EXPLORERS. The childhood that each of us wanted to have

Joe Dante, as an artist, sculptor, and caricaturist, became a cult figure in science fiction cinema due to his untamed imagination. He also loved cinema, and so he used his incredible talent to tell wild adventures that blur the lines between fantasy and science fiction, presented to audiences in visually striking films with brilliantly executed suspense. Explorers is one of his earlier productions, aimed at younger audiences and their parents. It’s a family film, yet very friendly for our generation, those who were just starting school in the 1980s and entering adolescence. Back then, we all dreamed of having a childhood like the characters in Explorers. And only a few of us could afford the equipment used by Wolfgang in the film—the Apple IIc. Therefore, revisiting Dante’s story evokes warm, nostalgic emotions, yet this film never became a commercial cult hit.
Financially, it wasn’t a success either. It cost about 25 million dollars and earned just under 10 million, making it a flop. For Ethan Hawke, who debuted in the film (as Ben), this failure affected him so much that he considered quitting acting. Fortunately, he didn’t. He was partnered with the future controversial star, River Phoenix, as the young scientist Wolfgang, whose career tragically ended too soon. The third lead, Jason Presson (Darren Woods), never achieved significant fame, although he portrayed an interesting, somewhat dark character in Explorers. It’s not often that, years later, we see at least two well-known actors in a family SF film. Perhaps, if viewers had realized this back then, the film might have been more successful. However, the timing was not in its favor, as many cult films from the early 1980s, including E.T., were released around the same time. Explorers got lost in the growing science fiction genre, and today, only older science fiction enthusiasts, who once built their own spacecraft models, revisit the film. They might not have engaged in such a hobby themselves, but watching science fiction, reading books, playing board games, making origami, or even designing simple electrical circuits with wires, batteries, and light bulbs was their substitute.
The plot of Explorers is about a dream, initially just a dream of the main character, Ben, who dreams of a certain construction, and then the realization of this project. The storyline follows the theme of a journey. First, the characters are introduced in an accessible way, as students dealing with both school and home problems, as well as intimate ones. That age comes with dreams of Amazons and undressing neighborhood girls. Through this down-to-earth portrayal, the characters become relatable to the audience. They don’t pretend, don’t strive to be politically correct, and certainly don’t worry about being accused of gender bias today. After we get to know them, the plot moves to the invention, testing, inevitable conflict with humans, and in the second part, the much-anticipated encounter with an alien civilization. Despite its low budget, all these elements fit together well, are efficiently edited, and the special effects—especially those involving the aliens—are visually appealing. Joe Dante infused them with his trademark humorous caricature style, and Rob Bottin brought these ideas to life with the aesthetics characteristic of Industrial Light & Magic’s work at the time.
Moreover, the aliens in the film are obsessed with human television, believing it to be a means of communication. In a sense, this is possible. The alien visitors aboard their ship are initially carefree, but then, using fragments of films about aliens, they present our true image and our attitude towards them. Humans, it turns out, like to blow things up, kill, and destroy, especially what they don’t understand—including aliens. But the aliens just want to communicate. They are wrong, and this miscommunication forms the crux of the plot, leading to the film’s point. Humans aren’t as cheerful as they seem on screen. They won’t listen to children, nor will they listen to anyone, just like the cosmic pirates. The aliens have to learn this, and the teenage protagonists will take their first steps toward adulthood—not with their human parents, but alongside the aliens. Speaking of parents, the aliens also have theirs. Both their parents and ours are rigid, unable to dream or imagine. Though, there’s nothing like stealing your dad’s car, whether he’s a human or a large, chubby alien. Returning to reality, especially from space, can be tough, but that’s what dreams are for—trying to make them come true can be an incredible adventure. And for young people, who always live with one foot in fiction, it’s a way to keep their youthful minds intact, even in a very dark world.