A new classic!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2011)

It is so refreshing to see Spielberg back to his old ways. Yes he was the executive producer, but this is clearly heavy handed with his influence. The story is taken from our young hero's point of view when he ventures into the world of the supernatural. Much like ET, our hero is young, is the product of a single family home and whose compassion and inner strength are pushed to the limit when forced to tackle something beyond his world. Yet it is his compassion and inner strength, thought to be weak by the other characters, that saves him and much of the community. Fans of Spielberg will recognize the elephant/lion roar mixture of the creature, which can be found in other Spielberg films such as Jurassic Park, and as far back as The Duel. And of course, this is collaboration with J.J. Abrams, who we can only imagine was heavily influenced by Spielberg's earlier works such as Close Encounters and ET when writing this script. This is a new classic that will be remembered as this generation's ET. Flawless in every shot! Bravo Abrams and Spielberg!