A good family film, with a stunning climax

Rating: 8/10 (21 September 2007)

Steven Spielberg has directed a good number of hit movies in his career, and without a doubt "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" turned out to be one of them. I can recall seeing this highly acclaimed family sci-fi adventure when I was probably around five or six years old. This year, well over a decade later, I've watched it twice, unable to remember the entire film beforehand (I may not have actually seen it all during my childhood). I don't consider this 1982 smash hit the work of genius that many others have considered in to be over the past 25 years, but I certainly can't empathize with the haters.
When a group of extra-terrestrial beings come to Earth, one of them is accidentally left behind. This lost alien comes near a house where a young boy named Elliot lives. Elliot is obviously frightened when he first sees him, but eventually, the young boy invites the alien into the house and hides him in the closet. He reveals E.T. to his siblings, but they must agree to keep the creature a secret from their mother! Elliot and E.T. become great friends, and even begin to share the same feelings! However, E.T. is desperate to return to his home planet, and starts to build a contraption to "phone home" with. Meanwhile, a task force is aware of the presence of an extra-terrestrial being on Earth, and is on the lookout for E.T.!
This is a family flick, but not every single line in it is clean, which is what earned the film its PG rating. If you ask me, the occasional mildly raunchy lines were unnecessary, and if they weren't used, it wouldn't have reduced the quality of the movie at all. However, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" is a good piece of entertainment despite that. It may not be that great around the beginning, but eventually gets better. There's a good amount of excitement, as well an occasional comical scene (such as E.T. in women's clothing), and some poignant scenes, most notably the very moving climax, one which my eyes nearly watered from (something that very rarely happens to me while watching movies), and probably the ending as well!
Some seem to consider this movie strictly for kids, but if it was, I really don't think the IMDb rating wouldn't be anywhere near 7.8, and the movie wouldn't be considered such a significant one. Yes, I would say "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" is a great film for kids (parents, just remember the PG rating, and why it's there), but it has clearly pleased many adults as well. So, for adults, liking this film may not be as much of a guarantee as it is for many kids, but if you're still into family adventures, you should probably at least give "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" a try, since it turned out to be such a big hit, and has continued to receive a lot of praise through the past 25 years!