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    Explorers

    • 19851985
    • PGPG
    • 1h 49min
    IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,321
    396
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    Explorers (1985)
    Official Trailer
    Play trailer1:12
    2 Videos
    70 Photos
    AdventureComedyFamily

    A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they fol... Read allA boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?

    IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,321
    396
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writer
      • Eric Luke
    • Stars
      • Ethan Hawke
      • River Phoenix
      • Jason Presson
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writer
      • Eric Luke
    • Stars
      • Ethan Hawke
      • River Phoenix
      • Jason Presson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 104User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 5 nominations

    Videos2

    Explorers
    Trailer 1:12
    Explorers
    Late-Breaking Summer of '85 Movie News
    Clip 3:07
    Late-Breaking Summer of '85 Movie News

    Photos70

    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Robert Picardo in Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Ethan Hawke in Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)
    Explorers (1985)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ethan Hawke
    Ethan Hawke
    • Ben Crandallas Ben Crandall
    River Phoenix
    River Phoenix
    • Wolfgang Mülleras Wolfgang Müller
    Jason Presson
    Jason Presson
    • Darren Woodsas Darren Woods
    Bradley Gregg
    Bradley Gregg
    • Steve Jackson's Gangas Steve Jackson's Gang
    Georg Olden
    • Steve Jackson's Gangas Steve Jackson's Gang
    Chance Schwass
    • Steve Jackson's Gangas Steve Jackson's Gang
    Amanda Peterson
    Amanda Peterson
    • Lori Swensonas Lori Swenson
    Danny Nucci
    Danny Nucci
    • Nasty Kid at Schoolas Nasty Kid at School
    Dana Ivey
    Dana Ivey
    • Mrs. Mülleras Mrs. Müller
    Taliesin Jaffe
    Taliesin Jaffe
    • Ludwig Mülleras Ludwig Müller
    James Cromwell
    James Cromwell
    • Mr. Mülleras Mr. Müller
    Brooke Bundy
    Brooke Bundy
    • Science Teacheras Science Teacher
    Tricia Bartholome
    • Girl in Classroomas Girl in Classroom
    Eric Luke
    Eric Luke
    • Darren's Teacheras Darren's Teacher
    Robert Picardo
    Robert Picardo
    • Starkilleras Starkiller…
    Karen Mayo-Chandler
    • Starkiller's Girlfriendas Starkiller's Girlfriend
    Robert F. Boyle
    Robert F. Boyle
    • Starkiller's Girlfriend's Fatheras Starkiller's Girlfriend's Father
    John P. Navin Jr.
    John P. Navin Jr.
    • Couple at Drive-Inas Couple at Drive-In
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writer
      • Eric Luke
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

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    Storyline

    Edit
    This space adventure stars Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix as misfit best friends whose dreams of space travel become a reality when they create an interplanetary spacecraft in their homemade laboratory. Ben Crandall is a young visionary who dreams of space travel while watching late-night B monster movies, pouring over comic books, and playing Galaga in the confines of his bedroom. But one night he has a vivid dream of flying over a space-like circuit board and shares his visions with his best friend Wolfgang Muller, a young scientific genius who is able to translate his dreams into a complex computer program that actually works. With the help of their new friend Darren Woods, they create a homemade spacecraft and embark on a secret adventure to another galaxy where they find that things are not always as different as they seem. —Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}
    child flying spacecraftalienspaceshipdogjunkyard51 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The adventure begins in your own back yard.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Family
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG for some mild language and action, and a brief scene involving beer
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was in a prolonged editing phase when the studio moved up the release date. The theatrical release was the result of accelerated editing and was not finished to the director's satisfaction. The studio told the director Joe Dante that he was finished and they were going to go ahead and release what he had at that point.
    • Goofs
      When the spaceship "Thunder Road" crashes through a building, it is supposed to be encased in an impenetrable force field. Yet debris and rubble is shown directly on the surface of the ship.
    • Quotes

      Wak: Look, I know I must look weird to you but how do you think you look to me? Listen, I watched four episodes of "Lassie" before I figured out why the little hairy kid never spoke. I mean, he rolled over, sure, he did that fine but, I don't think he deserved a series for that.

    • Alternate versions
      Some international video and television versions omits several musical cues from the soundtrack including a moment where Jerry Goldsmith's score accompanies the Mr. Ed theme sung by Wak and the 80s music Wak listens to on Darren's Walkman (in these versions, you can't hear the music at all). Several score cues are also missing aboard Wak's spaceship and in the first third of the film. It is unclear where this is a mastering issue or a music rights issue.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Phoenix Portal (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      All Around the World
      by Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell (as R. Blackwell) and Monica Millet (as M. Millet)

      Performed by Little Richard

      Courtesy of Speciality Records, Inc.

    User reviews104

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Fun, imaginative romp
    This is a fun little story about a group of kids who are inspired by alien transmissions to build a spaceship from old junk parts. It features some of the early performances by Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix, back when they were young and enthusiastic performers. I'm actually totally green with envy at River Phoenix's role; it's the sort I always imagined playing as a kid.

    The climax is very similar to a classic Star Trek episode called 'The Squire of Gothos', and the effects and showmanship of this story is very cool. A great piece of entertainment.
    helpful•30
    9
    • BadWebDiver
    • May 4, 2002

    FAQ2

    • What happened to the plot toward the ending?
    • What are the differences between the DVD versions and the original theatrical version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 12, 1985 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Istraživači
    • Filming locations
      • 920 D Street, Petaluma, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,873,044
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,607,340
      • Jul 14, 1985
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,873,044
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 49min
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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    May 24Filmmaker Magazine - Blog

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