Flight of the Navigator

Flight of the Navigator Review

Flight of the Navigator Feature

• David Freeman (Joey Cramer) is an ordinary boy destined for a most extraordinary adventure -- aboard a spectacular, futuristic spacecraft. After a mystifying disappearance, David returns, possessing vast, undiscovered knowledge about the farthest reaches of the universe. With these sudden navigational powers, David is able to take the fantastic flying machine anywhere he desires, accompanied by bo

Flight of the Navigator Overview

FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR - DVD Movie

Flight of the Navigator Specifications

Disney's 1986 Flight of the Navigator combines a strong ensemble cast and classic '80s soundtrack with dazzling special effects for a high-flying sci-fi adventure. While searching for his little brother in the woods, 12-year-old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) falls down a ravine and is knocked unconscious. After what seems like minutes, he returns home, only to discover that eight years have passed since he was declared missing and presumed dead. Even more mystifying is that David hasn't aged, nor can he account for the time lapse. Meanwhile, NASA officials stumble upon a futuristic spacecraft and are determined to assess what David knows about it by locking him in a top-secret lab for scanning and testing. His only chance of escape is in the spacecraft manned by Max, a wisecracking robot. Cramer gives an earnest performance, which overcomes an imperfect script, while enough one-liners and imaginative animation will keep families engaged. Watch for Sarah Jessica Parker in one of her first film appearances. Rated PG for language. (Ages 6 and older) --Lynn Gibson

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 16, 2010 01:55:04

The Flight of Dragons

The Flight of Dragons Review

Style-wise, this is typical Rankin-Bass cel animation, with its fair animation and occasionally ugly characters, but the story is a lot of fun. It stands on its own even if it compares unfavorably to the book it borrows from.

The idea of a twentieth-century bookworm magically teleported to a fantasy world is one that has not been visited nearly enough in my opinion. Add to that the plot twist of transforming him into a dragon and you have a brand new "stranger in a strange land" gimmick, which leads to the inevitable comic moments and dramatic learning curve. There's plenty of excitement to keep the movie flowing, innovative "episodes" along the path of the heroes' quest, lots of humor peppered in, and a particularly clever climax between the bookworm and the evil sorcerer. Occasionally a deus ex machina will appear to resolve a situation, but somehow it fits the atmosphere of the world the filmmakers created.

The voice casting is also a treat, with John Ritter as the bookworm Peter Dickinson, Harry Morgan as the green wizard Carolinus, James Gregory as the wizened old dragon Smurgol and also the evil dragon Bryagh, Victor Buono as the wolf Aragh, Alexandra Stoddard as the prophetic Princess Melisande, Nellie Bellflower as the expert archer Danielle, Don Messick as the brave elf Giles, Larry Storch as the heroic but proper knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (plus several extras), and James Earl Jones as the evil red wizard Ommadon.

I never tire of this movie, and I think it would keep all but the littlest youngsters enthralled, as well as the adults with the heart of a youngster!

The Flight of Dragons Overview

Ever wish you could see a dragon? Or wonder how they fly or why they breathe fire? Journey back to a magical time when the skies were filled with these amazing creatures in The Flight of Dragons, a dazzling, feature-length animated version of Peter Dickinson's acclaimed book from Rankin/Bass Studios. Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, Harry Morgan, John Ritter and Larry Storch provide voices for this wondrous tale set in the Dark Ages. The sinister Red Wizard Ommadon (Jones) threatens to destroy nature. The world's hope is a man of science and magic from the future. That man is Peter (Ritter), snatched from the 20th century by the Green Wizard Carolinus (Morgan) to capture Ommadon's empowering Red Crown. With a fire-breathing dragon, an outlaw elf and a noble knight as comrades-in-arms, Peter applies modern-day logic to battling ages-old evil.

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The Flight of Dragons Specifications

A good wizard finds his magical powers diminishing as this Rankin/Bass production based on the Peter Dickinson novel opens. His nemesis, the evil Ommadon (voiced by James Earl Jones at his deepest and scariest), swiftly takes advantage of the situation. Who will save the world? Why, none other than a young scientist-novelist-game inventor, named Peter Dickenson (mildly voiced by John Ritter), who is zapped from the future back into the time of dragons. Populating this Japanese-animation fantasy film are the titular fire-breathing dragons, the wizards, a knight, a maiden, some elves, and--in a feminist departure from tradition--a heroic bowwoman. The battles are fairly mild and most of the virtuous characters recover, making this a good choice for family viewing, as well as a staple for the fantasy fanatic's video library. --Kimberly Heinrichs

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 19, 2010 03:41:03