Customer Reviews

E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial [VHS]

5 star:		(320)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

Let me explain something that I feel a lot of people are forgetting. This set doesn't only include the new version, but the old as well. That's a great deal, since you can choose which one you would like to see. If you hate the new effects and CGI, don't watch it. It's that simple.

Now don't get me wrong. I think the newer version is very silly, and I wonder if Spielberg really thought it looked good when he did it. Maybe if he were to do it in around 10 years, it wouldn't look so animated.

I did like the deleted bathroom scene though, even though it was done with CGI. It would have been nice to have seen that in the original, but I guess that would be having my cake and eating it too.

There is nothing flawed about this set, it simply just gives some options that not everyone will want to choose. If you enjoy the movie, you will enjoy this set. It's a classic that hasn't lost it's flavor after all these years.

Both versions of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece are available on this limited edition DVD of E.T- THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. The original 1982 and the 2002 re-mastered version are equally impressive. The minor cuts and restored footage doesn't add much. Sure, the CG E.T is impressive and there are some great moments put back in that make the film feel more complete. But the heart of the film stays the same. Differing from Spielberg's more strident films (JAWS, the INDIANA JONES films and JURASSIC PARK), E.T is the simple story of Elliot (Henry Thomas) who finds a friend from space and helps him to find his way home, hence the oft-quoted line "E.T phone home!". The iconic image of Elliot riding past the moon is one of the most memorable movie moments in cinema history, accompanied by John William's whimsical score (Another coup-de-grace par-excellence). The film itself is still emotionally involving and the peformances of the principal actors, especially Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore are fantastic. Regardless of the film's 2002 theatrical dissapointment, Spielberg's masterful storytelling holds up to this day. One of my all-time favourites, E.T will always be remembered as one of the greatest cinema experiences in film history.
The DVD extras are very impressive. Startting off with Disc One, the 2002 version has an introduction by Steven Spielberg, a live performance of John Williams conducting at the 2002 premiere and an "exciting space exploration". Disc Two has the 1982 version. the extras include a "Spotlight on Location" featurette, The Reunion: The cast and filmmakers talk sbout the film. The Evolution and Creation of ET: hundreds of production photographs, conceptual drawings and original advertising in an interactive environment. Also included are theatrical trailers and DVD-ROM features. A must have DVD.

First, I want to make it clear that I'm reviewing the DVD here, not the original film. I liked the original; it's a good movie. Not as fantastic as it is hyped to be, but good enough to have on DVD for an occasional viewing. I give the film 4 stars.

I have BIG problems with what's behind this DVD, and the "special edition" of ET that's on it.

The 2002 edition of ET is just absurd. As others pointed out, CGI ET looks silly, and isn't consistent with the "old" scenes that include ET. His stiffness was part of his physical character. Making him more "jar-jar" just doesn't make sense. It's an example of "lets do it because we can". There are lots of thing we "can" do that we "should not" do, and this is one of them.

But much worse than this is the digital removal of the guns. Not only was this poorly done (from a technical point of view), but it's an example of Political Correctness(tm) gone mad. Guess what: government agents and cops carry guns, and they point them at people/things that they are trying to stop/apprehend. Get over it.

I hate to see a work of art like ET defaced just to appease a loud, misguided minority of people who believe in political correctness. Bowing to this minority was a cowardly act.

Finally, the packaging Universal has chosen is obnoxious. The only way to get the original film is to buy a very expensive "gift boxed set", filled with things I do NOT want. I'm willing to pay for a boxed set, but only if it contains the following items: Original movie with original 5.1 sound track, commentary track(s), deleted scenes, making of and/or retrospective featurettes. That's it. This would probably fit on one disc, making a boxed set unnecessary. ...

As a "Star Wars" fan, I have to admit, George Lucas' 1977 grand epic movie DID NEED to be fixed, Lucas totally buffed up its Special effects, which it needed, SW Special Edition is phenominal compared to its original version, however I don't feel the same way about E.T., I mean what really needed to be fixed????, SW was Sci-Fi, so naturally it needed it, E.T. had very little effects in the way of visuals, I don't know what Speilberg is thinking, I mean, is he trying to compete with Lucas in a friendly way??, You can bet I will be watching the 1982 version, this film really is a timeless classic about an alien left behind on earth who soon befriends Elliott, a 10 year old who lives in what appears to be the valley of Los Angeles, Elliot & E.T. share a special bond, it is every lonely kid's dream, I was 11 when I first saw it, it hit home, because at the time I was new in my neighborhood, & my mom had just gone through a divorce too, I was an only child too, so you can imagine, E.T. always heightened my spirits, this film is great in that it shows what a fun character E.T. could be, the original puppet used was by all accounts well done, why they felt the need to digitally enhance E.T. is beyond me, we have never seen Jar Jar Binks as a puppet, so we don't think much about it, but E.T. you do, had digital technology been possible in 1982, then maybe it wouldn't matter, but now it does, another flaw is the removed guns from the government agents, (another mistake), why be politically correct??, I mean lets face it, agents hell bent on capturing an alien would not be so kid-friendly, in all reality they would be pursuing with guns, not walkie-talikes!..., Speilberg should have left this treasure alone, I can understand Lucas' argument on SW, but this one had little in the way of visual effects, I say stick with the original version & skip the 2002 version, the original may cost more, but it is worth it.

