E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1982

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Stephen Spielberg, is a heartwarming movie that told the story of a peaceful alien that is accidentally abandoned on the planet Earth. Eventually the alien finds solace in his friendship with a young boy, but as the alien and his new-found human friends attempt to contact the alien's home world so that it may one day return, government agents are hot on their trail, determined to capture this scientific oddity.

Largely (and rightfully) recognized as a cinematic classic, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial so fascinated 80's audiences with its simple yet absorbing tale that it became a merchandiser's dream. Toy lines, movie posters and more flooded the market, and children all across the U.S. constantly recited memorable lines from the movie, such as the most famous of them all, "E.T. phone home."

One dark evening an alien spacecraft lands on Earth, but the aliens' observations are cut short when a government organization detects their presence and starts hunting them down. The ship departs, but in the haste one alien doesn't make it onboard in time, thereby being stranded on an unfamiliar planet.

Luckily this extra-terrestrial, that would soon be dubbed E.T., meets up with Elliott (Henry Thomas), a sensitive boy that strikes up an instant friendship with the odd creature. Elliott introduces his new friend to his younger sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore), and his older brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton), and together the threesome works to return E.T. back to his home, all the while keeping his existence a secret from their mother and the world at large.

The friendship between the extra-terrestrial and Elliott is so strong that they form an empathic bond; Elliott feels what E.T. does. This leads to a humorous scenario where Elliott is attending a class at school while E.T. rummages around the refrigerator at home, eventually discovering cans of Coors beer. While the alien consumes the beers, Elliott suffers the expected reactions in the midst of the classroom, such as burping and intoxication.

But alas, the government organization refuses to give up their quest to capture the E.T., and eventually their investigations lead them directly to Elliott's home…

Whether you consider E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial to be a classic gem or an overrated flick will depend largely on your expectations and tolerance for family faire. If you're looking for a "realistic" film packed with action, you may be disappointed, but if you're in the mood for an innocent film about a special friendship then E.T. will likely capture your heart.

Since the plot itself is pretty generic, the success of the film lied with the actors' heart as well as Spielberg's adept guidance. Henry Thomas was entirely convincing as the compassionate Elliott – the film largely rested on his young shoulders, and luckily he was able to manage the burden perfectly. Robert MacNaughton's performance as his older teenage brother was equally impressive since he caught the essence of an older/younger sibling relationship. It's clear he cares for his younger brother, but he still can't resist slipping in some harmless jokes or comments at his brother's expense.

Drew Barrymore, although a gifted actress, has certainly seen her ups and downs in both her career as well as her private life. E.T. was one of her first real roles, and despite her eventual problems with drugs and questionable career choices, she was quite simply an adorable and charming child. She gave this film a real heart and innocence.

There has been some criticism of the recent 20th anniversary release edition of E.T. by older film fans due to some liberties Stephen Spielberg took with the original version. He inserted some additional scenes that were originally left out of the original and also removed the guns from the agents that tracked the alien down to give them a less menacing appearance. To film purists, it can indeed be annoying when a director tweaks and/or modifies a classic film (i.e. George Lucas and Star Wars), but luckily Spielberg's tweaks really do not negatively impact the film at all. Unless you were thoroughly familiar with each scene of the original, chances are you wouldn't even notice them.

After watching E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial again for the first time since I was a child (well over 15 years ago), I found that although the film didn't quite appeal to me as much as it did when I was younger, it still brought a smile to my face. This film has a heart, innocence and soul that is missing from so many movies, and is quite capable of bridging the generational gap due to its ability to captivate both children and adults.

Without a doubt E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial deserves its recognition as one of the best 80's films ever created.

Movie rating: 9 stars

If you enjoyed E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial you may also find the following films to be of interest:

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