Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Dir. Randal Kleiser

Second Sight Films' 2019 re-release of FotN offered the perfect opportunity for me to revisit the film yet again. Encoded from a new 4K scan, with a restoration supervised by its director Randal Kleiser, it's significantly better than their previous 2012 Blu-ray edition. The press release doesn't state if it's from the OCN or not, but judging by the astonishing level of detail in the picture, I'm guessing it is. There'll likely be a 4K edition at some point in the future, but until then the 2019 disc is, to my knowledge, the best that the film has looked on the home media format.

It holds a special place in my heart still, being only the second film that I ever saw at the cinema, as a child, and it likely contributed in no small part to the enduring love of science-fiction cinema that developed in me as I matured.

It's a family film about a twelve-year-old named David (Joey Cramer) who's forced to deal with a frightening and unexpected change in his life.

David gets into trouble in the woods while looking for his brother Jeff (Albie Whitaker), a younger sibling that he bickers with frequently. When David returns home, everything that he took for granted has changed; the feeling of safety in the world of a child relies on familiarity, but the youth finds his environment has been dramatically altered. The appearance of a mysterious alien spacecraft not far away complicates matters further for everyone involved.

FotN is a simple coming of age story, but not in the traditional manner. I can't say more than that for fear of risking spoilers. It avoids many of the clichés that usually litter that kind of feature, and yet makes best use of some others. It's not the best children's movie ever made — it's probably not even the best children's sci-fi movie of the 80s — but I've a love for it that'll likely never wane. Furthermore, it being set in a specific era means that it doesn't feel overly-dated, except perhaps by some of the music (the score is by American composer Alan Silvestri).

- Special Features on the 2019 Second Sight Films Blu-ray: -

• Directing the Navigator - a new interview with Randal Kleiser.
• Producing the Navigator - a new Interview with Dimitri Villard.
• Playing the Navigator - a new interview with Joey Cramer.
• Mother of the Navigator  - a new interview with Veronica Cartwright.
• Brother of the Navigator - a new interview with Matt Adler.
• From Concept to Creation: The Special Effects of Flight of the Navigator - new interviews with Jeff Kleiser, Randal Kleiser and Edward Eyth.
• Audio Commentary with Randal Kleiser and Jonathan Sanger (Exec Prod).
• Reversible sleeve with new and original artwork.
• Optional English subtitles for the hard of hearing.

In addition to that, the Limited Edition Boxset, which comes in a rigid slipcase, contains a one-hundred-page soft cover book recreating Randal Kleiser's complete original storyboard, a new essay by Kevin Lyons, original production notes, and behind the scenes photos. There's also a reversible poster with the original artwork (part-pictured below) on one side and the new art (pictured above) on the flip side; poster is approx 16"x20". By the way, it's a region-free disc!