The wonderful product of a long evolution

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 1999)

By 1982, Spielberg had already mastered several genres: Terror (Jaws); Science Fiction (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) and, remarkably, adventures with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first modern adventures film. He put all those together with his ability to understand and manipulate the public's feelings and created E.T. that is a lot of a drama and a bit of all the previously mentioned movies.
This long evolution, together with the excellent work of John Williams was enough to create one of the best films of the decade, and perhaps the Spielberg's master piece. It is sensitive, sweet and emotive, while thrilling and cheerful sometimes. It distills the true essence of Hollywood. Not surprisingly, it shocked the whole world at its release and its influence was tremendous. Like it or not, the picture of the flying bicycles has became an all-time classic and will be associated forever with he cinema in the eighties, and not just the kids will remember the words "be good".