The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) User Reviews

A believable representation of medieval people. (minor spoilers?)

[boingo_the_clown · 8/10 · 20 September 2004]

I just saw "The Navigator" for the first time last night, and I must say that it is a very well done film. Unlike Hollywood films, the medieval characters are not simply modern men in medieval garb, nor are they treated as ignorant buffoons. The portrayal of the characters is highly believable.

They see everything with religious and medieval attitudes, and try to cope with the nightmare world of a modern city as best they can, in order to complete their pilgrimage / quest. This is perhaps the greatest strength of the film, as it helps the viewer to successfully suspend his disbelief and identify with the characters.

It may be subtle, but there is also medieval symbolism used in the movie.

There are some things in the movie that don't quite make sense, like the complete willingness for the foundry workers to help a group of people who should for the most part seem insane to anyone not knowing they are actually from the fourteenth century, or the apparent pathological need for every car driver in the movie to try to run the characters down, without any attempt to swerve, stop, or otherwise avoid them. These, however, are merely nit picking trifles, when placed in the context of the full story.

It is not the greatest movie I have seen, but I would definitely say that it is worth a look. It's respect for and realistic depiction of it's medieval characters is a strength that really helps to hold the movie together.

I give it a thumbs up.

A Weird and Original Movie About Faith

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 22 October 2003]

On the Fourteenth Century, a small community is threatened by the black plague, which is soiling Europe. Griffin (Hamish McFarlane) is an eight years boy with visions. These visions show the salvation for his people: digging a hole to center of the earth and putting a cross on the top of a church. Griffin, his brother Connor and some locals starts their quest that brings them to the Twentieth Century. This is indeed a weird movie. Only yesterday I decided to watch it, and I do not dare to say that I liked or disliked it. First, because although being a very strange film, it is also very original. The black & white for the scenes of the dark Middle Ages and the colored ones for the present days is a technique very unusual. Second, the plot is totally unpredictable, with no clichés. And last but not the least, the unknown cast has a great performance. My vote is six.

Why never on TV?

[sharona_x007 · 8/10 · 6 January 2007]

i enjoyed this film when it was first released on video - it never seemed to have played the theaters in my college town.

i loved it!

i've often thought about it from time to time, and wondered why i never see it on TV.

it seems like a good film for the sci-fi channel or bravo (dear god, how many times can they run 'braveheart'???)

i recall it being inventive, well-acted, well-directed.

a pity it's not better known. heck, i don't even think it can be found at blockbusters now.

One of the most misunderstood movies ever...

[fes_net · 6 December 2002]

I wish I could have a few minutes to hear Vincent Ward's take on the marketing of the movie, because I never have seen anything so mis-marketed. I could see some US film distributor scratching his head and saying, "gee? how are we going to make this dreary arty movie about the black plague appeal to the lowest common denominator of the US market?", "Ok, let's slap sci-fi and time travel on it..."

Navigator is a beautifully filmed, well acted, impressive movie that (hear this!) has nothing to do with time-travel, or "monks dodging 20th century stuff"...it is an allegory! (look that up). What Mr. Ward does is, rather than rely on expensive and silly special effects to spice up fantasy dream sequences, simply juxtaposes 20th century settings with the 14th century time frame of the film to give life to a boy's fantastic visions, and story told to give hope and entertain the desperate people of his village...his visions, done in color and film with the 20th century as it backdrop is as fantastic to the people of his village, as if someone from the 14th century actually did travel through time. With premonitions of the arrival of the plague to his village (which turn out to be heeded), the villagers of a winter bound poor community hover in fear and look for any omen good or bad to give them some sign of what is coming. With a fantastic narration of a quest (ala the holy grail) to mount a spire on a church in a faraway land, that if done before sunrise would save the village, a boy describes his fantasy which is shown to us, complete with sea monsters and dragons (all represented by 20th century contrivances).

For those seeking real time travel, stick to the true sci-fi, you will be disappointed...

