Explorers

1985
PG
1h 49m

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

24K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:12

Adventure Comedy Family Romance Sci-Fi

A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it... Read allA boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

24K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,555

385

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 6 nominations

Videos3

Trailer 1:12

Explorers

Clip 4:30

"Skeleton Crew" Gives Star Wars Back to Kids

Clip 4:30

"Skeleton Crew" Gives Star Wars Back to Kids

Clip 3:07

Late-Breaking Summer of '85 Movie News

Photos125

+ 118

More like this

6.9

Flight of the Navigator

6.3

D.A.R.Y.L.

6.6

*batteries not included

6.6

Short Circuit

5.7

SpaceCamp

6.1

Harry and the Hendersons

6.6

6.0

6.1

6.3

6.6

7.3

The Neverending Story

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
The film was in a prolonged editing phase when the studio moved up the release date. The theatrical release was the result of accelerated editing and was not finished to the director's satisfaction. The studio told the director Joe Dante that he was finished and they were going to go ahead and release what he had at that point.

Goofs
On the maiden voyage of the Thunder Road, right after the sphere-field activates, the camera cuts to the front of the ship for a brief second and a half, and we can see the boys, mainly River Phoenix in the middle, waving their hands very enthusiastically and out of character for the scene. It's possible that this was an outtake that was cut into the film by mistake. Joe Dante has always said that due to studio pressure, the film released is basically a rough cut.

Quotes
Wak: Look, I know I must look weird to you but how do you think you look to me? Listen, I watched four episodes of "Lassie" before I figured out why the little hairy kid never spoke. I mean, he rolled over, sure, he did that fine but, I don't think he deserved a series for that.

Alternate versions
Some international video and television versions omits several musical cues from the soundtrack including a moment where Jerry Goldsmith's score accompanies the Mr. Ed theme sung by Wak and the 80s music Wak listens to on Darren's Walkman (in these versions, you can't hear the music at all). Several score cues are also missing aboard Wak's spaceship and in the first third of the film. It is unclear where this is a mastering issue or a music rights issue.

Connections
Edited into The Phoenix Portal (2005)

Soundtracks
All Around the World
by Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell (as R. Blackwell) and Monica Millet (as M. Millet)
Performed by Little Richard
Courtesy of Speciality Records, Inc.

User reviews113

Review

Featured review

8/10

Amazing in childhood, and amazing still now.

wow. i love this film. i saw it when i was pretty young and absolutely loved it, as i do much of Dante's flicks from this time - The Burbs, Gremlins, InnerSpace - and i still love it to this very day. in fact, i understand the ending a little better now. i remember the ending being quite disappointing in some senses - the aliens just dont live up to the majesty that proceeds them - but this is exactly how the main character played by Ethan Hawke feels. So in some senses this could be seen as truly amazing film-making. But maybe i am being a little silly through my love of the film, which also i must add, has one of the best themes. A theme which only arrives half way through the film, when their craft is almost finished in its building. I love this film, but i can understand that some people may not enjoy it or even find it to be that good a film. I of course dont agree with this in any way - and less than 6/10? Outrageous. it deserves at least 7 anyway. But nevertheless, people have their opinions, and in mine i shall give it 8.5/10.