Iconic, Timeless Classic

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2007)

Starring: Henry Thomas as Elliot Dee Wallace-Stone as Mary Robert MacNaughton as Michael Drew Barrymore as Gertie Peter Coyote as Keys
So it's safe to say this is one of my favorite movies ever. Any time I'm asked to list them, this ends up fairly high. Spielberg crafted what I feel is his ultimate masterpiece here, and that's coming from someone who was a dinosaur nerd growing up. At it's core, it's a basic story of friendship. A boy meets a strange alien and they soon form a bond. It's the kind of kids movie you don't see anymore, and yet this movie is great for all ages. If you're expecting me to say anything negative about this movie, back out now, because it just isn't going to happen.
First of all, what would a movie this good be without a lovable cast? Henry Thomas brings it, even at this young age, as Elliot. He's one of the few kid actors who isn't annoying. Spielberg somehow had the uncanny ability to find child actors who didn't annoy you when it came to the main roles of his movies. Even Drew Barrymore is tolerable in this movie. The cast feels like a family, and relate to each other like one. Dee Wallace-Stone is great too, and the government officials look shady enough that you know not to trust them with ET.
So you get to see what happens to this family once this alien visits Earth and decides to be friends with Elliot. The story also works on multiple levels. A story of friendship or a sci-fi tale. Some people even claim it's a religious allegory. I don't buy that but it proves to me that it works on multiple levels for different people. This movie also features iconic scenes, such as the famous flying bicycle ride in front of the moon. Another would be when the government finally shows up at Elliot's house, and they look very menacing in their biohazard suits. ET's goodbye, ET's memorable line, it's all here and it's all as wonderful as it was when it first came out. And with iconic scenes, I would be wrong not to bring up the terrific score by John Williams. Fits the movie perfectly.
The man of the hour, ET, doesn't look too shabby himself. Back before they edited the thing with CGI, they used a puppet and animatronics to bring ET to life. And it worked. He moves, talks, displays emotion and acts like he were part of the cast. Why they needed to go back and fix him with CGI is just as puzzling as why Yoda became CG. It's not necessary, the effects they used in the eighties worked. As a kid, I totally bought that ET was real, and as an adult, I appreciate the work that went into making him so lifelike.
That's another thing I love about this movie, it still holds up. Instead of showing my kids whatever new penguin movie gets churned out, I'm pulling out ET. It's still a great movie and still brings a certain magic to the screen that few movies can top. ET gets the full monty from me, and that's all there is to it. See this film if you haven't already.
Rating: ***** of *****