SpaceCamp
Young space-camp trainees must transform classroom excitement into real teamwork after an accidental launch strands them aboard a Space Shuttle.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- earnest
- youthful
- suspenseful
- family movie night
- 1980s nostalgia night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film's family-friendly space adventure earnest but unable to compellingly combine summer-camp hijinks with outer-space idealism.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The children learn to operate the Space Shuttle at camp before being launched unexpectedly during an engine test.
The team includes a girl pursuing astronaut ambitions, a boy seeking romance, an instructor frustrated by missed opportunities, and other campers who must cooperate in space.
NASA, Space Shuttle operations, astronaut training, and being trapped in orbit form the film's concrete world and central peril.
Summer-camp excitement gives way to genuine danger when inexperienced young trainees must respond to an unintended launch.
Films like SpaceCamp, and why
The Explorers
family-friendly space adventure centered on young protagonists confronting an unexpected mission
Flight of the Navigator
coming-of-age adventure blending youthful camaraderie, science-fiction wonder, and perilous space travel
The Last Starfighter
child-centered science-fiction adventure with an optimistic, accessible tone and strong space-fantasy appeal
The Goonies
ensemble youth adventure involving practical problem-solving, friendship, and escalating danger
Movie Details
- Director
- Harry Winer
- Release Date
- 1986-06-06
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (217)
Cast
- Kate Capshaw
- Lea Thompson
- Kelly Preston
- Larry B. Scott
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Tate Donovan
- Tom Skerritt
- Barry Primus
- Terry O'Quinn
- Mitchell Anderson
Common questions
- What is SpaceCamp about?
- Young space-camp trainees must transform classroom excitement into real teamwork after an accidental launch strands them aboard a Space Shuttle.
- What is SpaceCamp like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of SpaceCamp as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is SpaceCamp violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in SpaceCamp.
- What did critics think of SpaceCamp?
- Critics generally found the film's family-friendly space adventure earnest but unable to compellingly combine summer-camp hijinks with outer-space idealism.
- Which films are like SpaceCamp?
- Films with a similar feel include The Explorers, Flight of the Navigator, The Last Starfighter, and The Goonies.
- How long is SpaceCamp?
- SpaceCamp runs 107 minutes.