For those interested in seeing a dark, moving tale of the desperation that must have been felt by the people who lived through the plague without understanding what it really was...a tale where the fantastic is really our wonderfully mundane world...check this out.

Fantastic movie set during the time of the first outbreak of bubonic plague when a group is transported in future

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 30 December 2013]

Very good film with interesting as well as weird plot , nice acting and exceptional , colorful cinematography shot on location and has the feel of a great medieval fable . As men guided by a boy's vision, dig a tunnel from 14th century England to 20th century New Zealand . This Time-Travel Adventure set in Middle Age begins with a real sense of wonder and intrigue with pest causing ravage and winds up with continuous feats climbing a cathedral and including a surprising finale . As a psychic boy called Connor (Bruce Lyons) lives in 14th century Cumbria (north of England) , a tiny medieval English village . Connor keeps getting visions he cannot explain , he attempts to protect villagers from the bubonic plague . His village has so far been spared from the pest , but the villagers fear its imminent arrival and seeking relief from the Black Death . With the illuminate young boy as their guide , a group (Chris Haywood as Arno , Hamish McFarlane as Griffin , Marshall Napier as Searle , Noel Appleby as Ulf) set out to dig a hole to the other side of the world . As in an age of darkness , circa 1348 , a motley group will face the ultimate battle against deadly plague . Then , Connor leads a tunneling expedition so as to fulfill the visions and save the village , but they emerge in a modern city from New Zealand , XX Century .

Gripping and evocative film about Middle Age and full of fantasy when a group of men from Dark Ages emerge in a modern city in 1988 . In Middle Age one young boy along with some reckless countrymen will take on an impressive fight against bubonic Death . It is a genuine as well as imaginative medieval tale written and directed with great sensibility , fairness and clarity . This one contains a Bergman style , as ¨Seventh Seal¨ comes to mind , as the first part results to be filmed in Bergmanian wake . It was not just the artistic vision or imagination, but above all , religion , God , devil and sacrifice . This engrossing picture contains powerful and haunting images , being divided in two parts : Middle Age and Modern Times . It's plenty of scenes that stay in the mind as when the group appears at the 'other side' that results to be 20th century New Zealand , as the appearance of Black Death and church bell conquest . This thought-provoking story deals with holy fate , religious awe , the passion , Catholic Church and several other 'Age of Darkness' issues . The interesting perspective is intimate and it lends a great deal of excitement to the movie experience . Beautiful scenery, tense , intriguing and a stirring climax lift this story . There's something for everyone here ; fans of history , fans of Sci-Fi/Fantasy , fans of medieval adventure should all find something to enjoy about this film .

Wonderfully directed is all strongest for being brilliantly photographed in an excellent black and white during Middle Age and colorful imagine for recent times , excellently shot by cameraman Geoffrey Simpson , filmed on location in Auckland, Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, Southern Alps, Waitomo Caves, Waikato, New Zealand . Emotive as well as atmospheric musical score plenty of religious sounds and chores by Tabrizi . The motion picture was stunningly written and directed by Vincent Ward , though on a short budget . It was this movie that convinced the producers of Alien 3 (1992) to hire Vincent Ward as writer/director , although Ward would eventually leave the set of Alien 3 after many creative differences with the studio . It's a masterpiece who made his major impact gaining international acclaim . The picture won several prizes in a lot of Festivals such as Australian Film Institute , Cannes Film Festival , Fantasporto and Sitges Catalonian Film Festival . The great filmmaker Vincent Ward has produced, executive produced and/or written and directed feature films including What Dreams May Come , The River Queen and The Last Samurai , developing the underlying material he chose the director, before acting as an executive producer on this film . Ward's films have earned critical acclaim and festival attention whilst achieving a wide, eclectic audience as Vigil (1984), and Map of the Human Heart (1993) and this The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) . Rating : Above average but is deemed by many to be the Vincent ward's best .

