ET All Grown Up

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2019)

12 June 2011. The biggest problem with this movie is that ET may have grown up too much and the target audience of this movie is well...confusing. There are kids in this movie and in some ways ET forms a basis for it and there are the Goonies (1985) resemblances as well as the Stand By Me (1986) suggestions, yet there are also more juvenile and adult themes going on as well, including suggestive horror mutilations more commonly found in older teen films. There is a great special effects sequence reminiscent of The Fugitive (1993) and the close up shot making especially in the beginning sequences that confirm that a picture is worth a thousand words as the, brief non-verbal headshots used by J.J. Abrams, the director really captures the quality physical acting of the son, girl, and father in this movie. The storyline is so simple, yet the construction and development of the plot is presented in such a way as to geometrically expand the simplicity of the story in an amazing and compelling way. The relational conflicts in this movie are solid, disturbing, and yet well suited in the final product. The best comparison to Super 8 is that it is a bigger budget, more mainstream version of the hard to find Wavelength (1983) which is itself an overlooked sci fi classic. Super 8 is one of the best movies of the year and takes a lot from Jaws (1975) in its direction and style of presenting drama and thrills to the audience.