Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 31, 2019

Randal Kleiser's " Flight of the Navigator" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Sight. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interviews with the director, actor Joey Cramer, and producer Dimitri Villard; archival audio commentary; and more. Also included with this release is a 100-page soft cover book with Randal Kleiser's complete original storyboard, new essay by Kevin Lyons, original production notes, behind the scenes photos, and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I have to borrow a short statement from our recent review of Brian Trenchard-Smith's film Frog Dreaming (also known in the U.S. as The Quest) because it is relevant to my take on Randal Kleiser’s Flight of the Navigator. Here it is: “Yes, there are more than a few stylistic similarities between Frog Dreaming and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, and Henry Thomas definitely uses his charm in some familiar ways when he goes to work to impress. But does it really matter? Ultimately, Frog Dreaming chooses its own path and delivers a very different range of thrills.” Now, if I replace Frog Dreaming with Flight of the Navigator, the quoted text sums up perfectly how I feel about Randal Kleiser’s film. Obviously, Joey Cramer has a very different personality and alters the mood and energy of Flight of the Navigator in a new way, but this is precisely the point that I wish to underscore -- in the grand scheme of things it is irrelevant that E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was the inspiration behind Frog Dreaming and Flight of the Navigator because these films have unique identities and go different places. Simply put, they are not copycats.

Florida, 1978. On a hot summer night, 12-year-old David (Cramer) is sent by his parents to pick up his younger brother who has been playing with friends. However, while passing through the woods David slips, hits his head and then wakes up in the future. In the year 1986, David returns home to his stunned parents and brother who can’t believe that after eight years he is back and looking exactly as they last saw him on the night of his disappearance. The military and some NASA folks then begin running all sorts of different tests on David and quickly realize that his head contains a massive amount of information in an unknown language, which the boy does not understand, and some of which may have something to do with a alien spaceship that is being kept in heavily guarded facility. While the tests are underway, something, possibly an alien creature, from inside the spaceship contacts David and begs him to help him. When the boy reluctantly agrees, all hell breaks loose.

Kleiser demands a lot from Cramer to make the film attractive, but the boy does not disappoint. He looks genuinely relaxed in front of the camera and even when the material gets seriously silly -- like the segments where the alien pilot does the voice imitations and then temporarily surrenders control of the ship to the boy -- finds ways to keep the fun rolling. Also, and this is arguably the film’s biggest strength, the boy’s performance leaves the viewer fully convinced that there is real chemistry between him and the alien pilot, which is a pretty serious accomplishment given the fact that he does virtually all of the heavy lifting because his ‘friend’ is just a voice coming through a piece of metal.

The special effects may appear somewhat dated now, but they have that old-fashioned cinematic vibe that feels right for the type of entertainment that the film offers. The creatures that the alien visitor has collected during his mission are also quite detailed and original, so it quickly becomes pretty clear that the creators of the film did as much as they could with the budget that was made available to them. (Flight of the Navigator was initiated as an independent project. Disney became involved with it only after it secured distribution rights to the film for North America).

Alan Silvestri created the soundtrack for the film and it is really a special one. It brings a lot of energy and atmosphere to the story and ultimately makes the film look like a far bigger project than it really was. Silvestri’s credits include such blockbusters as Forrest Gump, The Bodyguard, and more recently The Avengers.

*Second Sight’s Blu-ray release of Flight of the Navigator is sourced from an exclusive new 4K remaster of the film that was supervised and approved by director Kleiser.

Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Flight of the Navigator arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Second Sight.

The release is sourced from a brand new exclusive 4K remaster that was supervised and approved by director Randal Kleiser. I don't have any previous Blu-ray releases of this film and therefore cannot specify the type of improvements that you should expect to see, but I can assure you that previous releases cannot possibly match the quality of the technical presentation here. This new 4K remaster is that good. I projected the film and it basically looks brand new now -- clarity, delineation, and depth are as good as Blu-ray can handle. Also, fluidity is outstanding. I also like the color grading a lot. The primaries are lush and stable, and all of the supporting nuances are very nicely balanced and equally healthy. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Image stability is excellent. The entire film is also spotless. Great presentation. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track surprised me quite a bit. White the film may not have been created with a huge budget, its got a very strong soundtrack courtesy of Alan Silvestri and unusually active sound design (there are very nice audio effects for a film of this nature). The lossless track allows everything to come together really well, and I would bet some theatrical screenings back in the days did not offer this type of top-notch consistent quality. I was really quite impressed.

Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Directing the Navigator - in this new video interview, director Randal Kleiser recalls how Joey Cramer was cast to play the Navigator and discusses the shooting of Flight of the Navigator. The interview was conducted exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 1080p).

• Producing the Navigator - in this new video interview, producer Dimitri Villard explains how Flight of the Navigator was conceived, the evolution of the original script for the film, the production process, and teh film's lasting appeal. The interview was conducted exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (14 min, 1080p).

• Playing the Navigator - in this new video interview, Joey Cramer explains how he began his acting career and discusses his contribution to Flight of the Navigator. The interview was conducted exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (23 min, 1080p).

• Mother of the Navigator - in this new video interview, Veronica Cartwright discusses the progression of her acting career and involvement with Flight of the Navigator. The interview was conducted exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

• Brother of the Navigator - in this new video interview, Matt Adler recalls how he was cast to play the younger brother of the navigator in the future and discusses the shooting process and what it was like to work with Randal Kleiser. The interview was conducted exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (10 min, 1080p).

• From Concept to Creation: The Special Effects of Flight of the Navigator - in this new program, Randal Kleiser, digital effects specialist Jeff Kleiser, and conceptual artist Edward Eyth discuss the special effects in Flight of the Navigator. The program was created exclusively for Second Sight in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Randal Kleiser and producer Jonathan Sanger. It previously appeared on Second Sight's first Blu-ray release of Flight of the Navigator.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

• Poster - double-sided poster with new and vintage art. (See photos attached with screenshots).

• Book - 100-page soft cover book with Randal Kleiser's complete original storyboard, new essay by Kevin Lyons, original production notes, behind the scenes photos, and technical credits.

Flight of the Navigator Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Second Sight has produced quite a special gift for fans of Randal Kleiser's Flight of the Navigator. This new Limited Edition Blu-ray is sourced from a top-notch 4K remaster and features a very nice selection of exclusive new interviews with many of the people that made the film. Honestly, it is very easy to tell that the entire project, from the remastering job to the final design of the box in which the Blu-ray is placed, was a labor of love. If you like the film, go ahead and pick up a copy for your library now. (If you reside in North America, you will be glad to hear that the release is Region-Free and all of the bonus features are playable on Region-A machines as well). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.