Least curious characters in movie history

[chet19 · 6/10 · 24 June 2019]

The film begins with a kid standing in a frozen lake in the dead of winter, fully clothed, and yet he's not even cold. From there, a bunch of medieval dudes dig a secret tunnel into the 20th century.

When they arrive, they sort of look around at the lights and everything, but they're not really too curious. A little frightened, but no one wonders where they are or what these new inventions are.

They hear police sirens, for example, and no one says a word. They come to a freeway. Instead of being terrified of these new speeding inventions (cars), they simply try to cross the road, with zero curiosity about these mechanical marvels.

Then--and this is where we LOL'ed--in the middle of a modern city, they "just happen" to find three blacksmiths who have the tools and knowledge to smelt rocks into copper, just like their local smithy back in the 1300s does for them.

Almost forgot---they "just happen" to find a horse they needed in this city.

The main dude "just happens" to accidentally get onto a train that takes him directly to the building he was trying to find. A miracle! (thanks to unrealistic writing) And of course, in a quiet little harbor where the water looks about 10 feet deep, a gigantic nuclear submarine "just happens" to be under them and "just happens" to surface right when their boat was moving nearby.

This film is a contrived mess!

One of the greatest unknown films.

[coop-16 · 9/10 · 15 April 1999]

This film is almost unknown. None of the cast ever achieved fame, and Vincent Ward, while an able director, is not very prolific. However, I still cherish my memories of this movie. I saw it nearly 11 years ago, and every detail , and all of the performances, are still fresh in my mind. It is a fantasy of extraordinary beauty, which does not use a single special effect, and which conveys the thoughts and beliefs of "mediaeval" peasants better than a dozen high-priced epics.

It has flaws, but it's a film you'd not be ashamed to have on your personal top 10

[Stokkolm · 6/10 · 28 April 2011]

I watched this movie with little expectations and it managed to surpass them. I stood and thought why it isn't more acclaimed, since it has many elements that stand up compared to more well known films. I realized Navigator's main flaw is it doesn't succeed to induce the right state of mind to the audience from the very beginning. If you watch Terminator 2 expecting a realistic SF you'd find many things making no sense, but if you watch it with the action movie conventions in mind you find everything it's on it's place. Every single movie needs to make the viewer familiar with it's rules and conventions, to set him in the right mood. Navigator has a pretty ambiguous beginning, and it's not very consistent after that either, leaving me confused at times if i'm watching a kids fairytale with some serious undertones, an actually profound artistic movie, or just an exploitation on the concept of "what if medieval people traveled in our time".

Otherwise everything else about Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey is great. The characters are very well designed, when i was a kid i had myself an idol like Connor (we probably all did), the man that is a natural leader, knows every time what is right and doesn't afraid of anything. But in real life even this kind of persons are still human beings, they mess up sometimes, they lose hope sometimes, no one's perfect, and i really liked this little touch of humanity Connor has. Ulf even though he's the oldest in the group he's the clumsiest and most insecure. He's still a child at heart, even more than Griffin, the actual child. The fact that his friends care about him so much despite him being more of a liability to their mission is really touching. Overall all medieval characters are very realistic compared to what we see in the genre.

Maybe some people that watched this movie would expect the reactions of the medieval villagers to the modern city to be different, more powerful. The truth is, it's hard to imagine how would such people react in a situation like that, and i can't think of films that get this aspect right and believable, but i think Navigator comes quite close. There was a lot of unknown during that ages, and for the villagers of a remote mine everything was new, a big medieval city would be just as new and strange as a modern city with skyscrapers, cars and trains. They expected to see strange things, and they saw strange things, not too much reason to get overexcited.

Somewhere about 6-7.

Probably the best movie you've never seen

[iwanna_know · 10/10 · 5 September 2001]

I saw this movie for the first time about ten years ago, and was absolutely impressed on every level. The acting done is fantastic, and far beyond what you would expect from such a small budget. The directing leaves you with memorable scenes and the point is clearly made, big money does not equal big talent. Do not let this movie pass you by!

