Tuesday, June 18, 2013

E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial [PG]


A curious little alien is on earth as part of a mission. But the mission is brought to a hasty finish when humans turn up to patrol the forest, and the little curious alien is accidentally left behind. Now lost and three million light years away from home, the little alien has the fortune to meet a lonely 10 year-old boy who is willing to help him get home. So begins a friendship that knows no earthly bounds, but time is short as the alien, E.T, begins to weaken and get sick from being on earth too long and there are grownups out there who are keen to find him and take him away. 

This has to be Spielberg’s tour de force. His greatest masterpiece. Everything about E.T. is just magnificent. It’s touching, heart warming, funny, scripturally clever, the soundtrack is beautiful, and it will bring tears to the eyes of any stone-face in the audience. I was in tears at the very end. This movie really is a classic: a flick that will always stand the test of time, engage new audiences, and include absolutely everyone! 

A curious little alien is on earth as part of a mission. But the mission is brought to a hasty finish when humans turn up to patrol the forest, and the little curious alien is accidentally left behind. Now lost and three million light years away from home, the little alien has the fortune to meet a lonely 10 year-old boy who is willing to help him get home. So begins a friendship that knows no earthly bounds, but time is short as the alien, E.T, begins to weaken and get sick from being on earth too long and there are grownups out there who are keen to find him and take him away. 

There are so many things to talk about with this movie, but let’s first start with the soundtrack. Composed by John Williams who brought us other memorable soundtracks in Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Superman, the beautiful orchestral score that accompanies this movie is just incredible. Williams has a great ear and seems to have an innate talent for creating a score that can so perfectly reflect what’s being shown on the screen. His music for E.T. is absolutely magnificent and I particularly love that it doesn’t really sound like his other works: you know how the themes to Superman, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars all sound sort of similar? This score stands out and I might go as far as to say that it’s my favourite. 
It’s impossible to say who steals the show in this flick. The performances from the predominantly child cast are just amazing, balanced too with the adorable pot-bellied puppet that is E.T. The puppet was amazing, with his adorable wide eyes, and was equally as strong a cast member as any of the live actors. 
The screenplay, script, generally the entire movie was a wonderful display of Spielberg’s impeccable timing and pace and his incredible sense of balance is also a key feature in this flick as the movie is grownup enough for adults to enjoy it, but childlike enough for the kids to appreciate it. It’s absolutely PERFECT! 
Starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, K.C Martel, Sean Frye, C. Thomas Howell, and Drew Barrymore, Spielberg’s homage to childhood is an absolute classic filled with action, adventure, friendship, drama, suspense, and comedy. It’s so beautiful, a real cinematic wonder that you can’t go your entire life without seeing! I MEAN IT!

"E.T. phone home..."

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