Other Titles • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial • A Boy's Life (1981) • E.T. • E.T. and Me (1981) • E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary (1982) • Night Skies (1981) • E.T. - Der Außerirdische (1982) • E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Synopses for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
1.
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
DVD features Universal pulled a fast one when they placed both the 1982 and 2002 versions of E.T. on this standard DVD release. The result is an excellent two-disc set that contains nearly all of the material on the higher-priced ultimate edition (minus the handsome packaging). On the disc one bonus menu, you must play through the two-minute introduction to see a short on the 2002 premiere of the film that was accompanied by John Williams conducting a live orchestra. There is an option to see the film with this unique soundtrack. The second disc contains a solid documentary on the making of the film and the reissue with plenty of interviews and cool tidbits. A slide show offers dozens of photographs and sketches, albeit with little descriptive text. Surprisingly, there are no original trailers. Since the movie was painstakingly restored and updated, the sound and picture quality are excellent. Now if we could just get Spielberg to do a commentary track. --Doug Thomas
(25 votes)
2.
"One of the great American Films" - Leonard Maltin Director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece is one of the brightest stars in motion picture history. Filled with unparalleled magic and imagination, E.T. follows the moving story of a lost little alien who befriends 10-year-old, Elliot. Experience all the mystery and fun of their unforgettable adventure that captivated audiences around the world.
(25 votes)
3.
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL is Steven Spielberg's warmhearted classic delight for both children and adults. It tells the story of an alien creature, E.T., mistakenly left behind on Earth. When a young boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), finds E.T. and hides him in his home, both their worlds are changed forever. E.T. teaches Elliott and his two siblings (Drew Barrymore and Robert MacNaughton), whose parents have recently separated, about caring and love while the children protect E.T. from the malevolent world of grown-ups. Elliott and E.T. become so close that they share emotions; as E.T. becomes ill, so does Elliott. The children end up going on a fabulous adventure trying to help E.T. find a way back to his home planet. The movie was originally going to be based on a story idea by director John Sayles, but after he removed himself from the project, screenwriter Melissa Mathison (Harrison Ford’s wife) took over the script and made it her own. John Williams’s beautiful soundtrack became forever linked to E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL.
(25 votes)
4.
The 2-Disc Limited Collector's Edition…
Winner of four Academy Awards®, including Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects, Best Music and Best Sound, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is the heart-warming family classic from director Steven Spielberg.
When an alien (E.T.) is inadvertently left behind on earth, he finds refuge with youngster Elliot (Henry Thomas). As Elliot and E.T. bond as friends, it soon becomes clear that E.T. must find his way home before government officials capture him for study. Together, E.T., Elliot and Elliot's family and friends help reunite E.T. with his spaceship.
(25 votes)
5.
This 20th Anniversary edition of E.T. introduces the warmth and sense of magic of Steven Spielberg's much-loved movie to a whole new generation. And it is the youngsters at whom this new version has been aimed, with the film being given a Star Wars-style make-over in the hope that it will appeal to a generation weaned on digital effects. Thus, ET now has a souped-up space ship and the pursuing FBI agents are more politically correct, carrying walkie-talkies in place of guns. They've even given ET himself a CGI face-lift, digitally replacing the beloved puppet in certain scenes.
But this is no Apocalypse Now Redux. The re-edited scenes are small and insignificant to the plot: the only additional footage of any note is ET taking a bath and demonstrating that he can breathe underwater, which is amusing but irrelevant. The surprise is that the deleted scene with Harrison Ford playing Elliot's school Principal has still not made it to the new version. Despite such grumbles, E.T. is still the joyful experience it was 20 years ago, only this time grown-ups can follow the story through an added glow of nostalgia, as they fondly remember just how great BMXs were! --Nikki Disney
On the DVD:E.T.--20th Anniversary Edition has the revised version of the movie (but not the original cut) on Disc One, presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and with a choice of gloriously remastered Dolby 5.1 or DTS sound options. The major beneficiary of this new presentation is John Williams' outstanding music score, which uniquely can also be played along with the film in the live version from the LA Shrine Auditorium 2002 premiere. A documentary about Williams conducting this extraordinary performance and a feature on his original scoring sessions are the best extra features on Disc Two. Other documentaries cover the "Evolution and Creation of ET"; a "Reunion" of the principal cast and crew with some fun behind-the-scenes footage; a piece on the planets of the Solar System narrated by ET himself (!); a photo gallery; trailers, and DVD-ROM extras. There's no director's commentary, but Spielberg does briefly introduce the movie on Disc One. --Mark Walker
(25 votes)
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