Explorers
1985, PG, 109 min. Directed by Joe Dante. Starring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Amanda Peterson, Dick Miller, Meshach Taylor, Mary Kay Place.
REVIEWED By Marjorie Baumgarten, Wed., April 25, 2001

Hawke and Phoenix made their acting debuts in this movie about three kids who invent a spaceship in their backyard and are contacted by aliens. Explorers can be seen as part of the legacy of 1982's E.T. Released during the summer of 1985, Explorers belongs to 1985's school-break abundance of wacky science-project movies including Back to the Future, Gremlins, The Heavenly Kid, Weird Science, and My Science Project. Explorers is neither the best nor the worst of the lot. The Saturday Morning Fun Club continues every last Saturday of each month, and is co-sponsored by Ain't It Cool News, Sapient, The Austin Chronicle, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
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Marc Savlov, July 10, 1998
Explorers, Joe Dante, Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Amanda Peterson, Dick Miller, Meshach Taylor, Mary Kay Place