RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / E.T. The Extraterrestrial
E.T. The Extraterrestrial

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
98 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:88

Fresh:86

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8.9/10

Consensus: A piece of movie magic that touches hearts both young and old.

Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: The 2002 rerelease of E.T., which marks 20 years since the film's 1982 debut, includes never before seen footage, enhanced visual effects, and a new remastered soundtrack. E.T. THE... The 2002 rerelease of E.T., which marks 20 years since the film's 1982 debut, includes never before seen footage, enhanced visual effects, and a new remastered soundtrack. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL is Steven Spielberg's warmhearted classic delight for both children and adults. It tells the story of an alien creature, E.T., mistakenly left behind on Earth. When a young boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), finds E.T. and hides him in his home, both their worlds are changed forever. E.T. teaches Elliott and his two siblings (Drew Barrymore and Robert MacNaughton), whose parents have recently separated, about caring and love while the children protect E.T. from the malevolent world of grown-ups. Elliott and E.T. become so close that they share emotions; as E.T. becomes ill, so does Elliott. The children end up going on a fabulous adventure trying to help E.T. find a way back to his home planet. The movie was originally going to be based on a story idea by director John Sayles, but after he removed himself from the project, screenwriter Melissa Mathison (Harrison Ford's wife) took over the script and made it her own. John Williams's beautiful soundtrack became forever linked to E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. [More]

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace Stone, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace Stone, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

Director: Steven Spielberg

Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Melissa Mathison
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg
Composer: John Williams
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 14

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for E.T. The Extraterrestrial

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Spielberg triumphantly succeeds in bringing the magical to the everyday.

Full Review Source: Film4 | comment Comment
03/04/08
Film4
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Although conclusively demonstrating Spielberg's preeminence as the popular artist of his time, E.T. finally seems a less impressive film than Close Encounters.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The simple truth is, no other movie has the same power to unite audiences in wonder and fulfilment.

Full Review Source: UK Critic | comment Comment
04/13/03
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic

This is Spielberg's masterpiece, a near perfect film directed with astonishing skill and unafraid to get sentimental ... without crossing the line into syrup.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/12/02
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Spielberg triumphantly succeeds in bringing the magical to the everyday.

Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
04/01/02
FilmFour.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A devastating rebuke to anyone who has presumed to patronise this great film-maker.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
03/31/02
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Twenty years after smashing box-office records, Steven Spielberg's gentle sci-fi fable returns to screens as vital and accomplished as ever.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
03/27/02
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A masterful evocation of the wonder, the magic and the pressing anxieties of childhood.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
03/31/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek

More than the work of any other filmmaker, Spielberg's output seems uniquely designed to induce in me this queasy false-memory syndrome.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment 18 Comments
06/04/07
Don McKellar
Don McKellar
Village Voice

On inherent merit, the movie would not warrant such a highly publicized re-release, but this is one of those films that transcends what's on the screen.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
06/04/07
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

A contemporary classic.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
06/04/07
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

It helped alter the course of sci-fi movies by suggesting that intergalactic aliens might not be monsters but friendly, even loving, creatures. This doesn't make it a masterpiece, but it's fun.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
06/04/07
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Though marred by Spielberg's usual carelessness with narrative points, the film alternates sweetness and sarcasm with enough rhetorical sophistication to be fairly irresistible.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
06/04/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader

What I see is simply a timeless story about friendship, loss and maturity -- and, perhaps, an idealized America of the kind Hollywood and politicians strive to convince us could really exist.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
06/04/07
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

...a bona fide classic that has something to offer moviegoers of all ages.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
01/06/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

This enchanting fable displays Spielberg's masterful craftsmanship as well as his belief in religious mythology.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/21/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

E.T. is a film I will continue to watch over and over for the rest of my life. It is one I will never grow sick of, no matter how many times I watch it.

Full Review Source: Movie Views | comment Comment
11/25/05
Ryan Cracknell
Ryan Cracknell
Movie Views

It's a simple beautiful story about loneliness, friendship, and the bittersweet pangs of childhood.

Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | comment Comment
09/30/05
Scott Nash
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

What do Ernest Hemingway, Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein, and E.T. have in common? The eyes, according to Spielberg.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
08/14/04
James Plath
James Plath
Reel.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for E.T. The Extraterrestrial

March 10, 2009: Moviefone Counts Down 40 Greatest '80s Movies Opens in new window
What are your 40 favorite films of the '80s? Take a look at Moviefone's "Best '80s Movies" list, and see how many match up with your own. More...

July 16, 2008: Exclusive: The World of WALL-E
The artists behind this year's freshest film share their story with RT, with exclusive contributions from Andrew Stanton, Ben Burtt, Jim Morris, Lindsay Collins, Angus MacLane,... More...

May 16, 2008: Steven Spielberg's Ten Best-Directed Films
RT counts down the ten best-reviewed films directed by Indiana Jones helmer and modern moviemaking legend, Steven Spielberg. More...

June 22, 2007: AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was done they churned out 15 other lists every few years. And then last night they... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
40% 40% Surrogates
83% 83% Whip It
29% 29% Gamer
97% 97% The Hurt Locker
81% 81% Michael Jackson's This…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
87% 87% A Serious Man
37% 37% The Time Traveler's Wife
78% 78% Bronson
11% 11% The Stepfather

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Oscar Nominations

Oscar Nominations

The Academy have chosen their contenders.

Anika Noni Rose

Anika Noni Rose

Disney's new princess picks her 5 Fave Films.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges

The Crazy Heart star's best roles, ranked.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton gives RT an exclusive peek.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tom Cruise Accepts Another Mission: Impossible Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
34
  • Chris Nolan on Board for Dark Knight Sequel -- and Superman Reboot? Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
258
  • Tim Robbins Joins Green Lantern Source: Hollywood Reporter
58
  • Fox Moves Forward with 24 Movie Source: HitFix
8
  • Bill Murray Talks Ghostbusters III Source: Sunday Mail [UK]
56
  • Captain America News, News, and More News Source: Collider.com
20
  • Taylor Lautner Is Stretch Armstrong Source: MTV
78
  • Weekly Ketchup: Sci-Fi at the Oscars, Raimi eyes The Shadow
288
  • Percy Jackson Star (Briefly) Rumored for Spider-Man Reboot Source: Hollywood Reporter
35
  • Five Facts About Alice in Wonderland
140
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Jeff Bridges' Best Movies
114
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Finally Toppled by Dear John
104
  • Weekly Ketchup: Sci-Fi at the Oscars, Raimi eyes The Shadow
96
  • Five Favorite Films With Precious' Gabby Sidibe
35
  • Friday Harvest: The Last Airbender, The A-Team, and more!
27
  • Critics Consensus: From Paris With Love Is Not Bon
22
  • Total Recall: Anthony Hopkins' Best Movies
19
  • Five Favourite Films with Anika Noni Rose
17
  • Awards Tour: Pixar and Disney Rule The Annies
15
  • Great Directors: Martin Scorsese's Career in Film
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Oscar Nominee Gabby Sidibe Talks Precious
20
  • One Man's Quest To Find The Worst Movie Ever
7
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
77
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
22
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
3
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
13
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • E.T. The Extraterrestrial at Rotten Tomatoes
  • E.T. The Extraterrestrial at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

Competitions
Get the Flixster App Now
Get the Flixster App Now External Link

Download it from iTunes and get Tomatometer scores straight to your iPhone.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2010, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.