E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
December 2002 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

E.T. is one of those rare films that touch all hearts and every age. I will never forget the first time I saw it. A tough motorcycle-club guy I knew, who had seen the movie, was sitting across the aisle, and started teasing me before the film began, saying I’d cry at the end. At the finale, when E.T.’s lighted finger touched Elliott and the diminutive alien said, "I’ll be right here," I glanced across the aisle and this dude was having a three-hankie episode. But he was right; my eyes were tearing full blast too. This movie, like The Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio, other rare five-star offerings, touches the heart deeply without taking a false step. The script perfectly captures the wonder and pain of growing up. If you are a kid, you are there, and you know. If you are grown up, you remember and want to go back to that time again.

Director Steven Spielberg says, in one of the supplements found on this DVD set, that E.T. is his most personal film. He admits that he was never thoroughly pleased with a few scenes, noting that in some cases technology was not advanced enough at the time the movie was made to present the scenes properly. He has corrected these places to his satisfaction in this 2002, 20th-anniversary edition. The opening scene, in which E.T. becomes separated from his fellows and stranded on earth, now features a full-motion E.T. The original version was done by simply pulling a red light along a track. Many close-up shots of E.T. have been fine-tuned using computer-generated effects for more subtle facial expressions. Most of the changes are not really alterations, but enhancements or clarifications. Most, but not all. There are two new scenes. One shows E.T. and Elliott clowning around in the bathroom, teasing each other about their respective heights, and E.T. enjoying a soak in the tub. Another takes place during the Halloween sequence and gives Drew Barrymore a great moment. The first of these scenes adds tremendously to the overall sequence in which Elliott and E.T. bond.

The DVD set that I reviewed contained two discs. There is a three-disc version as well, but this one contains most of what one needs. The first disc has the 2002 version in a stunning transfer. Though I have loved E.T. since it came out, I have never thought of it as a particularly good-looking film. This 2002 release has totally altered my previous opinion. The contrast has been completely redone and rates A-plus. There are shadows and dark scenes, but no murkiness. It is now much easier to figure out what is going on at all times. Detail from scene to scene will elicit astonishment from even the most jaded viewer. The sound is detailed as well, with ideal spread and a surround design that is important, but never overbearing. As a real bonus, you can have the music two ways. The original tracks are there, re-mixed to Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX and DTS 5.1 ES. But when the new version premiered, it featured a live orchestra conducted by John Williams. That performance was recorded and is offered on the DVD as an alternate to the original.

Disc 2 contains the original 1982 theatrical release, alas, without any improvements at all. The picture is quite good, but the disc is single layer so it cannot begin to compare with the 2002 version on the dual-layer disc 1. And the sound is good old-fashioned Dolby Surround 2.0 with matrixed center and surrounds. The second disc also features a reasonably good documentary, as well as excellent still-frame galleries containing original designs, advertising art, and location photographs. The first DVD, by the way, shows scenes of John Williams rehearsing the orchestra for the 2002 premiere and gives one a fascinating inside glimpse at the coordination between the movie and the live performers.

E.T. should be in every collection, and Universal has made it quite affordable. But there is a catch. The studio promises that it will cease selling it after 31 December 2002. If you do not have a copy already, you had better hustle. It is well worth the effort.

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