Explorers (1985): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Explorers is a 1985 adventure sci-fi film directed by Joe Dante, starring River Phoenix. It runs 1 hour 49 minutes and earned $9.9 million worldwide. It earned 1 award nomination, including Best Special Effects at the Saturn Awards 1986. Critics gave it 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and 58 on Metacritic. Stream it on fuboTV and MGM Plus, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 49m (109 min)
- Director
- Joe Dante
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Explorers About?
The premise of Explorers without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Driven by a love for science fiction, young Ben Crandall encourages his friend Wolfgang to build a spaceship. Together with Darren, they embark on a journey into space, discovering a strange and wondrous alien world. Their adventure tests their courage, their ingenuity, and ultimately, the strength of their friendship as they face the unexpected challenges of a new reality.
Explorers Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- child flying spacecraft
- alien
- spaceship
- dog
- junkyard
- one word title
- bully
- friendship
- cat
- schoolfight
- end credits roll call
- alien spaceship
+38 more Show fewer
- reference to wernher von braun
- title at the end
- nerd
- computer nerd
- cult film
- electronic music score
- orchestral music score
- score employs electronic instruments
- electronic music score in style of orchestral music score
- explorer
- mouse
- crash
- exploration
- classical music
- pop culture
- parent child relationship
- workshop
- dog barks
- cloud
- teenage romance
- boy genius
- stardrive
- girl
- dream sequence
- nightmare
- alien planet
- teenage boy
- movie quote
- friend
- boy wears eyeglasses
- group of friends
- child protagonist
- slimehouse
- wilhelm scream
- child flying a spacecraft
- alien abduction
- alien child
- parental relationship
Where to Watch Explorers
Stream it on fuboTV and MGM Plus, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Explorers Cast
River Phoenix stars in Explorers. Directed by Joe Dante.
-
Director Joe Dante
Explorers Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Explorers 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and 58 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 72% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 66%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 58 Metascore
User score 6.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 62% User score
See on TMDB
Explorers Plot Summary
What happens in Explorers from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Ben Crandall, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, is a bright young teen living in the suburban sprawl of Washington, D.C. His nights are filled with vivid dreams where he finds himself soaring through cotton-like clouds and gliding over an expansive, city-like circuit board, often sparked by his late-night viewings of classic 1950s sci-fi films, with The War of the Worlds (1953) being a standout favorite. Each morning, upon waking from these extraordinary dreams, Ben meticulously sketches the intricate designs of the circuit board. Eager to share his imaginative concepts, he shows them to his brilliant yet eccentric friend, Wolfgang Muller, a child prodigy whose intellect matches Ben’s passion.
Full summary
The whole story of Explorers, scene by scene
Explorers Box Office
Explorers grossed $9.9 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$9.9M
- US & Canada
- $9.9M
Explorers Awards & Nominations
Explorers earned 1 award nomination, including Best Special Effects at the Saturn Awards 1986.
1 nomination1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1986 1 nomination- Nominated Best Special Effects
Explorers Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 clip.
- Clip Ethan Hawke & River Phoenix Discover a Space Alien Bubble!
How Well Do You Know Explorers?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What sparked Ben's dreams about flying through clouds?
Cars in Explorers
16 cars on screen, including the Honda CT 70 and the 1982 Plymouth Gran Fury.
-
Honda CT 70 Minor role -
1982 Plymouth Gran Fury Minor role -
unknown Minor role -
1973 Buick LeSabre Background role
Explorers Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “Badacze kosmosu” and “Viagem ao Mundo dos Sonhos”.
- Also known as
-
- Badacze kosmosu
- Viagem ao Mundo dos Sonhos
- Os Exploradores
- Exploradores
- Explorers - Ein phantastisches Abenteuer
- Upptäckarna
- Űrrandevú
- תגליות בחלל
- Исследователи
- Exploradors
- 컴퓨터 우주 탐험
- エクスプロラーズ
+5 more Show fewer
- Odkrywcy
- 冲向天外天
- Istraživači
- 衝向天外天
- Genç Astronotlar
Seen Explorers?
Movies Like Explorers
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Voyagers, Earth to Echo and Alien Adventure.
Explorers FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Explorers, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Explorers?
Explorers runs 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).
When was Explorers released?
Explorers was released on July 12, 1985.
Who directed Explorers?
Explorers was directed by Joe Dante.
More films by Joe Dante Who is in the cast of Explorers?
Explorers stars River Phoenix.
Where can I watch Explorers?
In the US, Explorers is streaming on fuboTV, MGM Plus and MGM+ and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Explorers make at the box office?
Explorers grossed $9.9 million worldwide.
How is Explorers rated?
Explorers has 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 58 on Metacritic and 62% on TMDB.
Was Explorers nominated for any awards?
Explorers received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
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