Better believe

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 18 December 2023]

No pun intended - having faith is always something good I reckon. If you like weird and fantasy, than this will rock your boat ... or was it float your boat? Probably the latter, but suspension of disbelief is really necessary too. This takes many things, puts them in a blender and mixes them together. Depending on what you recognize (not just in the title, with Odyssey a wink to storytelling), you may like this more or less than others I assume.

Acting is good and visually this really is able to reel people in. This looks mighty fine - and while you also may not have heard about this before (if this had not popped up in my streaming list, I probably would never have heard or seen this .. like ever) ... it is worth a look! Or two - just be aware that this is art and it depends on your likings/taste what you may think of this movie ...

visually strong, but a weak narrative core

[mjneu59 · 5/10 · 18 December 2010]

A group of miners from a 14th century English village in the path of the Black Plague follow the recurring dreams of a young boy and tunnel through the Earth into the 20th century, where they hope to appease God by raising a cross atop the highest church in New Zealand. Director Vincent Ward is a name worth watching, if only his narrative skills would catch up to his visionary style. His sophomore feature is no less haunting than his 1984 debut film 'Vigil', but likewise suffers from sketchy characters and an underwritten script. The villagers' quest for spiritual redemption has no real parallel in our own age (despite casual comparisons between the Plague, the AIDS epidemic, and the nuclear arms race), and the only reason for bringing them into the 20th century is to see their confusion with automobiles and television. The often striking visual scheme gives the film a strictly cosmetic impression of depth and meaning, but Ward's Little Nemo resolution, and the forced irony of the epilogue, only underlines the lack of a story built around his compelling, original idea.

One of the best

[babbelsquee · 9/10 · 7 June 2007]

Some of the critiques I've read of this, from others on the database, complain about the clumsy imagery or the accents. Get a grip. The point isn't linguistic accuracy, or any other kind of "accuracy" but rather the theme and motifs. In 1348 a frightening "illness" swept Europe, killing thousands. People didn't understand what caused the illness, only that it offered a horrifying death. This movie is as much a critique of "christendom" as it is of contemporary politics. If the US nuclear submarine is for some too clumsy an analogy to the black death, imagine the fall out of nuclear bombing as analogous to the black death. The pervasive silent killer. This movie was fantastic, for its imaginative plot, the interesting motifs and imagery, the concept of a small boy's vision, and the possible universes.

An Interesting, Bleak Story

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 7/10 · 29 June 2019]

This was a film that I never heard of until it was selected for a Movie Club I participate in each month. This was one that was coming from New Zealand to finish out checking out some of the lesser known horror films from the country. I was warned that this isn't horror per se, but there are definitely elements. The synopsis for this is men seeking relief from the Black Death, guided by a boy's vision; dig a tunnel from 14th Century England to 20th Century New Zealand.

We start off with images that a boy, Griffin (Hamish Gough) is having. There is fire that is flipping over and over; we see a cross in the water, a church and someone falling from it. He comes to with those around him making sure he is okay. Linnet (Sarah Perise) his mother is concerned, but life is hard so she goes back to what she is doing. In this world, they are concerned with the Black Death that has been wiping out people all over Europe. Griffin's brother Connor (Bruce Lyons) went to town and hasn't returned. They are starting to believe he won't.

To re-iterate, this is a time period where everyone has to pull their weight for a chance to survive. In this village there are two brothers Searle (Marshall Napier) and Ulf (Noel Appleby). Searle doesn't believe Griffin and kind of mocks him. Ulf is a little bit slow as well. Also with them is Arno (Chris Haywood) who lost his hand for stealing and Martin (Paul Livingston).

