I may be the only American of my age who's never seen this before. I recently picked it up at some blow out sale (Big Lots)?

I'm at 44 minutes into it, & imo it's dreadful. Really bad. Does it get better? It's got such a good reputation I thought this would be a no brainer.

Different folks, different strokes bro.

I can't imagine coming to E.T. as an adult instead of as a child, much less almost 40 years after it came out. You might find someone who saw it as an adult but even then you'll miss the cultural zeitgeist piece of it. Good luck to you, hope you keep going.

It's still a favorite for me and my kids.

You've just discovered cinema's dirty little secret: Movies that are incredibly popular are not always actually any good.

While that may be true as a generality, E.T. is in fact, very good. Well made, well acted. It just is a more innocent film from a less cynical time. Doesn't change the fact it's a great movie, if not everyone's taste.

Funny thing to say about a movie whose title character is a monster with wrinkly scrotum for a face.

You aren't wrong. It's dreadful. It's beloved by people who first saw it when they only had the discernment of a child, and who as adults feel nostalgic about it. I first saw it with a group of friends in our 20s, and we all felt insulted by the climax.

That "less cynical time" was the post-Watergate post-Vietnam era. The villain of the movie is the government, just as it is in Spielberg's other movies Close Encounters and Jaws.

I will admit the last half was much better than the first half; in fact I would have been fine if it had started there & left out the first 50-55 minutes.

I no longer think it totally sucks, but I can't imagine watching it again.

It was made as children's entertainment in a much simpler era when childhood was still rather innocent. You probably would have loved it as a six-year-old upon seeing it in 1982. Some of Hollywood's most popular movies fall apart once their era has passed.

E.T. is Spielberg's "Wizard of Oz." It's incredibly well directed, paced, and edited. It's one of his top three films, behind only Jaws and Schindler's List. I think it's more tightly scripted than Raiders of the Lost Ark. And I love Raiders.

Ha, yeah. I've heard that before, which is funny since Spielberg is Jewish. So I don't think that was anything he was trying to incorporate.

But you're right, it's a children's movie. And anyone who's watched any of the docs on previous releases will hear from Spielberg himself that it was meant to be a children's movie, right down to not showing adult faces as much as possible. I always thought that was a great touch. And as Shannon states, it's one of his best in terms of direction, pacing, and editing.

Oh, and what really elevates this is John William's score. I can't imagine this movie having the same impact if it didn't have that score.

But NOT better than Raiders! My favorite movie of all time!

Certain movies must be seen as a child to appreciate as an adult, imo. Not sure if E.T. falls under this for most, but for you at least, and that’s cool. I didn’t see The Goonies until recently and think it’s terrible, and I hate very few things in life.

You have been found in violation of Code 34.2 by the Movie Police. Your Indiana Jones' Blu-rays will no longer work in your player.

The Goonies definitely falls in that category. I caught it as a kid and it made a huge impression on me. It's told through the lens of very young protagonists, which is very easy for children to identify with, whereas it's much tougher for adults to feel the same thrill with the protagonists.

But other than finding the Ark for the Nazis, Indiana Jones is pretty much an observer in that movie...everything would have happened the same way had he not been around.

I recently watched "E.T." on 4K, not having seen it for quite a while. I was surprised at how dark the cinematography was for much of the film; 4K films are darker by nature, and by comparison the Blu-ray seemed to have the brightness boosted.

Not at all. If Indy hadn't been around, the Nazis would have gotten the medallion, found the Ark with ease, put it on the flying wing, and transported it to Berlin. The Ark would have been opened in Hitler's presence. It would have killed Hitler, killing him in 1938, before WWII and the Holocaust. If Indy had stayed home, his inaction would have saved a hundred million lives.

(That isn't original to me. I saw it on the internet someplace.)

I saw The Goonies for the first time a few years ago. I liked it fine. It was a children's movie, but it didn't inspire hate in me like E.T.

It is strange to have a ET movie review thread in the HD Talk forum.

Well the OP did state in the title Blu-ray, so I'm guessing that's why.