EXPLORERS

Directed by Joe Dante

Starring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix

I found a used DVD copy of Joe Dante’s EXPLORERS (starring very young Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix) at a Goodwill the other day and snatched it up. I watched it last night for the first time since maybe the ‘80’s. I didn’t remember much of the film or if I liked it.

That was until I start to watch the film and memories of it flooded back. BIG MISTAKE!




The whole point of the film was to make Goonies in space. The problem is, Explorers lacks any sense of fun, or adventure, takes too long to get where it is going, no actual exploring is ever done and the payoff it totally bogus!

In the film Ben (Ethan Hawke) has a dream of a circuit board. Somehow his nerdy ‘scientist’ best friend uses his (‘80’s) computer to turn the dream into reality, which results in an airtight sphere of energy that can help then fly.

Along with their new friend they build a junk spaceship. The sphere allows them to fly and it keeps them alive. The sphere comes in very handy when there ship is taken over and flown into space and docked with a spaceship.




There they meet two aliens, whom Ben believes will reveal the secrets of the universe to a bunch of young school kids. The sad fact is, the only thing the aliens reveal is knowledge of Earth TV and they go through a series of stupid skits acting like TV Characters.

Eventually it is revealed that these alien are just kids, who stole their father’s spaceship.

The only real saving grace of this film is the special effects, which were very good for their time and the budget.

Joe Dante’s direction is the only thing that stops this film from being downright crap. But even he couldn’t save Explorers.

At best, it is an average film that had potential, but never took off.

RATING: 5