4.0 Stars (out of 5) - Rated PG

Synopsis

A heartwarming story of the special bond 10-year-old Elliot forges with an alien he names E.T. The adventures they share as Elliot tries to hide his new friend and E.T. tries to get back to his planet provide plenty of action, laughter and tears.

Starring:

Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, K.C. Martel, Sean Frye, C. Thomas Howell, Erika Eleniak

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Blu-ray Release Date:

October 9, 2012

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:

Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

Subwoofer - 2.5 Stars

Dialog - 5.0 Stars

Surround Effects - 3.0 Stars

Dynamic Range - 3.5 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French: DTS 5.1, Spanish: DTS 5.1

This DTS-HD presentation of E.T. is front heavy, but does a decent job panning the action from left to right. The rear speakers are rarely used, but expand the sound in the room when spaceships fly, leaves rustle in the forest, bicycles, speeding cars, and of course the famous John Williams musical score. Dialog doesn't lose any lines in this updated mix. The low end is kind of light, no rumbles or booms exist, but bass isn't really necessary for this film.

Video 4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

Color Accuracy - 5.0 Stars

Shadow detail - 4.0 Stars

Clarity - 3.5 Stars

Skin tones - 5.0 Stars

Compression - 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect ratio: 1.85:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

E.T. looks just like it feels, the colors are warm, and bring out the hues in the kid's cluttered rooms, plaid shirts, Reese's Pieces, orange sunsets, and Elliott's bright red hoodie. There are several dark scenes, and lots details get lost in the shadows. There's a lot of film grain and it adds a sense of nostalgia, but also seems to restrict the clarity. Overall, clarity is average for a Blu-ray. Nothing really pops out as great, but it doesn't look fuzzy either. Wrinkles on E.T.'s greasy skin are clearly visible, clothing textures, and pine needles also show decent detail.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Steven Spielberg & E.T. (HD, 13 minutes): An interview with Spielberg where he discusses E.T.'s genesis, development, the script, and cast.

The E.T. Journals (HD, 54 minutes): Lots of behind-the-scenes footage in a two-part documentary. If you're a fan of the movie, this is a must see.

Deleted Scenes (HD, 4 minutes): Bathtub hijinks and Halloween anarchy.

A Look Back (SD, 38 minutes): A production documentary ported over from the 2002 20th Anniversary Edition DVD.

The Evolution and Creation of E.T. (SD, 50 minutes): Another behind the scenes look pulled from the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD, except this one is a little redundant.

The E.T. Reunion (SD, 18 minutes): Spielberg, Thomas, MacNaughton, Barrymore, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and producer Kathleen Kennedy gather together and share memories of the shoot.

The 20th Anniversary Premiere (SD, 18 minutes): Composer John Williams and a full symphony orchestra perform the film's score for a live audience watching the movie at its 20th Anniversary Shrine Auditorium premiere.

The Music of E.T. (SD, 10 minutes): A conversation with Williams.

Designs, Photographs and Marketing (SD, 45 minutes): Six image galleries.

Special Olympics TV Spot (SD, 1 minute)

Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes)

Movie - 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

E.T. is a very charming and warm classic piece of movie history that still remains to be relevant for today's generation of kids. Spielberg does a great job of telling the story without simplifying the movie, which makes it relate to adults as well as children. It could be said that movie is slow in some parts, but during those parts it's actually taking it's time to build the characters and increase the sentimental content that makes this movie a classic. The plot is light, but is full of emotional significance. Movies where kids become best friends with aliens now seams cliché, but this movie was what started it and made it cool.