E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and Drew Barrymore
Director: Steven Spielberg
Running Time: 112 mins
Certificate: U

Available to buy on DVD 28th October

Left alone as his ship is forced to leave without him, he is left in a strange land. Scared and unsure of what to do, he heads for the nearest habitat hoping to find someway of sending a message that he is still here. There he finds a young boy called Elliot (Thomas), who is scared at first and then welcomes him into his home. Even though the two are unable to communicate, they form an inseparable bond that will affect the future of both of them. After discovering what he really is, Elliot gives him the name E.T. that is short for Extra Terrestrial.

To mark it's 20th anniversary (I feel old), Steven Spielberg has revisited on of his most loved movies and tweaked it for a new generation. After seeing his friend George Lucas do it extremely successfully with the original Star Wars trilogy, Spielberg has re-added previously deleted scenes, digitally re-mastered the film and added new enhanced special effects. Now the movie includes an extended opening sequence, E.T. having a bath and other smaller scenes added to enhance the story where budget and time had previously not permitted. The question is has it made a movie already considered a classic any better?

Yes and no is the answer. The extended opening and the bath scene are very welcome and add to the story and dramatic impact of the movie. But to me it is the new special effects that let the movie down. While the new computer generated E.T. is exceptionally well done, his facial expressions are superb and it gives a new lease of the life to the character, the new effects seem to make the old ones that remain look very dated and substandard. For example, at the beginning of the movie you see the new CG E.T. running as his ship is leaving and then at the end you see the woman in the suit E.T. really struggling to walk up into his ship. Spielberg should have either left it all alone or replaced the old E.T. completely, as the mixing of the two just shows how poor the original model actually was.

This aside, what really puts E.T. head and shoulders above many other family films is it's heart. It is a funny, sad, moving and joyous story that should defrost even the coldest heart and has really stood the test of time. Don't miss your chance to introduce a new generation to a movie phenomenon that deserves to be viewed on the big screen all over again.

2 Disc Special Edition: -
'E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial': The restored, remastered and re-edited 20th anniversary edition of the film
'20 Years Later': An intimate interview with director Steven Spielberg about the making of the film
'Isolated John Williams Live Music Score': A live performance conducted by composer John Williams (2002)
'Space Exploration': An interactive journey into space using 3D graphics
'The Creation And Evolution Of E.T.': A unique behind the scenes programme featuring previously unseen footage, interview and Henry Thomas' original screen test!
'The Music Of John Williams': Interviews and footage of the long-standing relationship between composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg
'20th Anniversary Premiere': An exclusive look at the preparation, rehearsal and live performance of John Williams' score at the 2002 premiere of the film
'The Reunion': Cast and crew reunite to discuss their thoughts on the impact of the film
'E.T. Archives': Production photographs, conceptual drawings and original advertising materials
Trailers
DVD-Rom features: Behind the scenes material, interview excerpts, premiere footage
Dolby Digital (5.1)
Interactive menu & Scene access