In the realm of online streaming, an abundance of content is readily accessible. Choose a streaming platform, and you’ll find almost every type of show or movie you could imagine – including Disney+. This streaming service, especially with its Hulu bundle, offers a wealth of entertainment options. Although popular titles like Marvel productions and all things Star Wars are anticipated, it’s not just recently released or well-known intellectual properties that can be found. There are also lesser-known films, such as some classic Disney movies, available to stream. Among these forgotten gems, there is one title I stumbled upon that I didn’t even know was streaming – Flight of the Navigator. Now that I’ve discovered it, not only have I planned my next watch, but I strongly recommend you give it a try as well!
Originally released on August 1, 1986, the film “Flight of the Navigator” remains a delightful watch even after nearly four decades. The story revolves around 12-year-old David Freeman who, while wandering in the woods in 1978, gets abducted by extraterrestrials. Upon regaining consciousness, eight years have elapsed but David shows no signs of aging. After being reunited with his family, it’s found that David’s brainwaves correspond to images of a spacecraft that NASA has recently captured following a crash. It turns out that David is instrumental in helping the spaceship return home as Max (the robot commander) had loaded David’s mind with various data during an experiment.
Flight of the Navigator Was Groundbreaking for its Use of CGI
Although “Flight of the Navigator” offers an enjoyable adventure tale, it’s significantly noteworthy for its groundbreaking storytelling. This alone makes it a compelling watch today. The film was one of the pioneers in Hollywood to extensively utilize CGI effects, such as employing the “morphing” technique early on. It also introduced image-based lighting and other innovative methods that were revolutionary at the time. Furthermore, it was the first movie to use reflection mapping, a method used to generate astonishingly lifelike reflections on (simulated) chrome surfaces, like the spaceship in this case.
Apart from its distinctive aspects, the movie “Flight of the Navigator” stood out uniquely, particularly in its musical score. This might astonish Marvel enthusiasts, but the renowned composer Alan Silvestri created the score for “Flight of the Navigator”. Remarkably, this work diverged significantly from his previous compositions, and he hasn’t attempted anything similar since. Noteworthy is that the score, produced and played by Silvestri, was entirely synthesized using a Synclavier. The Synclavier was one of the early digital multitrack recorders and samplers. Although electronic soundtracks are no longer unusual, at that time, this score was among the pioneering ones.
A Charming Movie With a Surprising Cast
In terms of storytelling, Flight of the Navigator is quite endearing. It offers a kid-friendly sci-fi journey that’s exhilarating without being frightening. The blend is well-executed. However, what truly sets this movie apart is its cast. Sarah Jessica Parker appears in one of her early film appearances, but the real casting twist is Paul Reubens. In the film, he is known as “Paul Mall”, but the actor behind Pee-wee Herman lends his voice to Max, the robotic pilot who controls the Trimaxion Drone Ship that David was on. This is intriguing because Pee-wee’s Playhouse premiered around the same time as Flight of the Navigator hit theaters, making their connection quite noteworthy, especially since Max’s laughter resembles Pee-wee’s.
A Remake is Reportedly in the Words
Although Flight of the Navigator may come as an unanticipated treasure on Disney+ – a movie that’s eluded fans for years – it’s important to note that this might not be its final chapter. Back in 2009, Disney expressed interest in remaking the film, and more recently, in 2021, it was disclosed that Bryce Dallas Howard will direct and produce a remake for Disney+, with a female protagonist. Since then, there’s been little news, but fans continue to keep their fingers crossed.
Flight of the Navigator is now streaming on Disney+.
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2025-02-26 21:39