64
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineNot a particularly original or insightful film of its kind, and marred slightly by the whining of Cramer in the lead role, this is nevertheless enjoyable fare for kids.
- 75Chicago TribuneDave KehrChicago TribuneDave KehrThe time-shift plot may be a bit too complicated for a children's film, and the sheer amount of talk necessary to explain it may cause some restlessness. But when the film shifts into the action mode in its second half --the flying saucer returns to aid in David's rescue--it becomes quite bright and lively.
- 75Chicago TribuneGene SiskelChicago TribuneGene SiskelThe film doesn't have the pace or the scale of Back to the Future, but it does have the same sweet moment when a child declares his love for his parents because he's seen them in a different light. Joey Cramer is quite winning as David.
- 70Chicago ReaderPat GrahamChicago ReaderPat GrahamAt times a bit too precious, especially inside the young navigator's spacecraft, but the warm regard for character, as well as for our often-inhospitable planetary home, makes for a reasonably good time.
- 70The New York TimesCaryn JamesThe New York TimesCaryn JamesFlight of the Navigator may not have the originality of a true classic; and while its special effects provide some dazzling moments, they are not quite fresh enough to be brilliant. But the film is so absorbing, such constant fun, that it may well be the best family film around.
- 63Orlando SentinelJay BoyarOrlando SentinelJay BoyarThere's no mistaking Flight of the Navigator for a really first-rate children's picture like, say, The Black Stallion. But Flight of the Navigator is an enjoyable film that encourages kids to use their heads. Unlike those children's movies that spoon-feed their audiences, this film keeps setting up challenging situations that young moviegoers must think through.
- 63The Associated PressThe Associated PressFlight of the Navigator won't earn a place among Disney's classics, but it's a perfectly entertaining sci-fi movie that does a creditable job with the stale human-meets-alien theme. [18 Sep 1986]
- 60EmpireWilliam ThomasEmpireWilliam ThomasNever brave enough to feel far-reaching (or, ironically, far-fetched, when time-travel and space flight are so popular at the movies), Navigator still fulfills its mission, distracting the family for bang-on an hour and a half.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasWhereas its plot may be derivative--and at several junctures, unconvincing--Flight of the Navigator nevertheless manages to develop considerable humor and poignancy from David's predicament and what he does about it.