Explorers (1985)
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Three teenage boys build a makeshift spacecraft to explore the galaxy after experiencing vivid dreams of a mysterious circuit board.
The story
Ben Crandall, a teenage boy living in a fictional Maryland suburb, experiences vivid dreams of flying over a vast circuit board. He shares his sketches with his friend Wolfgang Muller, a child prodigy who builds an actual microchip based on the drawings. Together with their friend Darren Woods, the boys discover the chip can generate an electromagnetic bubble capable of moving at near-limitless speeds. Utilizing Darren's mechanical skills and a salvaged Tilt-A-Whirl car, they construct a spacecraft named Thunder Road. Their goal is to explore the galaxy in search of alien life, despite the challenges of constructing a functional vessel from junk.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ben Crandall, a teenager in a Maryland suburb, dreams of a vast circuit board and shares his sketches with Wolfgang Muller, a child prodigy. Wolfgang creates a microchip that generates an electromagnetic bubble, allowing the boys and their friend Darren Woods to travel at near-limitless speeds. They build a spacecraft called Thunder Road from an abandoned Tilt-A-Whirl car. After achieving lift-off and breaking Earth's orbit, their computer controls are overridden, and they are tractor-beamed into deep space by two aliens, Wak and Neek. The aliens, whose knowledge of Earth comes from pop culture, take the boys to meet their father, a gigantic creature who allowed the 'joy ride' because he wanted to meet humans. The boys receive a parting gift—an amulet—and return to Earth, crashing into a lake. A week later, Ben dreams of the circuit board again, but this time, thanks to the amulet, he is joined in the dream by Wolfgang, Darren, and his crush, Lori Swenson. They share a kiss while flying through the clouds.
- First release year
- 1985
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joe Dante
- Writers
- Eric Luke · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ethan Hawke · Benjamin "Ben" Crandall; River Phoenix · Wolfgang Müller; Jason Presson · Darren Woods; Amanda Peterson · Lori Swenson; Dick Miller · Charlie Drake; Robert Picardo · Starkiller / Wak / Wak and Neek's Father; Leslie Rickert · Neek; James Cromwell · Mr. Müller
- Genres
- science fantasy; comedy; fantasy; science fiction
- Themes
- childhood imagination; exploration; pop culture influence
- Tone and mood
- eccentric; charming; goofy
- Premise and plot tags
- science fiction; fantasy; adventure; coming-of-age
- Reception
- The film was a box office failure and received mixed reviews from critics upon its release, but it attracted a cult following with its VHS release.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 48% · review count: 104; Metacritic · score: 58 · review count: 14
- Production trivia
- The film was rushed into production and never properly finished due to studio demands.; The special effects were produced by Industrial Light & Magic.; The film contains various references to science fiction features, new and old.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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