Perhaps one of the greatest movies of all time, and undoubtedly Spielberg's finest hour in the sci-fi field, ET remains today one of the most admired and loved films of the 80's and of the last century. So let's see how it does on my grading scale, but I'll bet it'll do fine.
Here's the plot:
The film begins with a group of aliens, or extra-terrestrials, landing on Earth for a short time. They are spotted by the government, who are tracking them, and they leave. Unfortunately they left behind one of their own, who is then forced to live on his own in the big state of California.
We are then introduced to the main character, Elliot. He's a kid from a tough family of one mother, one brother, and one sister. He's the middle child who goes outside one night to pick up a pizza. He discovers the alien, who happened to wander that way, and runs inside afraid. His family and brother's friends don't believe him, but he lures the alien into the house where he hides him.
After faking sick the next day, he gets to know the alien better, but his brother and sister find out about him. In a cute scene, they agree that the alien is not going to harm them and that they must keep him secret from their mother. They realize that he is sort of a magical alien who shows them through his levitating of objects.
Soon the alien begins to link to Elliot. So while Elliot is in school, strange things happen, including a frog scene and a kiss with a girl. It is right after this that the famous line occurs: ET phone home. It is then that Elliot realizes that ET wants to get off the planet as soon as he can.
Elliot begins to build a sort of "phone" where ET can communicate with his family, or should I say, fellow ETs. On Halloween night, they test it. ET is disguised as a ghost, that way they can get him past their mother. They successfully communicate with the aliens, but ET is so excited he leaves by himself trying to find the aliens.
Elliot wakes up the next day in the same spot as the phone, and sees ET gone. He begins to feel sick, little does he know that ET is dying, and the connection he and ET share is causing him to die, but eventually he and his older brother find ET. Then the mother discovers the alien, and the government officials return.
ET and Elliot are taken by the government officaials into a sort of labratory where they are "healed". ET seems to die as Elliot recovers. But soon it is revealed that ET is alive and that the aliens are almost there. He and ET steal a van and as the government chases them, and his older brother and his gang, ET makes them fly as the police blockade them.
They land in the forrest, the same spot ET came from. The ship returns, and ET returns home. Elliot and company are deflated that he's leaving, but they know that he is safer there than here, thus there's no place like home, even for ET.
Now for grading:
Acting: 9 out of 10. Very good child actors.
Entertainment: 10 out of 10. Funny, warm, and heartwarming along with sci-fi.
Screenplay: 10 out of 10. Excellent.
Directing: 10 out of 10. Spielberg's masterpiece among masterpieces.
Technical Credits: 10 out of 10. Everything is outstanding.
Genre Fit: 8 out of 10. Technically its a family film, not to be mistaken for a sci-fi, but there's a little horror here and there along with action sometimes.
MPAA Rating: 9 out of 10. A little swearing here and there, but its at a PG level.
Stupid Scenes: 10 out of 10. None.
Deeper Message: 9 out of 10. Show many things, some more obvious than others, but they're all great.
Beginning: 25 out of 30. Great start.
Middle: 26 out of 30. Great stuff here.
Ending: 30 out of 30. Sad but very very good.
Final Score: 166/180 or 92%. An A, but a low one at that, but that doesn't really mean anything. It's still a wonderful movie, one of the best.
Replies
Never have Seen it. Didn't think it was something that I had to see.