Despite the movies great effects for the time this over the top smaltz factory from the man obsessed by 6 year old heroes himself (mr spielberg) is the most over rated bag of salmon sick I have ever watched. ET go home? I wish he'd never bothered to come here in the first place.

An excellent film directed by a master.

Unlike all the listed critics, I never saw this as a child. Watching it for the first time as an adult makes for a pretty boring two hours. A 97 score? Come on.

This movie was too boring.

It's very decent fluff, but that's all it is. Seems like most critics seem to enjoy fellating Spielberg, and this is no exception. What's more shocking is that this rerelease of a successful film is a sleazy tactic we're more used to from the likes of George "Hack" Lucas. Don't get me started. You know what? If you saw E.T. the first time, there's no reason to waste $10 on it again. The added scenes, cleaned-up special effects and remastered score are smokescreens for Spielberg's grotesque grab for cash. While the film rates a 6, the motivation behind the rerelease deducts it a full 5 points. Enjoy your thievery, Steven.… Expand

Taking the guns out made this movie blow. Leave movies alone.

From sequels to altered originals. The original would have scored a 9. But you don't change a movie once released. Twenty years later, I still love E.T., but the new version would have better use in a scrap heap.

Like all Spielberg movies, every single minute of this looser is predictable. This is the first movie that made me realize that Hollywood was pandering to me--I was about 19 then. The term "puerile" not only comes to mind, but walks up to me with a stupid look n its face and slaps me around for ten solid minutes.

This movie is tired and boring. It makes me feel like a little boy all over again, and that isn't a good feeling. I gave this movie a 1 because I felt like giving it this many middle digits the entire time I watched it.

Don't listen to the cynics, those who reject anything with an ounce of heart. Forced sentimentality is junk, yes, but this movie has none of that. It's enchanting and wonderful. A great film all around.

One of Spielberg's greatest films by far, timeless storytelling.

One of the best modern classics!

Ask John Williams to play in your country live with his orchestra in E.T.'s 30th Anniversary Edition. Please enter here: http://sites.google.com/site/et30thjohnwilliams/Home

When I first watched ET as a young teen, I think I was the only person in the theater laughing instead of crying. Even at that age, I found it to be cliche and not really that meaningful. It doesn't beat Wizard of Oz for allegory and myth.

The re-release of this movie proves how most all movies don't stand up well to it now just as they didn't before.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. HE IS AFRAID
HE IS ALONE
HE IS 3,000,000 LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM HOME

Weather you like it or not, I truly believe at everyone has to admit that E.T. Is a pristine example of a perfect film! It is so much more than a little boy meeting a slimy little alien. E.T. Is the 1982 masterpiece about the innocence of nature not only from this world, but the innocence that the rest of the universe might quite possibly obtain. E.T. shows you that no matter how far away, sometimes the most important person in your life could be one that lives 3,000,000 light years away from you and that despite the distance, you and that person will always have a phenomenally strong connection no matter what. It shows in the film when E.T. gives his life for Elliot out of nothing less than pure true love and compassion for him.

The cast is phenomenal despite only making one true star, Drew Barrymore, while she's fantastic, Henry Thomas Knocks it out of the park with the greatest performance I have seen from a child actor ever. This movie s brilliantly directed by Steven Spielberg who made so man fantastic decisions, such as filming the scenes in order of when they occur in the story so that the child actors would not get confused. Steven Spielberg, a man who planned to never have children, was convinced due to how like able these child actors were. Spielberg has even claimed that he feels like they were his first kids, he basically was there for Drew Barrymore's entire life and is basically a father figure to her.

E.T. Is easily the most emotional film of all time as well, making little kids to grown men cry like a lost kitten not once, but twice in the film! The film also manages to have it's little comedic moment to lighten up the mood, which are placed out perfectly throughout the film. Not to mention the adult cast is amazing as well, specifically Dee Wallace, who might very well be the ultimate mother figure to ever grace the big screen playing the type of role countless of times. It is a movie that is perfectly paced throughout it's two hour runtime that just draws you into the story and towards the end makes you crave for more like the chunky lad on a baseball team craving a bottle of water after running to first base. It perfectly builds up to an epic finally completely built up by your emotions which consists one of the greatest scores in film history by John Williams.

Not to mention E.T. Steals the show by completely controlling the audiences hearts like a puppet on strings. E.T. is so easy to just fall in love with that he could even make a queen xenomorph tear up! This film truly shows how you could use practical effects rather than CGI, check out the deleted scenes in the twentieth anniversary edition, in a much more effective way. E.T. remained the highest-grossing film of all time for about twenty-one years until another definitive Spielberg film called Jurassic Park. E.T. blew up like a pimple on prom night, being on the cover of everything such as, T-shirts, cereal, and candy. Hell, E.T. even became best friends in real life with the so called "greatest entertainer to ever live Michael Jackson,"to the point where they even took one of the most iconic images involving the two from the iconic E.T. soundtrack.

