Flight of the Navigator
Movie, 1986, The 80s, Set in 1978 & 1986
Flight of the Navigator is #4 of 27 in release order and #5 of 27 in chronological order in the VHS Kids Classics.
The story
12-year-old David is accidentally knocked out in the forest near his home, but when he awakens eight years have passed. His family is overjoyed to have him back, but is just as perplexed as he is that he hasn't aged. When a NASA scientist discovers a UFO nearby, David gets the chance to unravel the mystery and recover the life he lost.
Flight of the Navigator recap
On July 4, 1978, in Fort Lauderdale, twelve-year-old David Freeman falls into a ravine in the woods and is knocked out. When he wakes and goes home, it is 1986: eight years have passed, his parents have aged, his little brother Jeff is now sixteen, and David has not aged a day. At the same time, NASA captures an alien ship that crashed into power lines. Tests show David's brain holds star charts and alien data; scientist Dr. Faraday works out that David was taken to the planet Phaelon, a trip that took hours for him and years on Earth. David is kept at a NASA site against his family's wishes. He sneaks aboard the ship and meets its robot pilot, which he names Max, and they escape together. Max needs the star charts stored in David's head, but after copying them he starts acting strangely human.
Flight of the Navigator ending explained
With NASA closing in on his family's house, David asks Max to take him back to 1978, even though the trip might kill him. He wakes in the ravine on July 4, 1978, walks home and finds everything as he left it. Jeff discovers the small alien creature David brought back in his backpack, and Max flies off over the fireworks.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Flight of the Navigator
Flight of the Navigator is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Apple TV and Fandango At Home.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 85%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Goonies, before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
- Chronological order: after The Goonies, before Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Cast
- Joey Cramer as David Scott Freeman
- Paul Reubens as Max (voice)
- Veronica Cartwright as Helen Freeman
- Cliff DeYoung as Bill Freeman
- Sarah Jessica Parker as Carolyn McAdams
- Matt Adler as Jeff (16 years)
- Howard Hesseman as Dr. Louis Faraday
- Robert Small as Troy
- Jonathan Sanger as Dr. Carr
- Richard Liberty as Mr. Howard
- Raymond Forchion as Detective Banks
- Cynthia Caquelin as Woman Officer
Directed by Randal Kleiser.