Connor then returns to tell them that the Black Death is coming. They have until dawn before it gets to them. What I find interesting here is this is represented like a demon with wings that flies over them. Griffin reveals his dream and what they have to do. Connor believes him and they find a machine that will help them cut through the rocks in a cave. Everyone believes the world is flat and that there is a land that is free of the plague. They just have to get to a great church there to signal the rest of the village to come.

As they create the tunnel, the demon that is bringing the plague cries out and Griffin sees it. Their tunnel digging is hard work, but they punch through into a sewer. Just as the synopsis states, they end up in New Zealand, on the other side of the world in 1988. They are out of place, but they need to cast a cross, put it on the largest church before the plague infects their village.

If you know anything about my tastes in film, especially the older I've gotten, you know there are some aspects to this film I love. We get a glimpse into the life of this village in Northern England. Word has reached them of the plague that is killing most of Europe. What I find interesting here is these primitive people do not have any idea of bacteria, viruses and how it spreads. This is a time of Christianity, but they aren't too far removed from more pagan religions where they thought there were gods and things would spread sickness like that. That is one aspect I really dug seeing these people, but even more for where they end up.

Most people on the world currently think that the Earth is round. There are some flat Earthers out there, who still think like the people in this film. Those in the film think that if they dig they can make it to the other side of the world, much like children do. I find this to be quite interesting, but going even farther, they find a time warp that sends them into the future. Normally we see this play out the other way, where we have people from our time going into the past. I thought this was an interesting aspect to do it the other way. What they are trying to do is interesting and seeing them interact with technology.

Now what I really love though is that this is a big allegory. I won't delve too much into this, but around the climax of completing their mission we see what everything is really about. It actually gets kind of sad afterwards as well with the reveal of the truth. This film isn't listed as horror and I can see why most people would agree. I don't think this is necessarily a horror film, but it is quite close. We have the fear of this incoming death and them trying to find a way out of it. Plus the reality of their life is quite scary as well as trying to traverse a world that is far more advanced than theirs.

To the pacing of the film, I didn't really encounter any issues here. I thought that it gets right into it and moves through the events at a good pace. It isn't an overly exciting film, but I will say that as time continues on I did feel the urgency of them needing to get these things completed before the plague overtakes the village. I will say that I like how things play out as well, because at first I thought it was a bit too neat. The ending is actually somewhat bleak which I'm down for.

I thought the acting was also pretty solid. Lyons I thought was good as the leader of the group. He is looked to since he's been out of the village and experienced the world a bit. His character is even more intriguing near the end of this film as well with a reveal. Gough I also thought was solid. For a child actor, he played his role very well. What is intriguing is that they're expecting so much from him as he leading them with his visions. Everything is a bit overwhelming as he doesn't have all the answers. This definitely helps with building the tension. Napier is good at applying that pressure. It is hard to fault him, but he also is a bit too hard on him. Haywood, Appleby and Livingston are all solid in support as well as the rest of the cast; they rounded out the film for what was needed.

To the effects of the film, there really wasn't a whole lot and the film didn't really need them. The big thing I need to comment on is that I love they had the world in black and white when they are in the past. We do get splashes of color here and there, but for the most part it is bleak just like their living situation. When they come to the present, it is in color which I thought was a good contrast, even though they're in a gritty area of the city. The only other effect that stuck out was the demon like creature representing the plague, he looked low-budget, but it works for me. It is seen at a distance and just a representation.

The final thing to cover was the soundtrack of the film. There was a song when Connor first appears where it is choir like where they are chanting his name. I thought that was pretty funny. The rest of the score was definitely fitting for what they were going for. The music seems like it could have been from the era where the film takes place in the past. It for sure helps to fit the scenes like they needed it to.

