Excellent TV movie for all ages. Peter Coyote, Art Carney, and Huckleberry Fox are wonderful in this movie. A young boy hears about his great grandfather trying to fly across the English Channel from stories by his grandfather. Then he finds out his grandfather has a time machine he has been to sick to use. Max takes it for a spin and meets his great grandfather in person. He tries to help him make the flight that could put him in history books. Unfortunately I rarely see this on TV and it is not on VHS or DVD. I hope it gets enough recognition to be transferred to DVD soon. If you enjoy movies like "Back to the Future", "Explorers" and "Flight of the Navigator" you will certainly like this movie.
12 Reviews
A Wing and A Prayer
The_Rook16 December 2003
This is a wonderful story about early aviation and how several pilots lost their lifes trying to cross the Atlantic before Lindbergh. When a young boy hears a story from his granfather, played by Art Carney, about his great grandfather, played by Peter Coyote, trying to make the crossing he decides he must help him. With the help of his greandfather he travels back in time. It is a shame a wonderful family movie like this is not on VHS let alone DVD.
Back in Time!
jaybabb29 December 2002
This is a wonderful film that has everything you could want in a movie-adventure, action and comedy. It has a great cast. Huckleberry Fox who plays Jonathan Knicks is wonderful in this movie. Peter Coyote plays Max Knickerbocker is perfect in his role. And Art Carney who plays the aged Henry Coogan.
The film starts in the present, and Johnathan is fascinated by the aviation stories that Henry tells him. He tells Johnathan that Max Nickerbocker wasn't only a pilot, but also an inventor. He then tells Johnathan about an invention that was nutty-but Henry does not tell him what it is-at least not yet.
When Henry becomes ill, he tells Johnathan about what Max called "The Time Traveler." He tells Johnathan that he has planned to test the machine-but is sick and can't do it. Johnathan Then decides to try to go back in time to save Max's life.
He does go back in time-almost 60 years-back to May, 1927. He meets Max Knickerbocker and the young Henry Coogan. Can he save Max's life? Can he alter the events in History? Watch this Movie and find out.
This Movie is also called "Time Flyer" It's great for the whole family-don't miss it.
The film starts in the present, and Johnathan is fascinated by the aviation stories that Henry tells him. He tells Johnathan that Max Nickerbocker wasn't only a pilot, but also an inventor. He then tells Johnathan about an invention that was nutty-but Henry does not tell him what it is-at least not yet.
When Henry becomes ill, he tells Johnathan about what Max called "The Time Traveler." He tells Johnathan that he has planned to test the machine-but is sick and can't do it. Johnathan Then decides to try to go back in time to save Max's life.
He does go back in time-almost 60 years-back to May, 1927. He meets Max Knickerbocker and the young Henry Coogan. Can he save Max's life? Can he alter the events in History? Watch this Movie and find out.
This Movie is also called "Time Flyer" It's great for the whole family-don't miss it.
Dreams of Flight
TheRook29 September 2001
When Jonathan's grandfather tells him about his great grandfathers attempt to fly across the Atlantic before Lindbergh he is fascinated by the stories. With the assistance of a time machine he goes back in time and meets him before his flight. Art Carney makes a good grandfather. Good casting, locations, and music. An entertaining family movie worth seeing.
Decent TV movie
Atreyu_II14 October 2011
It's rare to see me liking movies made purely for television, but this one, while by no means great, is okay.
Time travel has always been a fascinating subject. Perhaps this movie isn't the most original because it has many similarities with 'Back To The Future'. The similarities have to be more than coincidence and they even came out in the same year.
I'd like to travel in time, visit other generations, times I didn't live in. It would be fun to experience some of that, although, like everything in life, there would be risks. But sometimes it's necessary to take chances, otherwise we do nothing in life.
Other than the interesting idea of time travel, this movie also delivers good cinematography, good performances by Peter Coyote and the charming Huckleberry Fox, a decent combination of the year 1985 (present day) and the year 1927 (almost 60 years before), good environment and feeling of both times (especially 1985), decent amounts of adventure, action and cleverness.
Time travel has always been a fascinating subject. Perhaps this movie isn't the most original because it has many similarities with 'Back To The Future'. The similarities have to be more than coincidence and they even came out in the same year.
I'd like to travel in time, visit other generations, times I didn't live in. It would be fun to experience some of that, although, like everything in life, there would be risks. But sometimes it's necessary to take chances, otherwise we do nothing in life.
Other than the interesting idea of time travel, this movie also delivers good cinematography, good performances by Peter Coyote and the charming Huckleberry Fox, a decent combination of the year 1985 (present day) and the year 1927 (almost 60 years before), good environment and feeling of both times (especially 1985), decent amounts of adventure, action and cleverness.
This may be a blast to the past, but it is not a Back to the Future rip off.
mark.waltz4 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The young Huckleberry Fox is adorable in this Disney TV movie where he gets into his surrogate grandfather Art Carney's time machine and goes back to 1927 where he meets his real grandfather, Peter Coyote, an early daredevil pilot. They undergo many adventures together and create a nice bond. Not much to the story with the exception of the individual plot developments, but there are many amusing moments especially when he buys a bunch of things with a 1980's dollar and the vendor notices it after he walks away. This will come to haunt Fox later in the film.
