Explorers

Name: Explorers
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Duration: 1 h 49 min
Rating: 7.8
Cast: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Amanda Peterson, Dick Miller, James Cromwell

1985

Watch trailer

7.8

Title: Explorers

Original Title: Explorers

Year: 1985

Info

Country: USA
Length: 109 Minutes (1 hour 49 min)
Budget: $25,000,000
Genre: Adventure Comedy Family
Studios: Paramount Pictures
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Age rating: PG (Parental guidance)

Release Dates

UK: December 19 1986
United States: July 12 1985

Plot

Released in 1985, 'Explorers' shows the adventures of Ben Candrall, a boy who is obsessed with 50s sci-fi movies and aliens. One day Ben dreamed that he flies in the space, so he convinces his best friend Wolfgang Müller, a very intelligent boy, to design a spaceship. Through their experiments, the kids discover that, directed by a computer, the circuit board can move itself for any place. Together with their new friend Darren, they create the Thunder Road, a spaceship created with garbage with which they travel across the galaxy. This movie meant the cinematic debut of River Phoenix. In spite of being a flop at the box office, 'Explorers' turned into a cult movie that attracted a big number of followers.

Cast

Director:

Joe Dante Joe Dante

Ben Crandall

Wolfgang Müller

Lori Swenson

Charlie Drake

Mr. Müller

Mrs. Müller

Videos

1:03

Trailer 'Explorers'

June 10 2016

Photos

Trivia

Both Wolfgang and Ben have extensive sci-fi literature in their houses. The titles of the books that can be recognized are: 'The Stars My Destination' from Alfred Bester, 'Childhood's End' from Arthur C Clark, 'The End of Eternity' from Isaac Asimov, 'Starmother' from Sydney J. Van Scyoc, 'Midsummer Century' from James Blish, 'The Twilight of Briarers' from Richard Cowper, 'Stargate' from Andre Norton, 'Mindbridge' from Joe Haldeman, 'The Overlords of War' from Gerard Klein and 'Doc Savage' from Kenneth Robeson.

The film was never finished and was released as a work in progress when the studio decided to change the release date and release the film as it was.

In the helicopter scene, the pilot reads a newspaper, one of the headlines says "Kingston Falls 'Riot' Still Unexplained". Kingston Falls was the town where the events in 'Gremlins' (also directed by Joe Dante), took place.