Now with that said, this is quite an intriguing film for me. I really like the concept that we have here of these people wanting to avoid the plague that they think is coming their way. They don't understand how things like this work and think a creature brings it at night. The allegory of the story they tell is interesting and something I can get behind. I think the pacing helps to move us along and build tension. The acting of the film is solid. I like changing from black and white to color depending on the time period. The score is also fitting for what they were going for. Even though I did enjoy these things, this film does have its issues. I will come in that this is slightly above average.

atmospheric but simple

[noelcox · 3/10 · 23 January 2006]

This is an imaginative but slightly strained film. It promises more than it really delivers, and the message is sometimes delivered with all the finesse of a sledgehammer. This is epitomised by the American nuclear submarine as the symbol of all that is evil.

The portrayal of rural England at the time of the Black Death was atmospheric - though that it not to say that it was accurate. The accents in particular were a problem. Haven't film-makers heard any regional accents (these people are supposed to come from Cumberland -not Cumbria - which is in England) that they have to fall back on Irish-Scottish? Or perhaps this simply reflects the actors' limitations. But the major problem with the film, reflected in other comments, was that it was confusing. Was the boy's tale purely imagination (a form of foreknowledge), or did the villagers really travel to the 20th century - surely the former.

The commentator who wrote of the "apparent pathological need for every car driver in the movie to try to run the characters down, without any attempt to swerve, stop, or otherwise avoid them" obviously hasn't driven in New Zealand. It is standard driving etiquette to ignore obstacles, or hit them if possible.

Very good film

[orbit991 · 7 May 2008]

I first watched this film in the early nineties. It's always a good sign when a movie can suck you into something new. This is a unique story in a ocean of sequels and copies. It's not just a film about time travel, in fact the time travel takes a back seat to the psychology of a medieval man. This film is about a small medieval village during a time of the plague and a boy who seems to have an answer on how to keep this plague at bay. It's a world filled with superstitions and struggle, even when the travelers end up in the modern era, all their motivations are much the same. It is a gritty film, for some it may be a bit to dark, but it is a truly fascinating and original study.

Vincent Wards fish out of water time travel story is a jaw dropping head trip

[mwilson1976 · 6/10 · 5 May 2020]

Villagers living in a 14th century mining community in England attempt to escape the Black Death by tunnelling deep into the bowels of the earth in an attempt to find "the far side of the world" on the advice of a psychic nine year old boy called Griffin, and end up emerging in twentieth century New Zealand in director Vincent Wards surreal and indescribably atmospheric fish out of water time travel story (the first Australia-New Zealand co-production). The film, which won six AFI awards (including best film and best director), 11 New Zealand Film & TV awards (also including best film and best director) and was selected in competition for Cannes' Palme d'Or, was inspired by Ward's experience of attempting to cross a German autobahn and getting stranded in the middle. Davood Tabrizi composed the soundtrack, which is based on a variety of musical styles including Celtic and Scottish military music, Gregorian chants, and nineteenth century mining music.

Aside an auspicious premise a lousy screenplay on modern city spoils a little bit a promising and original feature!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 17 May 2023]

Unknown New Zealand bleak production, over black death that struck all Europe reaching at British island on 14th century mainly on major cities, meanwhile at a smallest village at Cumbria rumblings about the upcoming mortal disease which kill the sick person in a matter of few hours spreading all around triggering all kind of panic and fear over the people which resort in faith, although there has a little boy who used to a recurrent dreams with a distant unusual land in the other side of the world where had a white church exposing a cross, in such dream he sees himself and also some villagers travelling to there through a deep tunnel by a strange machine that crosses the earth to reaching there.

They must melt down a cross in cooper taken by them and put it in the church tower to avoid that dreaded black death kill their townsfolk, in outskirts has a deeply cave, there they found the weird machine whereof the boy dreamed to dig the bowel of the earth, they starts a dangerous journey into the earth with an advanced machine and after exhaustive day they surface in sewage system, leaving there at night they stay baffled over such vision, a bright city scattered of high building as we never seem before, they found a casting place to melt down the cross, now they needs find out where the white church to put the cross in the tower before the dawn otherwise the disease will kill their fellow mates at village, also the little boy envisages through his dreams that someone will die.

