Only a year after the blockbuster success of Gremlins, Jerry Goldsmith and director Joe Dante would work together again on Explorers, their third feature film collaboration. Explorers did not enjoy the same success as Gremlins but it still provided Goldsmith a chance to compose another score filled with excitement and comic edge adding to Dante's unique directing style. Here we see Dante helming a story about three teenagers who build a spaceship in their backyard, again blending comedy, drama, and science fiction into a fun filled adventure. Goldsmith's score compliments this genre with a somewhat experimental approach using plenty of electronics but not without his orchestral voice and memorable themes.

The score contains a heroic main theme for string and horn chords over a heavy low string and brass ground bass. This is complimented by a beautifully lyrical five note theme often played in the violins and trumpets. Goldsmith lends this ground bass phrase for plenty of the action material which modulates throughout the score. Two other themes are provided for a couple of quirky characters, a comical descending flute melody for the nerdy scientist friend Wolfgang (getting full treatment in Free Ride) and a zany fifties style trot for the television obsessed alien Wak, who the teenagers finally meet when they blast off into space (Fast Getaway).

The short album contains some excellent action cues; No Air and First Flight but its the opening cue, The Construction, which remains the highlight, written for a montage where the three teenagers build their spaceship from old junkyard items with the help of Wolfgang's computer. The cue is classic Goldsmith with propulsive piano, swirling string figures, muted trombone and punctuation from the percussion. The finale curtain call and end credits, Have A Nice Trip, rounds out the score with one of the most lyrical endings to a Dante film, recapitulating the soaring five note main theme.

Unfortunately the album (originally released by MCA, then finally re-issued on CD by Varese Sarabande in 1990) was a little too commercial for the time, tacking on three source songs and in the process omitting some wonderful cues. In particular the haunting and mysterious music that underscores the Dick Miller character's discovery of the teenager's ship. The nice harmonica cues on the lyrical theme and the melancholy oboe music for the teenager Darren, near the beginning of the film, are also not present.

Overall Explorers is an exciting and often lush score that defines the imagination and lyricism that has made the relationship between Dante and Goldsmith so successful. Still it would be nice to see a well deserved expanded edition CD or even a longer cut of the film made available.