The three leads are very good and the atmosphere is sweet. This is totally a feel-good movie especially little boys who are into history and has interesting hobbies like Fox does. Carney spends much of the film bedridden, so he doesn't get to do much physically but he is always commanding on-screen and he is basically playing a variation of his Oscar winning role of Harry from "Harry and Tonto". A tragedy involving an attempt to cross the Atlantic is rather graphic as pilot remains are taken out of the water, and Fox indicates that he knew this would happen. That adds some suspense to the film which may have minor flaws but certainly not as good entertainment and a genuinely feel good film.
The three leads are very good and the atmosphere is sweet. This is totally a feel-good movie especially little boys who are into history and has interesting hobbies like Fox does. Carney spends much of the film bedridden, so he doesn't get to do much physically but he is always commanding on-screen and he is basically playing a variation of his Oscar winning role of Harry from "Harry and Tonto". A tragedy involving an attempt to cross the Atlantic is rather graphic as pilot remains are taken out of the water, and Fox indicates that he knew this would happen. That adds some suspense to the film which may have minor flaws but certainly not as good entertainment and a genuinely feel good film.
Back to Disney's future
bkoganbing31 October 2020
It's pretty obvious that Disney Studios was trying to catch some of the time travel
magic that Back To The Future had with The Blue Yonder. Another Fox, firs name of Huckleberry does the time traveling instead of Michael J. And the man who
invents the time travel machine taking the place of Christopher Lloyd is Art Carney.
Young Fox has a legacy he feels, that of his grandfather who was by all accounts a brilliant but eccentric guy. An aviator in the first World War he wants to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean and just before Lindbergh did it he tried and disappeared.
An aged and dying Carney gives Fox the time machine he built and Fox does go back and meets his grandfather Peter Coyote They do bond and the plot goes along the lines of Back To The Future. The Time Machine is whole lot like the one Rod Taylor used in his film though.
Obviously stolen from Back To The Future this made for TV film from the Magic Kingdom has merit and heart and can be enjoyed on its own terms
Young Fox has a legacy he feels, that of his grandfather who was by all accounts a brilliant but eccentric guy. An aviator in the first World War he wants to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean and just before Lindbergh did it he tried and disappeared.
An aged and dying Carney gives Fox the time machine he built and Fox does go back and meets his grandfather Peter Coyote They do bond and the plot goes along the lines of Back To The Future. The Time Machine is whole lot like the one Rod Taylor used in his film though.
Obviously stolen from Back To The Future this made for TV film from the Magic Kingdom has merit and heart and can be enjoyed on its own terms
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
bbrasher120 February 2001
Although it seems to borrow heavily from "BACK TO THE FUTURE", this certainly qualifies as one of my all time favorite family films. Of course, I'm a fan of time travel stories anyway. Peter Coyote and Huckleberry Fox turn in a fine performance; as does Art Carney, who, prior to this, appeared in the awful "THE NIGHT THEY SAVED CHRISTMAS", one of my least all time favorite family films.
A worthy addition to anyone's video collection.
A worthy addition to anyone's video collection.
Awful
gregorsamsa022 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is just boring. The story is a rip off of every sci-fi movie about time travel, with absolutely no innovation and an uninspired cast. The movie just goes on and on about this little boy that never met his grandfather (Peter Coyote) who was a great aviator an also, you can tell cause the movie just spit this information at you, a bit of an inventor. So, obviously, the guy had future plans for a time machine - plans that come out true when his friend attempts to build it and get to the past so he can save the boy's grandpa from a plane accident while Peter Coyote tries to fly from USA to France. The historical argument is just ignorable so I won't even mention it. It was hard to watch it till the end.
Something for everybody!!!
Chazzzzz24 May 2000
Put Huckleberry Fox, Peter Coyote, and Art Carney in a Fantasy Adventure film dealing with airplanes and time travel, add an intelligent script, excellent performances by the entire cast, give it a couple dashes of suspense, a few pinches of comedy, and capture it all with dazzling cinematography, and you have The Blue Yonder. This is the type of film that I actively seek out. BRAVO to all who worked on this fine family film.
Very entertaining!
srmccarthy24 November 2000
The Blue Yonder is great family entertainment! It includes: adventure, science fiction and just clean family fun! Huckleberry Fox is as cute as a button. Without effort his facial features are adorable, but WATCH OUT -- HE CAN REALLY HAM IT UP! He is so convincingly surprised when the "time machine" starts up, and it is so funny to watch his bubble lip expression as it turns him around and around and around!
Young enough to believe in magic and old enough to be curious.
freemasn21 December 1999
Marvelous family entertainment. A boy, pure in heart and spirit, as only the very young can be, seeks his Grandfather in the past.
A beautiful story of love and courage, with a dash of magic. Be warned though, you must allow your imagination free rein. You must believe in the improbable and even the impossible, for here, lives the delight of discovery.
A beautiful story of love and courage, with a dash of magic. Be warned though, you must allow your imagination free rein. You must believe in the improbable and even the impossible, for here, lives the delight of discovery.
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