The birth of fanboy culture? Explorers is a science-fiction lark that came on the heels of the first Star Wars films and featured three young boys bringing their interstellar fantasies to life. A squeaky Ethan Hawke, a baby-faced River Phoenix and a now-forgotten Jason Presson play junior-high friends who build a spaceship and embark on a mission in search of E.T. Director Joe Dante provides a loving, detail-filled snapshot of youthful camaraderie and creativity – I love how their cockpit is a Tilt-A-Whirl – before indulging in the sort of bizarre satire that can be found in most of his films (especially Small Soldiers and Gremlins). Our heroes encounter a pair of aliens whose knowledge of Earth has come entirely from our movies and television programs. Needless to say, they don’t regard humans as the most intelligent of creatures. Explorers eventually gets back on track, returning its focus to the mischievous ingenuity of adolescence with such affection that it will make you wish you were once again of tree-house age.
