Another Spielberg Masterpiece; A Gift to Children and Adults

Rating: 9/10 (9 March 2016)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is directed by Steven Spielberg and is the story of an alien accidentally abandoned on Earth by his parents. He soon meets a little boy named Elliott, played by Henry Thomas, and the two strike up a quick friendship. Elliott's older brother Michael (Robert Macnaughton) and younger sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) also meet the little alien, and befriend him. However, they soon realize they aren't the only ones who know about E.T., which pits the three children against none other than the U.S. government.
This film is know as a masterpiece, and it's not quite hard to see why. Spielberg has made many cherished films throughout his lifetime, including Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). However, E.T. is his only film directed mostly towards children, and boy he nailed it. This movie isn't just about a little dumb alien that gets himself into small altercations, this movie's about childhood, and what it means to have a true friend, whether he be a person or an alien. E.T. is also about family hardships, including tough relationships with siblings, or even divorce. E.T. can be loved by kids, or by adults, and that's not a quality easily achievable.
This film has many things to offer, and quite possibly the best one is, as mentioned above, the underlying themes. All of the kids in this film are dealing with their parents splitting up, and their dad lying about where he currently is to all of them. This can be related to be lots of people, mostly because of the diversity of ages between the children. Michael is about 16, Elliott's around 10, and Gertie's roughly 4. This variety of ages allows almost anybody to relate to the parental divorce factor given throughout E.T.
Another theme this movie offers is the tough connection between siblings, most abundant between Michael and Elliott. Towards the beginning of the film, Michael and all of his friends poke fun at Elliott claiming he saw an alien in the back yard. Although they see it as a harmless joke, Elliott takes offense to it, even calling one of Michael's friends a slightly crude, yet hilarious, name. Later, after Michael has been confirmed the existence of the alien, his friends make fun of Elliott at a bus stop, asking which planet the "goblin" came from. Michael quickly jumps to his brother's defense, without even thinking of what his friends may think of him afterwards. This a great example of brotherhood, that can be related to by young children, teenagers, or adults.
Now, for the more technicality of the film. The direction is amazing. As always, Spielberg does a perfect job directing the movie, and getting every shot just right. The acting is great as well. Henry Thomas as Elliott is one of the best child performances of all time, thanks to the emotion he shows through caring for E.T. Drew Barrymore also does really well, especially considering she's four years old in this film. Not that she has the biggest part, or the most lines, but the scenes she is in are lightened up by her line delivery and all around adorableness. Robert Macnaughton as Michael and Dee Wallace as their mother, Mary, also deliver pretty good performances.
Now, if someone went back and watched 1977's Star Wars, or even it's sequel, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), they wouldn't be able to spot a single shot that looks bad, as far as CGI goes. However, going back and watching this movie, a few of the shots, especially of the spaceship, look pretty fake. Keep in mind, this film came out in 1982, five years after Star Wars (1977) and two years after The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and some of the CGI just doesn't hold up. There are more than a few times that E.T. had some obvious green screen going on, either with the spaceship of the flying bikes (we all remember that part, right). However, this is the only negative this film has or will ever have.
Overall, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a straight up masterpiece. Many films have tried to copy this movie, including Earth to Echo (2014), and even some elements of the film Super 8 (2011), but none have ever succeeded. Thanks to it's amazing acting, fantastic themes, and great direction, E.T. gets an A, or a 9 out of 10.