Navigator is a mixing of umpteen genres, sci-fi, religious mysticism, epic movie, surrealism also some oddities are the trademark of the film-feature, with some humor implied in some sequences, the concept is really fresh, nevertheless the screenplay didn't help too much, it could be a finest subject to exploit whatever the bad lousy sequence at advanced city spoils an auspicious premise, also the DVD image is bad shape due by VHS's transfer, it needs a upmost restoration.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First Watch: 2023 /How many: 1 /Source: DVD /Rating: 7.

wondrous surreal adventure indie

[SnoopyStyle · 9/10 · 3 May 2016]

It's 1348 Cumbria, England. Black Death has killed a third of Europe and is spreading in England. Griffin is a young boy in a village which is still free from the disease. He has visions of a cathedral. Connor leads a group to rig a spire on this cathedral. They dig using a machine and come out into the modern world on the other side. Martin declares it God's world which must be the other side of their cursed home world. Ulf fails to cross the highway and is left behind. His brother Searle leads the group as Connor goes off to find the church. They encounter three foundry workers on their last night before it is shut down. The workers take the copper from the group and cast a pinnacle. The group races to put it up before the sun rises.

This is a great surreal adventure. It's great use of black and white. It is original and unique. Crossing the highway is utterly memorable. The characters are great. This is a great concept that overcomes the lower budget and limited filmmaking. It is wondrous, thrilling, and memorable.

Rarely is there a film that you cannot view just once. But this is one.

[jpo · 10/10 · 8 March 2000]

Not really well-known in most of the world, this New Zealand classic is one of the finest time-travel adventures ever to grace the big screen. A remarkable story indeed. Only by seeing it several times do you realise that every little detail is quite significant. This has been one of my Top 10 films of all time for over a decade. See it by all means, but see it more than once ... and pay close attention to everything.

Not quite the stunning achievement as suggested by others...

[IslandMadMacs · 5/10 · 28 July 2005]

I sought out this film based solely on the wonderful reviews and comments left by fellow IMDb members, going so far as to pay a top premium to obtain a previously owned VHS. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

It's not that this isn't a decent film; in its proper context it's actually not too bad. But to slurp on the adjectives that reviewers have generously heaped onto this flick is more than a touch disingenuous. Perhaps it's real admiration on their parts, I'd rather not speculate. All I can say is - it's decent.

Made along the lines of "Baron Munchausen" in its quirkiness and mixed metaphors, The Navigator tries to balance stark realism and half-imagined visions. Taking us from a plague infested 14th Century village to a modern 20th Century city via one of childhood's best fantasies: Digging a hole to the other side of the world.

But there's so much clutter and unresolved thematic elements that it's extremely difficult to appreciate what is, or isn't, occurring on screen. Look, I'm not a pedestrian film-goer waiting, or expecting, to be spoon fed a story. But confusing will always be confusing and claiming pseudo-intellectual superiority because it *is* that confusing doesn't make it 'special by default'.

Believe me, I appreciate the original idea, that's a big plus for Navigator. And thumbs-up for giving us the ultra-realistic world inhabited by the characters. Their filthy blandness stands out from the all too common "clean & crisp" that Hollywood mistakes for life in the middle ages. (Just how many times can you populate a giant castle with outlandish costumes borrowed from the yokels-n-yahoos who regularly attend the Medieval Festival?) These truths speak to the sincerity, honesty, and originality of the filmmakers.

But the approach taken by a young Vincent Ward is just too disjointed to be considered a good film. Decent pretty much sums it up. However, it does give us a true peek into the future in another way: The Navigator is a proving ground for a filmmaker who will, in ten years, hit his stride with the amazing and genuinely stunning achievement --- "What Dreams May Come".

