E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Director: Steven Spielberg
Year Released: 1982
Rating: 2.0
Christ-like alien - fond of parlor tricks like bringing dead flowers back to life and using his 'bleeding' heart as a signal - is accidentally separated from his eco-friendly buddies and finds himself under the protection of a young boy and his family. This is one Spielberg film that hasn't aged well, saddled with a squawking, un-charismatic lead (Henry Thomas) and featuring a script (designed exclusively for children) lifted and altered from 50's sci-fi movies - though to keep with Spielberg's humanitarian, family-first agenda, the foreign creature is very peaceful, leaving the menacing antagonist/Father figure(s) to come in the form of assorted scientists and researchers (including Peter Coyote) who chase after the young, curious tykes and dream of dissecting the defenseless title puppet. I wasn't all that fascinated with it when I had to see it in grade school - I recall chatting with friends in the back of the class about ninjas and candy - and even less so now, where I kept thinking about the Arkoff and Corman movies this originated from.
