The Navigator

While it might not be one of Keaton's very best movies, "The Navigator" is a good comedy that has some great scenes. It never quite hits high gear the way that some of Buster's masterpieces do, but there is a good variety of material, and it is pleasant and funny to watch.

Keaton and Kathryn McGuire work together well, and their scenes together make up most of the movie, including some of the funniest parts. Their scenes in the ship's kitchen are especially good. The well-known scene of Buster going deep-sea diving is also very entertaining, and must have taken some real skill to film at the time.

This is one that any fan of Keaton or of silent comedy should enjoy.

I thought the whole set up and layout of the plot was very clever and engaging. I liked how early on, even though it is very simplistic, the audience can relate to the main character and become engaged in the story and the spectacle that much quicker. I also liked all the gags that were done, they were also very clever and well put together, I stood in awe at the fact that there was not only an underwater sequence but an important underwater sequence that was incredible to watch. There are not any characters that we are around so that leads to the few that we see to be very strong and not flat or clichéd and there relationship grows as the peril of the plot grows, it is very engaging.

Overall I'd say the pacing was very well done, though I found myself daydreaming once or twice, and technically very well put together. Bravo.

Lifestyles of the rich and famous are satirized in The Navigator, a silent film starring Buster Keaton and Kathryn McGuire, and interestingly enough, directed by Buster and Donald Crisp! Buster and Kathryn wind up stranded together on a ship with no crew or outside help, and as they try to fend for themselves, they give the audience plenty of chuckles. Kathryn picks out a few individual beans to brew their coffee, then ties a raw slab of bacon into a knot to make it look pretty. Buster repeatedly breaks eggs by trying to fish them out of boiling water without a spoon. Since they're that clueless, it's no wonder they have no chance of surviving! And to make matters worse, they're ex-sweethearts; at the start of the movie Kathryn rejects Buster's proposal.

There are a few cute moments to this movie, but there's also a large chunk of the movie that focuses on their dealings with island cannibals. That portion hasn't stood the test of time very well, but if you can put it in the back of your mind, you'll be in a better position to appreciate the underwater scenes and marvel at Buster who fights with an octopus while running out of oxygen in his deep sea suit.

The Navigator was a cute and funny film that displayed Buster Keatons classic gestures greatly. One of his best scenes is when he tastes horribly made coffee on the ship. You don't need sound to be able to understand what is going through Keatons mind. It's classic scenes like that that really showcase Keaton's physical comedy and acting abilities.

The Navigator was rich with physical gags and facial gestures that Keaton is best known for. He was famous for mechanical comedy, such as using hilarious contraptions to do simple things like grind coffee. It did lack in drama, and it didn't really allow for Keatons real heart warming side to show up, like in The General.

It was a great film that was adorable to watch.

Through a series of mishaps, a pampered rich boy (Buster Keaton) and his unrequited love find themselves the only two passengers on a huge steamer adrift in the middle of the ocean. Wouldn't be so bad, if they did not come across an island of cannibal savages who want to invite them to..ahem...dinner.

"The Navigator" breezes by quickly and easily, offering many chuckles and few outright chortles. There are some marvelous set pieces, like an underwater scene involving Keaton in diving gear, some swordfish, and an octopus. And there are other smaller but just as funny moments, like the scene where these two socialites who've never lifted a finger for themselves decide to cook dinner in a kitchen designed to make meals for hundreds. The depiction of the island savages is predictably cringe worthy in a film from 1924, but you just have to suck it up and get past it, accepting it as a product of its time. If you can get past that, there's much to enjoy here.

Grade: A-