"Magical"

[Dissector · 10/10 · 18 February 2003]

Well, what can I say, of the 20 or so reviews below, there is a dissenting voice, this is a "Truly Magical Movie" I won't go into the story, read the reviews below below for that, I'll just say, put it at the top of your "MUST SEE" list, it's long time since I saw it, and I've been looking for a copy ever since (with NO luck I might add)

Now stop reading and go watch it....... 'o) BUT!!! beware, like I said, it's Magical, and will entrance you.

Simply insufferable

[Barbouzes · 3/10 · 23 September 2017]

I like time travel stories -comical or not comical- and I like history as well, and I like to watch a movie to the end to truly judge it... but this Navigator clunker left me so cold I ejected the DVD half way through the film with a strong sense that I had better things to view or do elsewhere. Nothing made sense in the story to me: even within the "absurd" realm of time travel, its looseness with logic defied my sense of coherence or psychology. The premise is unbelievable, the characters are unbelievable (and hardly likable as well), the story is weak. and the visuals are mostly disappointing. I did not even mind the "Cumbrian" accents: putting on subtitles within the DVD solved the comprehension problem. But most of what I saw in this film (and that's at least half of the film) was relentlessly bleak or psychologically odd, and moreover took place at night. B&W or color, the viewer is forever in the dark. Last but not least: I am not a religious person- though not completely devoid of spiritual aspirations-, so the strong Christian ethos carried by the protagonists failed to interest me in their purpose. No enlightenment for this viewer here, people: this is a one dreary drag of a movie as far as I am concerned.

An amazing Sci-Fi adventure

[J. Canker Huxley · 9/10 · 6 December 1998]

No, this is not the silly Disney movie in which the fat kid rides around in a spaceship shaped like a big green booger and generally annoys all forms of alien life to the tune of a bad Robert Palmer cover of a Little Richard song.

This Navigator, "The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey" is a sad, yet compelling story of time-travelers from the Middle Ages trying to save their small village from the Black Death. In this movie, the view is treated to how the modern world would appear as heaven (or even hell) to a person from Mediaeval times soley through the use of visuals.

This film was the creation of master director Vincent Ward who has made such wonderful works as "What Dreams May Come" and "Map of the Human Heart." As with all of his movies, Ward treats us to an array of stunning uses of color and texture to enhance a grand story.

The Navigator only suffers having a bland name. Watch this film at least twice, once for the mind blowing story, the other for Ward's rich film work. This film is sure to become a Sci-Fi classic.

The way movies should be made....

[mikematthews1966 · 9/10 · 17 September 2006]

This is a movie that takes you on a journey. Simple in it's storytelling yet complex in it's storyline. I actually felt like I was there, sharing in the lives and travels of the characters. The cinematography is beautiful. If this movie didn't win an award for it it should have.This is a movie that will stick with you, it will stand out as a movie that was clearly ahead of its time. I strongly urge everyone to see this. It may be difficult to understand at first, but you must allow it to sink in. There is a moral to it which took me a while to understand myself, but it's timeless.Watch and enjoy, but pause if you leave the room even for a second. One of my favorites.

Definatly under the rainbow

[StlBlade · 27 September 1999]

This is truly a lost gem of a film. It is beautifully photographed, well-acted, well paced, and well written. It is a fantasy film that relies on the fantasy and not on the SFX budget. Something we see all too little of these days.

It is the story of a little boy that has visions during medieval times of a great city, and to save the village from the horrors of the Black Death, he, his brother Connor, and a few others must travel there and erect a spike on the cathedral there. Of course, this is a fruitless enterprise and Connor knows it, but no one would listen to him; they were stuck on a single idea and would hear nothing else.

Their journey to what turned out to be New Zealand is both humorous and sad. There were times when one would be brought almost to tears and at other times laughing hard enough to hurt, but the sad element was dominant.

As with all the films I like to review, it has a strong 'cult movie' appeal, but it is more accessable to general audiences than, say, Six-String Samurai was. Seeing that the Director (Vincent Ward) later did 'What Dreams May Come' (I'll review that one in a few weeks) this film deserves to brought back into the spotlight.