Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​I would venture to say that our love of cinema can be traced back to one particular film that latched onto our hearts and opened our eyes to the wonder that motion pictures can accomplish. It’s a movie that we all look upon fondly whenever we watch it and on a personal level, the film that accomplished that particular feat for me premiered in theaters in 1982 when I was still just a young boy, and to this day I will never forget the magic that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial brought into my life.
 
Granted, I get it, when you’re just a kid, just about any movie will shock you and blow you away and well, this movie did in that spades. The whole notion of a nice alien coming to earth and making friends with an everyday child sent my burgeoning imagination soaring at the possibility that maybe, just maybe that could happen to me and while that obviously never ended up being the case, it sure didn’t stop me from seeking out more films as the years rolled on that would provide me with the same sense of wonder. And while I have indeed discovered more films that have left me in awe, none of them have ever fully managed to replicate the power that this motion picture had over me.
 
If anything, this movie is on my mind once again, because after years of letting it sit on my shelf with the rest of my collection, it’s suddenly finding new replay value in my household after I caught it on cable and found myself grinning like a fool the whole way through and clapping with childish glee when Elliott and E.T. took to the skies and while it is a blast to travel down memory lane, the writer in me loves to reflect upon the impact that movies have on our lives and sandwiched in between my giddier moments while re-watching this classic, I often found myself wondering exactly what has allowed for this story to endure and age so well, and what exactly makes E.T. so special.

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​If anything, I would venture to say the first key element as to what makes this movie so special is the sheer fact that it thinks outside of the box when it comes to science fiction. Often times in this genre, an alien coming to Earth is bad news through and through since they’re usually looking to conquer mankind but E.T. was a benevolent being and an explorer and to see him want to learn about our world for a bit and yearn for home is the kind of story element that sucks the audience in with its sheer uniqueness and it doesn’t end there. Because if the alien isn’t evil in stories similar to this, mankind is, and they hunt the visitor in question in the hopes of cutting it open and studying it and well, that simply wasn’t the case here. Yes, the scientists in this film do indeed want to learn more about E.T., but they’re not here to hurt him and heck, they even go so far as to try and save him when his health is in decline, and well, both of those elements are refreshing to this day since the opposite is still prevalent in this genre.
 
But the true magic of this film goes beyond bucking clichés, the movie is also about as uplifting as it gets, because there really isn’t a moment of malice from the main characters in this movie in the slightest. Everyone is helpful and kind in this film, and even Elliot’s friends are willing to risk life and limb to save a creature from another world and its message of kindness is one that is definitely necessary for today’s world. However, the one part of this film that continues to amaze me after all of these years, is the sheer fact that this story, manages to remind us exactly what it’s like to be a kid since it exudes a sense of wonder and hope that we only find in our youth and that oddly enough stays with you long after the movie has come to an end.
 
All story elements aside however, the movie is a technical marvel as well, the special effects have withstood the test of time and John Williams magnificent score still sends your heart soaring at the proper moment and really, when all is said and done, this film is a modern classic and a masterpiece through and through. It truly shows off Steven Spielberg’s talents as a director this is the kind of motion picture that I hope steers clear of the remake/reboot trend that’s currently surging through Hollywood, simply due to the fact that E.T. is lightning in a bottle and this kind of flawless motion picture will never be replicated again and in all honestly, that’s a good thing because this one, is truly something special. 

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