 List Price: $19.98
Lowest Price: $10.93 
Amazon.com essential video: Steven Spielberg's 1982 hit about a stranded alien and his loving relationship with a fatherless boy (Henry Thomas) struck a chord with audiences everywhere, and it furthered Spielberg's reputation as a director of equally strong commercial sensibilities and classical leanings. Henry Thomas gives a strong, emotional performance as E.T.'s young friend, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore make a solid impression as his siblings, and Dee Wallace is lively as the kids' mother. The special effects almost look a bit quaint now with all the computer advancements that have occurred since, but they also have more heart behind them than a lot of what we see today. --Tom Keogh Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-18
A fun romp through Spielberg's world.
E.T.
Who doesn't remember this movie when it came out, unless you were too young.
I didn't like it as a kid.
For some reason I like it better as an adult.
Sorry, I can't answer that one either.
Its fun, it's got a great story.
It's definitely Spielberg's better moments and he's had MANY.
Fun for the whole family, UUGH, I sound like my parents!!!
Stop me.......... Clean, wholesome fun for everyone, rent it!!!
Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-16
A True Sci-Fi Gem
I was 11 years old when I first saw this movie with my father. I remember it like it was yesterday. This is one of Steven Spielbergs absolute best films . Its warm, fun, sad and it has really cool special effects. The music by John Williams on this film is amazing. I highly recommed this film for all families and sci-fi fans out there. E.T. phone home !!! Rating:
Date: 2008-06-14
E.T. The Extra -Terrestail
Everyone of All Ages should own E.T. It is a joy to see and should be enjoyed many times....Nancy Whittingham Rating:
Date: 2008-06-05
Friendship and Symbiosis
-This review pertains to the .E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (Widescreen Collector's Edition)and the E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (Ultimate Gift Boxed Set)*-
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is in all likelihood the most personal film that Steven Spielberg has directed. It gives insight into the director's life experiences and his childhood in particular. For the most part the film is shown through the eyes of a child. It captures a certain sense of innocence and wonderment that was rare in films of the early 1980s. It's also startlingly honest in its portrayal of children growing up in contemporary America. Rarely do films give a truthful account of what the social behavior of children is really like. These children playfully torment one another, they swear and most importantly they aren't always good to each other. As a child, I recognized this and I still find it intriguing that one of the most accurate views of childhood should be found within a science fiction film. No wonder the story still touches people today.
The story concerns an alien (who happens to be a botanist) that is stranded on Earth. Government agents pursue him so he retreats into the vast forests of Northern California. One night a ten-year-old boy named Elliott sees him. Soon the two become friends and a symbiotic bond is formed. E.T., as the alien is dubbed, comes from a distant planet where his species experience reality through a collective conscious. Without his species he cannot emote, maintain physical health and therefore his life is endangered. But miraculously a link is formed between E.T. and Elliott, and this keeps him alive. E.T. feels Elliott's pain and distress, both emotional and physical, and responds to it. Now Elliott shares E.T.'s emotions, which further complicates his life. In one memorable sequence, E.T. discovers beer and becomes drunk causing Elliott to act in an intoxicated manner while at school. Soon the link between them strengthens and neither of them can sustain themselves. In order for either of them to survive E.T. must be reunited with his own species. All during this time the only other people to have seen E.T. are Elliott's siblings and a mysterious man who is only known as Keys. Elliott must learn to rely on his older brother, Michael and his younger sister, Gertie to keep his secret. On Halloween night, they manage to sneak E.T. out of the house, and Elliott and E.T. embark on an amazing journey through the forest. Deep within the forest, E.T. constructs a communication device out of mundane household items and attempts to contact the other aliens. When Elliott wakes up the following morning E.T. has vanished. Elliott returns home to find his mother panicked about his disappearance. His older brother, Michael searches for E.T. and finds him, half dead in the river and proceeds to bring him back home. Only then do the children reveal E.T.'s presence to their mother. But before she can absorb the shock government agents, dressed in space suits and armed with guns, break into their home. Meanwhile E.T. and Elliott grow weaker. And the only hope for their mutual survival is for E.T. to return to his home planet.
The film is something of an emotional roller coaster ride and its climactic bicycle chase is breathtaking. By the time the end credits have started you'll either have tears in your eyes or you'll be too exhausted to absorb the film's impact.
Much has already been said about the film's artistic and technical merits, so I won't go into great detail about the brilliance of the acting, the production design, John William's wonderful score, Melissa Mathison's script or Spielberg's direction. But I will say that they all deserve credit for this wonderful film. E.T. is truly a modern classic!
* The original 1982 widescreen theatrical version of E.T. isn't easy to find. It's only available in two expensive sets, both of which I recommend. Currently both of those DVD editions are unavailable here on Amazon.com, but they can be found in some novelty and collector shops. Hopefully when Universal releases this title in the future they'll include the original version as well as the 20th Anniversary edition. Rating:
Date: 2008-05-17
An Old Favorite Experienced Through Young Eyes
I remember when Steven Speilberg's "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" was first released, being touched and awed by such a beautiful and unique film. Everyone I knew was talking about this film; it struck an emotional cord in young and old alike. It, along with "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", was one of the first films with aliens where the aliens were NOT portrayed as invading monsters, and we, the people of Earth, didn't immediately shoot first and ask questions later. Even in the classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still", a soldier shoots at Klatu in one of the earliest scenes.
This story of a boy named Elliot who develops a deep and lasting friendship with a young space alien accidentally left behind on Earth teaches lessons of friendship, devotion, and love. Elliot and his new friend ET show us the power of wonder, innocence, acceptance, curiosity, and communication. The scene where Elliot begins to attempt to teach ET to talk via a stream of consciousness naming of everything in sight is wonderful, so typically childlike and real. It always brings a huge smile to my face.
I watched ET again last night with my newly 3-year old daughter. I was amazed. It immediately captured her attention; she watched it with huge, wide, interested eyes. As she sat in my lap, she whispered various questions - "What's happening, Mommy?" or "Why are the kids screaming?" I explained that a young ET had been accidentally left on Earth by his mommy and daddy, that Elliot was searching for ET to bring him back to his house, that the little girl and ET were scared of each other at first, etc. She took it all in, absorbed it, and clearly thought about it. When Elliot brought food for ET, and when Drew Barrymore started smiling at ET, my daughter exclaimed, "Oh look, Mama, now they are friends!" with a happy, satisfied smile on her face. Near the end she said, "He misses his mommy. ET phoned home." Her sweet, insightful, innocent comments once again brought tears to my eyes.
This film continues to be pure magic. "E.T." has earned itself a place in movie history, and deserves the highest praise and more. Introducing it to a young child improves even the best experience, bringing to mind memories of that first time and surpassing them. It truly is a film for the ages, for all generations, and will be for years to come.
|
