when he finally gets to his front door and knocks, a strange woman answers the door. She says the kid must have the wrong house or be lost, but David pushes himself inside anyway. Things inside are all wrong, and nothing is familiar.

What is going on?! Flight of the Navigator is a mild trip of a kid’s movie that I always liked while growing up, however it also creeped me out in a few ways. The story eventually hits a pretty awesome Sci-Fi adventure tale, with some fantastic elements for any young and imaginative minds. Who wouldn’t want to fly at super speed in a dope little space ship and have crazy experiences.

The story is conceptually bonkers for something aimed at children. While it is a Disney flick, this kids/family film is still pretty good despite being a bit dated. For me, it is def one of the few acceptable movies aimed at a younger audience, but then I also saw it when I was a kid and it may not play as well to adults who aren’t in it for the nostalgia factor.

If you are in for harmless Sci-Fi fun or family vibes, check out Flight of the Navigator.