Explorers Movie Review

What if, in the middle of E.T., Spielberg's classic alien suddenly took off his mask and revealed…Mork from Ork? That's more or less what happens to this delicate, promising sci-fi tale that takes a galactic detour into gonzo comedy. In a reworking of This Island Earth, three boys are prompted by mysterious dreams to build a circuit that turns a scrapped carnival ride into real spaceship (a tad crude; the control console is an Apple IIC). Zooming into space, the heroes discover who invited them, and that's where the picture either charms or falls apart, take your choice. Recommended for kid viewers who may better appreciate/forgive the punchline. Creature f/x by Rob Bottin.

1985 (PG) 107m/C Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jason Presson, Amanda Peterson, Mary Kay Place, Dick Miller, Robert Picardo, Dana Ivey, Meshach Taylor, Brooke Bundy; D: Joe Dante; W: Eric Luke; C: John Hora; M: Jerry Goldsmith. VHS, Beta, LV PAR