E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

It has been quite a while since I last saw this movie, and I was definitely too young to understand it. I thought it was slow, boring, and E.T. was super weird and creepy. I am glad I gave this film a second chance, mainly due to the fact that it is a landmark in cinema with children all across the world. Now, I have to say this: it is a wonderful movie, but lacks in its story.

My relationship with Steven Spielberg, to put it lightly, goes back and forth to the extreme. On one hand he did Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and Catch Me if You Can. Wow, what a list, but then there is the other hand. The Adventures of Tintin, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (yikes), The BFG (don’t even bother to watch that one), and War of the Worlds, and these are just the films I have seen from his repertoire. I have never seen a man with such a vast range of quality. Saving Private Ryan and Raiders of the Lost Ark are masterpieces in directing and storytelling, and then he makes The BFG. Honestly, I was more disappointed in The BFG than Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because I could laugh at how poorly made Crystal Skull was made. In The BFG, I was almost pulling my hair out. He started out great in his career with Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but recently he has dipped into the pit of his own weaknesses and seems to be struggling to get out. I am excited for Ready Player One, mainly because the Iron Giant is in it, but with Spielberg in the chair, I am nervous about its success.

Now that I am off my soapbox about the director, let’s actually dig into my experience with this film. It has every positive element of Spielberg: the long shots, the well-chosen child actors, great props, and a spectacular score from John Williams. John Williams is a genius, no offense to Hans Zimmer, and when the film let’s his music play, it is pure magic. The main child actor, Henry Thomas, is fantastic. The other child actors, especially his brother, are nothing compared to his performance. With the music and the childhood fun, this film is very well made and drips with passion, but what I think it falls short on is the antagonist. The whole jingling-keys-build-up is genius, which Spielberg learned how to do from Jaws, but when the antagonist finally gains a face, he fades into the background as a nice guy that does not stand in the protagonist’s way. What kind of villain just lets E.T. go home? You can say that the government was the antagonist, and the jingling keys represent them as a physical metaphor, but the police and HAZMAT guys do a terrible job at being an obstacle. They show up, fail at their jobs, and leave. Every time. What kills the urgency of the story is the fact that when a time crunch does appear, it happens and then goes away. E.T. is sick, dies, but then comes back. That is the only true obstacle of the film, and the main character just makes it stop: he disconnects his bond with Elliot so he can live, and then he himself gets saved because his space ship is coming. There are no consequences, no diversions from the original plan that the characters must sacrifice to reach their goal, nothing. From point A to point B they get everything done, and if a police car is in the way E.T. can just make them fly. These problems are present because Spielberg does not care about those elements, he wants to make an adventure that kids can experience, and that means he himself must sacrifice key elements of a true story. Something he has done countless times since (The BFG).

When I take a step back and look at this film, I realize that there is nothing like it. I enjoyed it, and I think it is a good movie, but there is no personal connection. When people ramble on about how this film changed their childhood, I don’t see it. I can list several other films that, to me, have more emotional weight than E.T. (The Iron Giant, The Lion King, Up, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Dumbo), and some of these can also be found on Netflix. If you still want to see it as a classic Spielberg film that started countless pop culture moments, then go on Netflix and enjoy yourself. Overall, in the sea of children’s films, though very recognizable, I believe E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial will drown under the volumes of far better stories.

Story Rating: 5/10

Character Rating: 6/10