Flight of the Navigator (2011)

I thought all the talk of board game and bubblegum movies would give us a break from news of remakes, and yet Hollywood is there to oblige us with the latter once again. This time it’s the cult 1986 film Flight of the Navigator that’s getting the update treatment.

Let the anticipation and excitement commence… not…

The Flight of the Navigator remake will be written by Brad Copeland, best known for writing Arrested Development, as well as for My Name is Earl and the funny-at-times TV show Grounded for Life. Oh, and don’t tell anyone, but he also wrote Wild Hogs. Yeah, way to go on that one, Copeland…

Mandeville partners David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will be acting as producers on the remake, with the executive producer from the original, John Hyde, stepping back into the role of exec producer for the remake.

I don’t know about you, but original Flight of the Navigator was a beloved film for me when I was young. I don’t remember everything about it as it’s been years and years since I’ve seen it, but I do remember it constantly being on my TV screen. And this just makes me even more annoyed that they’re remaking it.

All this complaining about the rash of movie remakes from us bloggers may be getting as annoying as the prospect of remakes itself, but if they’re going to keep (re)making them at the rate they are, then we’re going to keep saying why they shouldn’t. The original Navigator definitely has its fans - a “cult” film it most definitely could be described as - but I doubt it still has enough mainstream recognition to capitalize on the name.

That begs the question, then: are they just going to use the name, forget about the original story - a 12 year old boy gets abducted by aliens and is returned 8 years later, un-aged and with no memory - and go completely their own way with it? If so, why base it on Flight of the Navigator? Why not call it something like “Jimmy’s Flying Alien Space Adventure“?

It would be as good of an idea to call it that as it would having the remake in the first place…

Like most remakes of ’80s movies, it just won’t be the same. Part of the charm of the original Flight of the Navigator is that ’80s feel it had about it, and no doubt that would be eradicated in lieu of expensive special effects (although the special effects in the original were considered awe-inspiring back in the day) and cheap laughs. And, like pretty much all remakes, if the new version sucks it soils the name of the film we enjoyed so much, which is a damn shame…

What is your opinion on a Flight of the Navigator remake? Are you looking forward to it? or is this another movie that just should not be remade?

Screen Rant