A movie that gets better with age

Rating: 9/10 (14 September 2015)

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982), one of the most famous science fiction films ever made, needs no introduction. Even if you're not the biggest filmfreak you'll know without a doubt that it was directed by the one and only Mr. Steven Spielberg. Upon its release date in 1982 the world fell in love with this oddly creature from outer-space. Not that it matters much, but even Lady Diana and Ronald Reagan were moved to tears after seeing this film. But what were those secret ingredients that made E.T. as unforgettable as it turned out to be?
Spielberg takes us on a trip in an American suburban development. Out in the wilderness a spaceship lands at night, with odd-looking creatures taking what seems to be samples of trees and plants. After being startled by humans the creatures depart again into outer-space. There is just one problem, they forgot one of their friends, E.T. Without spoiling too much of the script E.T. befriends a little boy named Elliott and an adventure for both little 'men' begins.
Our hero in this particular film, besides E.T., is in the human form of Elliott who's played by Henry Thomas, a now former child actor who gives an extraordinary performance. The strength of his performance lies in the fact that it comes across as very natural and childlike. What Thomas feeds his character is something rarely seen around child-actors in Hollywood films.
Upon watching "E.T" again, for probably the 20th time or so, it becomes clear that this film tells much more than just the story about a little boy befriending an "Extra-Terrestrial". In its essence "E.T." deals about friendship and love. The sequential story develops the back-story of our little creature, the personality of Elliott, the relationships between the humans and so on. All of this is told in a fluently manner that makes us, as viewers, involved in what is actually a creature created by special effects. We empathize in the friendship between Elliott and E.T, sometimes with tears and sometimes with laughs.
"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is a film that drives on a stream of different emotions throughout its entire runtime and Spielberg serves us just the right amount of these emotional ingredients. The film has moments of childlike innocence and hope, funny and exciting moments and a sequence that's so tear-dropping even Conan the Barbarian with blow his nose during the end credits. In the end E.T. is one of the most remarkable characters ever created in Modern Cinema and a film that ,like fine wine, only gets better with age.