Explorers
Seen it?1985 | 109 min | Science Fiction, Adventure, Family
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
It's still drawing plenty of interest, but a box office loss and a lukewarm 6.3 out of 10 from audiences held it back. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for sci-fi fans, adventure fans and families. If you loved Star Trek or Project Hail Mary, start here.
- The mood
- Feel-good.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 49 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsSolid
49% on Rotten Tomatoes, 58 on Metacritic
- AudiencesBelow par
6.3 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$10 million worldwide on a $25 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 168K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Star Trek
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed space sci-fi film.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Weeknight WatchAlso stars Ethan Hawke, in another space adventure, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Project Hail Mary Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed space sci-fi film.
Guardians of the Galaxy Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed space sci-fi film.
Interstellar Friday Night FlickAnother much-loved space adventure.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Joe Dante
- Ethan HawkeBen Crandall
- River PhoenixWolfgang Müller
- Jason PressonDarren Woods
- Amanda PetersonLori Swenson
- Bobby FiteSteve Jackson
- Dana IveyMrs. Müller
- James CromwellMr. Müller
- Dick MillerCharlie Drake
- Bradley GreggSteve Jackson's Gang
- Georg OldenSteve Jackson's Gang