Pure Torment

Rating: 2/10 (22 June 2015)

This is one of the worst films I've ever forced myself to sit through. I'm astounded that audiences are taken in by its paper-thin veneer of manufactured warmth and cuddliness, and blinded to its gaping flaws as drama. ET is to beloved childhood films (say, The Yearling, or Sammy Going South, or The Thief of Bagdad, or any of Disney's best works) what the Twinky is to homemade apple strudel.
I'll leave aside the obvious contrivances of the concept, and the utter lack of likability of the rubberized title character. Instead, I'll note the main element that made me detest this film: the manipulative illogic of the central premise. We are expected to see the parents as the villains, even though they're clearly not. We are expected to cheer the brave, resourceful kids who actually accomplish nothing other than a needless escape from people who are clearly trying to help them.
There's no other semblance of tension here, so if that collapses - and it does, in a great putrid, oozing ball of schmaltz - there's precious little left. Spielberg is a brilliant technician, and he's made a few truly outstanding films. But ET is Spielberg at his soppy, sentimental, nauseating worst. An agonizing thing to watch.
Avoid, if at all possible. And above all, give your kids a more nourishing myth to sustain them in their later years.