In 1982 director Steven Spielberg introduced the world to the beloved alien E.T. The Extra Terrestrial in the film of the same name starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, and Peter Coyote. The film became a culture phenom with toys, clothing, a ride at Universal (still one of my favorites), appearance in Star Wars, and more. Now to celebrate its 40th Anniversary it is getting an all-new release.

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows a gentle alien who becomes stranded on Earth and is discovered and befriended by a 10-year-old boy named Elliott. Bringing him into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as he is dubbed, to his brother, Michael, and sister, Gertie, and they decide to keep his existence a secret. Soon, however, he falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both him and Elliott.

 

I mean what can be said about this iconic classic that hasn’t been said thousands of times. Like most I love this film and remember experiencing it in theaters for the first time. It’s that kind of movie that every time I watch it those old memories come flooding back and makes me love it all the more. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since this film hit the big screen, but even more surprising to how well it still holds up today.

 

The film is full of laughs, heart, love, sadness and adventure making it easily one of the most well rounded and fun films ever made. This new 4K version is gorgeous and helps to bring the film back up to the quality it deserves on all fronts. It has had numerous releases over the years, but this one is the best to date in not just visuals, but the fun new content diving into the history to the film itself making it a must have for everyone’s collection.   

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