Explorers
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.
Critics Sentiment
The three boys build their spacecraft from junkyard parts
The boys encounter aliens whose knowledge comes from TV reruns
The film plummets from beloved childhood adventure to widely criticized disappointment when the boys meet the pop culture-obsessed aliens.
Explorers starts as a beloved childhood fantasy with exceptional first-half execution that critics consistently praised for its imagination and authentic sense of wonder. The film crashes dramatically in the final act when the alien encounter proves tonally jarring and disappointing to both characters and audiences. Despite the weak ending, the strong opening half maintains enough goodwill to keep the overall sentiment slightly above average.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 25
Ethan Hawke
Ben Crandall
River Phoenix
Wolfgang Müller
Jason Presson
Darren Woods
Amanda Peterson
Lori Swenson
Bobby Fite
Steve Jackson
Dana Ivey
Mrs. Müller
James Cromwell
Mr. Müller
Dick Miller
Charlie Drake
Bradley Gregg
Steve Jackson's Gang
Georg Olden
Steve Jackson's Gang
Chance Schwass
Steve Jackson's Gang
Meshach Taylor
Gordon Miller
Danny Nucci
Nasty Kid at School
Taliesin Jaffe
Ludwig Müller
Brooke Bundy
Science Teacher
Tricia Bartholome
Girl in Classroom
Eric Luke
Darren's Teacher
Robert Picardo
Starkiller / Wak / Wak and Neek's Father
Karen Mayo-Chandler
Starkiller's Girlfriend
Robert F. Boyle
Starkiller's Girlfriend's Father
Crew
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