Overlong, very sentimental but likeable film which like the Star Wars movies started a merchandising frenzy. The idea of the friendly alien protected by the kids, harmed by adults struck a chord, it helps when ET himself was brilliantly designed to be neither repulsive nor overly cute and some of the direction is very skilled indeed. There are some magical moments( Elliot's and the kids' bicycles taking to the air) lifted by John Williams' majestic score. The performances of the kids are generally spot on too making this one of the few blockbusters that is likely to endure, the story is so simple.
 


A new edition in 2002 substituted walkie talkies for guns and added dubious CGI effects.

Stupefyingly successful box office fairy tale by the current wonder kid Spielberg, taken to the world's heart because he dares to make films without sex, violence or bad language. Leslie Halliwell

DVD available from Universal Home Video :
http://www.amazon.com/