Rating: 
Summary: A compelling fable
Review: Set in 1348 in Cumbria in North West England during the plague this is an outstanding tale. There are many reasons why the film is outstanding, the mix of black and white and colour photography is beautifully balanced, even to the extent of mixing within individual scenes,this all adds to the mythical qualities of the story. The desolate snow swept landscape of Cumbria (New Zealand doubles up for Cumbria)are stunning and the perfomance by Hamish McFarlane as the visionary boy is suberb. It is partly about time travel, the boy with a small group of his fellow villages go through a mine to find themselves in a modern day New Zealand city, that essentially is more barren than where they came from. They are in search of a miraculous church and their quest is to place an icon on top of the steeple. There are some nice gags but essentially the film is about the boy's vision. Did in fact the travel through time actually happen or was it part of the boy's spirituality. Is in fact the film a subtle allegory that,without preaching, equates the plague with Aids and the barreness of the landscape and the villagers on the edge of not surviving, a post nuclear apocalyptic vision? The film was made in 1988 when these possibilities dominated. Equally though, these possibilities are as relevant today. A lyrical but disturbing fable.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful film, but...
Review: The film is really wonderful as the others wrote. But this DVD is really disappointing. It doesn't have any supplement like a director's commentary. It doesn't have any subtitles. (I'm not from a English speaking country and it was really hard to understand the old English accent.) Moreover, it's not widescreen. 4 stars for the film, no star for this DVD. Really disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: A fantastic pilgramage! I call for higher-budget remake!
Review: The Navigator is a great movie, although the plot seems cloudy at times and the movie too short. After watching it I was left wanting more. I would definately like to see a higher-budget remake of The Navigator: A Medieval Odessy. The idea of pious medieval peasants really time traveling to the modern day makes for a story of adventure and fantasy. One full of human moments and perhaps even a little humor. How will modern day priests react to these pilgrams? and their story? These are just a few things I was left wanting to see. I recommand renting this movie first. Then decide for yourself if its worth owning.
Rating:
Summary: Eerie
Review: This is definately one of the best movies I have ever seen. The actors do wonderful jobs of portraying the emotions felt by their characters, and the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that must have been felt during a medievil plague! The black and white shots were visually stunning, and the music is almost celtic... ancient-sounding, poignant and lilting. This movie made my heart feel crampy with wist for some long-lost time of inherent fantasy and myth. This is truly one of those gems-in-the-roughs, as far as movies are concerned. It is more a piece of moving modern art than a slap-stick Hollywood movie, however, and is lacking many of the guady and visually stressing noise-makers and whirly-gogs that so many directors like to thrown in their scenes, for the sheer hell of them. Rent this movie before you buy it, though. It is sort of an aquired taste. It may be slow-moving like a snail for some people, but it delighted me!
Rating:
Summary: Original, engaging and lovingly crafted
Review: This is one of my all time favourite movies. There is a reality in the monochrome sequences that makes you feel as if you're almost intruding into the characters lives. The story is fantastical but told in a manner that is convincing. The fantasy of it becomes reality because to the characters it is real and this reality is believable due to their mediavel naievty.
There is a scene where they must cross a road, and whilst this would normally be a funny scene, 'old confronts new', its actually quite moving, I think this is due to the overall atmosphere created by the director and superb acting from the cast.
Rating:
Summary: Original, engaging and lovingly crafted
Review: This is one of my all time favourite movies. There is a reality in the monochrome sequences that makes you feel as if you're almost intruding into the characters lives. The story is fantastical but told in a manner that is convincing. The fantasy of it becomes reality because to the characters it is real and this reality is believable due to their mediavel naievty.
There is a scene where they must cross a road, and whilst this would normally be a funny scene, 'old confronts new', its actually quite moving, I think this is due to the overall atmosphere created by the director and superb acting from the cast.
Rating:
Summary: another great movie from kiwiland
Review: vincent ward upped the ante for the follow up to his masterpiece "vigil" and pulls it off-almost! again the visuals are exceptional, and the story,(by ward), a remarkable fantasy. this one needs to be on dvd- with a director's commentary. ward seems to be determined to break the visual bounds of what is possible in a film like this, and just about succeeds.style over substance intrudes periodically, and that's why i don't give it a gold medal-but if only we had such style!!see this movie and be awed!
Rating:
Summary: Unparalleled in its visual brilliance and imagination
Review: Vincent Ward's The Navigator is truley a unique movie. Despite its low budget, it is visually stunning and tremendously imaginative. Some viewers may find the storyline too odd for those taste, but movie fans with a sense of adventure will be rewarded. Combining elements of time travel, adventerous quests, prophecy, tragedy, and set in the time of the great plague the film keeps the viewer engrossed throughout. The cast of no name New Zealand actors do a incredible job of bringing together an incredbily complicated story. Vincent Ward (director of Map of the Human Heart and most recently What Dreams May Come) has the courage to experiment, but pulls it off! A movie for Science Fiction fans who recognize a world beyond Star Trek and movie fans who recognize a world beyond Hollywood.
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