E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - Review

I remember seeing this film as a kid on VHS, but little did I know that I was watching the altered CGI Version aka the Director's Cut. Word around the web is that that particular version is a disgrace to the E.T legacy, much like the Star Wars special editions (George Lucas and Steven Spielberg are best buddies you know?). Anyway, I was able to watch the unaltered, original version shown in theatres. Sure I didn't get all the scenes I remembered as a kid, like the scene where Elliot pours Coca-Cola onto the telephone, but what I did get was pure 80's kids sci-fi magic. I really think this is the perfect way to introduce children to Science Fiction, other than Star Wars of course. Speaking of which, there are a ton of Star Wars references in this film (Another nod to Spielberg's good buddy George Lucas). The reason why this film is so beloved by many, is because of the relationship between the kids and E.T. Not only are these some of the best child performances I've ever seen, but the way they interact with E.T is so dead on. Even E.T. is cute and charming to watch. He sees the world with curious eyes much like how the children view him. I will admit, however, for young children, there are some downright terrifying scenes. For kids aged 8 and older, I don't see it being a huge problem, but there is a subplot about the government looking for E.T. which comes to the forefront later on which can be pretty dark for a kids film. Also, one mention of "son of a bitch", but kids films could get away with that film. Also, warn the social justice warriors for scenes of alien and child intoxication and a young middle school boy kissing a girl without her consent. I'm only kidding of course. This film takes the subject of "are we alone in the universe?" and turns it into wonderful kids, science fiction adventure. Every kid should experience the magic of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial!