Explorers

1985

1.5/4 Stars

Explorers is a kid's movie from the 80's that follows the story of three boys- Wolfgang (River Phoenix), Ben (Ethan Hawke), and Darren (Jason Presson)- as they communicate with aliens in their dreams and ultimately design a spaceship to visit the aliens themselves. Each character has a role to play- Wolfgang is the scientist, Ben has a wonderful imagination, and Darren is the skeptical drunk.

The movie is divided into two distinct halves- the first involves the boys designing the flying device and taking it around their home town. This is the best part of the film and captures the imagination of any child who wanted to fly. It is during this half that a character called "Old Creepy Charlie" is introduced. He stalks Ben for a time before discovering their ship. He is never mentioned again. His inclusion in the film is questionable.

The second half of the movie is a disaster. They meet the aliens, who are green, slimy, and obsessed with American television. Wolfgang develops an attraction to one of the aliens ("She is incredibly intelligent!"), but eventually accepts that it is not meant to be. This movie drags a great deal here and limps to the finish line.

It is pretty strange and seems to want to be a commentary on declining values in an increasingly media-driven society. In truth, it is just a weird kid's movie that has potential in the beginning before falling apart.