I grew up in the 80's and E.T. was always one of my favorite movies, and it still is and always will be. Like most Steven Spielberg movies, it was a classic and broke new ground in movie genres. It's about an alien called E.T. that befriends a young boy (Henry Thomas)and for awhile, nobody else even knows anything about E.T. until Elliot tells his brother, sister, and friends about E.T. They all laugh and don't believe him until he introduces his brother to E.T. and his sister (Drew Barrymore). Both become attached to the alien just like Elliot. When the mom (Dee Wallace Stone) finds out about E.T., trouble arises and the law is out to find E.T. That's when Elliot's and his brother's friends find out about E.T. and try to keep the alien away from the law. In the end, E.T. goes back home and leaves the family with a sense of friendship and belonging.

E.T. is one of the best classics of all time and it has its mark on movie history. Not because it brought in tons of money at the theatres, but because it was a revolutionary drama and a movie that anybody could enjoy. It probably has more memorable scenes and lines than any other movie of the 80's. Some are when E.T. makes the bicycles fly through the air to make getting away from the police a breeze, Elliot and the gang trying to find E.T. by laying a bunch of Reese's pieces on the ground, and the all-famous line "E.T. phone home." I'm 19 now and I haven't even looked at my toys for years, but some of the ones I remember most are a E.T. light that my mom used to keep glowing in my room and a phone with E.T. on it. E.T. brings back many memories from when I was a kid and I can't wait to show it to my kids and tell them about it when I get married and have them one day.

Even if you don't like drama movies, this is one movie you can't miss no matter who you are. I don't know too many people that don't like this movie.

E.T. is one of my favorite movies of all time and when I heard that it was being re-released in movie theatres everywhere I was ecstatic. I went into the movie theatre thinking this was going to be the best re-release ever! But boy was I wrong. Spielberg ruined it by putting in a CGI-animated E.T. which frankly looked VERY VERY FAKE! I prefer seeing the flimsy E.T. from the 82 version. But there was a good thing about the 20th anniversary: the inclusion of a bath scene with E.T. and Elliot that is so funny and cute. Another thing that really ticked me off is that guns were re-placed by, get this, WALKIE TALKIES! You say, oh that's a good thing I don't want my kid to see guns pointed at E.T. Well parents somehow or another your kid is going to see the original version sometime or another. I really also don't like how I have to for out [$...] to get the original 1982 version in this ULTIMATE GIFT SET! The contents of this box are:

A 3-disc set of the E.T. DVD Release
The 20th Anniversary music CD (I ALREADY OWN THIS!)
The original script
And a senitype (whatever the heck that is, I'm guessing its a piece of film from the movie)

I already own the soundtrack so I'll be getting 2 of something I already have. Oh well, I'll just have to fork out [$...] to get the original, but its not even in 5.1 surround. For that you have to watch the BUTCHERED 2002 release. Bad Universal Bad!

OK, I have no real problem with a director changing a movie and doing silly things like changing walkie talkies into cellphones and inserting newe incredibly obvious CGI versions of E.T. into the movie. Whatever. I didn't go see the movie because I wanted to see the original.

Now the only way to see the original is to buy this rather idiotic {price] "Gift Set" which comes with a bunch of stuff I don't need. There's no option to just buy the original version. The ONLY WAY to see the original version of this movie, THE WAY THE MOVIE WAS MADE is to drop [price] into the lap of Universal.

But wait it gets worse... At [price] you expect some extra features, right? Wrong! Sort of. The only real features (trailer, deleted scenes) aren't even available on the DVD. No, you need both the DVD *AND* a new expensive computer with a DVD-ROM drive *AND* a fast internet connection to see the scenes quickly *AND* it better not be a Mac. And you know that online content will only be around for a few months before the website changes and that will no longer be available.

And finally, let's hope you're not a sound buff. The original version, eventhough it was filmed with 6 discrete sound tracks isn't even going to have surround sound --- eventhough it had it in the theatres!!!

Thanks but no thanks. I won't spend a dime until this is all fixed.

This product is limited and is no longer being made by Universal studios. Steven Spielberg prefers that you buy his new "enhanced" version of E.T.

I, like most reviewers here, prefer the original version of this movie. What Spielberg did in 2002 for this movie was he computer-animated E.T., enhanced a few scenery shots, added two extra scenes, and digitally removed all hand guns.

Now I don't mind him adding extra scenes, but all the other things basically changed the film. I liked E.T. the puppet. He was more real. Speilberg basically just threw away all the work that the puppeteers did (which was made up of little people, a boy with no legs, and a lady doing E.T.'s arms). Yes Spielberg, I understand that this is what you WOULD HAVE done if given the technology back 1982, but you don't have to change anything.

And digitally removing the handguns and replacing them with walkie-talkies was stupid too. Government agents will use guns to stop anyone who tries to stop them. Spielberg's philosophy behind doing this was that he regretted having the government agents using the guns to apprehend kids. But that's what agents do. How are they going to stop the kids with walkie-talkies, say, "Hey, I have a walkie-talkie and I'm not afraid to use it." Spielberg was also upset about having guns in a family film. Well, he didn't really make this a "family film" when he allowed cussing in it, such as the "b" word, the "s" word, and somebody calling someone else "pen*s breath." How come you didn't edit that Spielberg?

So if you can, try to buy this product, because this is the only way to find this film in its original version (unfortunately this product has the 2002 version but it's all worth it). Every director should have the freedom to do what they want to the films, but keep the original versions for fans please! That goes for you too George Lucas.

I bought this item because I read a review saying that it contained the original 1982 version of the film. It does not. If you are a fan of the original version, like I am, and want to see it without a cartoonified makeover, look elsewhere. I will be returning this DVD.

Spielberg really messed up this time. Why oh why is he putting the 2002 version on this dvd? The computer graphics look botched up, and we didn't need the extra scene in the bathtub. The original version would have been a smarter move to put on a collector's edition dvd. The puppet from the original looked just fine. He really messed up.