Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 183 Ratings

  • Director: Steven Spielberg
  • Genre(s): Adventure, Sci-Fi, Drama, Fantasy, Family
  • Rating: PG
  • Runtime: 115 min
  • More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 26
  2. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. 100
    This movie made my heart glad. It is filled with innocence, hope, and good cheer. It is also wickedly funny and exciting as hell.
  2. Always a magical film. For its anniversary rerelease, though, it's been extensively restored and even partly reshot by Spielberg. It now looks better than it did back then.
  3. Reviewed by: Staff (not credited)
    80
    One of the most popular movies ever made, E.T. translates religious myth into cute, familiar terrain.
  4. Reviewed by: Rick Kisonak
    60
    The story itself holds up fairly well though, twenty years later, does come off as thinner than I recalled.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 44
  2. Negative: 9 out of 44
  1. zeyadk
    10
    An excellent film directed by a master.
  2. A heartwarming family adventure, E.T. for once, is not an alien who eats people who tries to destroy planets or whatever. This is a picture of youth, courage, and an absolute testament to the childlike wonder. I LOVE this movie. There's only 2 flaws:
    1) It is a bit long, (but it had to be to tell the story)
    2) The first 4 minutes are absolutely boring.
    Expand
  3. Not quite a master piece but for sure an instant classic. I enjoyed this film throughout. The film did lack a bit in the acting. It seemed to me like Henry Thomas needed an acting coach. But for a young child he did essentially well. Never the least, the rest was spot on. The plot enlightened me. It messed with my emotions. It made me feel like a child again. The film contained many important contributions to plot build up. Especially the part when Elliott was at school and connected to E.T. My most favorite part of the film was the bike ride. Or should I say bike flight. It just might be one of my favorite scenes in cinematic history. It made me believe I too could fly on a bike. Okay, not really because I am aware that it is just a movie. But I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at. I highly recommend this film to anyone and everyone. To parents reading this you might want to show this to your kids because it's great for the imagination. I'm pretty sure that penis breath could escape there mind. Expand
  4. What a pile of horse faeces, this just reeks of being over-rated. Considered a classic but in my opinion just a pointless piece of work. I do not care about the characters or the plot, the movie is a waste of time but I shouldn't influence your choice; watch it and make up your own mind. Expand

See all 44 User Reviews