E.T. is probably the only big moneymaker in film history to escape an amateur sequel, trust me I read the plot, because Spielberg came and told the studio that they couldn't do a sequel, because they truly did have a perfect film.......and the studio agreed for once. E.T. Not only is the biggest film to come out of the 80's, but it is probably the first movie to gain as much support from the audience as it did. E.T. Is still remembered today as one of the all time greatest masterpieces in film history and still continues to touch audiences hearts around the planet..........and will continue to do so until the end of time! E.T. is Pure....... Perfection! My Favorite Film Of All Time!… Expand

I loved it. Loved it. I did not see it when it came out twenty years ago, since that was the year I was born, but we own the video, and I have seen it several times, but not for a while. And it was magical, poignant, and the opposite of everything the the "age of irony" stands for. I am certainly a cynic myself, always suspicious of sentimentality, but this movie is neither boring nor hackneyed. It's visual and audial poetry, each working together to enhance the other. You don't need to look for complicated meaning--it's about a child in a grown-up world; reminding us of the honest curiousity of a childhood on the brink of adolescence--old enough to be cognizant of the world, but still young enough not to be sullied by it. And it wonderfully contrasts the adult reaction with the child's--logic versus wonder. It's hilarious as well as thoughtful, and I think it's one of the best movies ever produced.… Expand

The Mulroneycakes Tapes is right. We, spielberg-film lovers, are not "dopes" nor "idiots". We simply like the best movies that Hollywood can offer. And Spielberg makes those films.

This is truly an excellent movie for children and adults alike. Had to take off some points for editing out the guns though... I personally think it was a very bad idea to remove them in its re-release. Still, a great movie.

That the young and gawky Spielberg may have alleviated his lonely childhood with dreams of befriending space aliens is kinda touching. But, did he really have to infuse his inane suburbia-bred silliness with all the sanctimonious messianism of the Holy Roman Church? Some turd shaped frog from outerspace befriends a misunderstood kid named Elliot, and, oh my, the big bad government is out to get them. The brown frog dies, is resurrected, and returns to heaven. Was mankind saved? No, but it was milked worse than by any unscrupulous televangelist. … Expand

Shamelessly contrived button pusher. Let's just let the children run the planet. Mushy with characters the thickness of cardboard cutouts. Stupid Stupid Stupid. Bad story. Great film. It's amazing how skilled plot development and editing can save the worst of material. The alien becomes a metaphor for a lost pet or lonely child, and the human children are recognized as imbued with wisdom and people worthy of their parent's tolerance and trust. Never judge a film for its subject matter, only for its treatment of it. Spielberg pulled a fast one here. Then went too far (Jurassic Park). … Expand

Hmmmm...this is really interesting. When E.T. was first released, a lot of critics hated it. Now that it's re-released, they love it...i don't get it....Anyway, this movie is just a classic and one of my favorites. (Please stop calling movies "shows"...unless you want to look like an idiot)

Why do some people have to spit on the Great? Steven is one of, if not THE best filmmaker of the late twentieth century. That's a cast-iron FACT, friend. And ET is one of the most toweringest of his towering achievements - unless you're a shriveled husk of a being, of course. Michelle the P makes a good point in that a post-ET's depature coda would have been nice; still, you can't have everything. But with this movie, you'll come close.… Expand

One the great American movies. One of the best children's movie ever made. When it was first released twenty years ago, I was the same age as the lead child actor Henry Thomas and I was living in a sprawling suburb similar to the one E.T. was set in. Spielberg created soulful characters in a cut out, cardboard suburb. If you want a glance at what life for children living in the suburbs was like in the early '80s, then watch this film. … Expand

Seriously one of the best movies of all time. It transcends the boundaries of age and has the power to touch all. It touches the innocent inner child that we all have deep inside. The acting is superb. And don't forget the killer soundtrack that is as moving as the story itself.

Do you believe in magic? A wonderful story for children of all ages. A true classic.

A masterpiece that you will fall in love with every time you see it. Key word, "will."

Spielberg's E.T. is one of greatest movies ever made, as a 13 year old, i've never been a fan of kid movies. But E.T. lives on as the friendliest alien Earth, or at least, the movie Industry has ever met. The effects are spectacular, everything is superb. It's a favorite of my all time movies.