E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: 2 Disc Limited Collector’s Edition on DVD

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial:
2 Disc Limited Collector’s Edition
(Widescreen Edition)
Distributed by
Universal Home Video

    Cover

  • Cert: PG
  • Cat.no: 22257
  • Running time: 121 minutes
  • Year: 1982/2002
  • Pressing: 2002
  • Region(s): 1, NTSC
  • Chapters: 20
  • Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 (Eng only)
  • Languages: English, French
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
  • Widescreen: 1.85:1
  • 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
  • Macrovision: Yes
  • Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9
  • Price: $29.98
  • Extras:20th Anniversary Premiere, John Williams Live, SpaceExploration, Making of E.T., Designs, Photos, Marketing, The Reunion,Trailers, Cast and Filmmakers, Production Notes.

    Director:

      Steven Spielberg

Screenplay:

    Melissa Mathison

Cast:

    Elliott: Henry Thomas
    Gertie: Drew Barrymore
    Michael: Robert MacNaughton
    Mary: Dee Wallace Stone
    Keys: Peter Coyote

A couple more classics and DVD will have a full libraryWhat have we got in the past year? Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Back to the Future,and now E.T. The Star Wars trilogy will not arrive until 2005 so don’tget your hopes up. Was it worth the wait or has the film aged a bit?

Everyone who has seen a movie knows the plot of ET. But the story is socliched (ET was the first to use it) that it can be summed up fairlyquickly. An alien is left behind on Earth and he finds his way to afamily’s home. He is soon befriended by Elliott and the two develop astrong friendship. But ET wants to go home because he is dying. Pluswe’ve got the FBI searching for him too.

Both versions are included on the 2 disc set: the 2002 remasterededition (complete with CGI updates) and the original 1982 version – alast minute decision by Spielberg. But has ET aged a bit over theyears? Yes and no.

The plot has been used so many times since then thatI didn’t get anything out of it and some of the lines are ridiculous.The good quality is that ET himself still works as a character (we DONOT need CGI for him) and there is still a good message for anyone whocares. But after 20 years this film has lost a little bit of its magicor maybe it’s just because I just finished watching some QuentinTarantino films. Still good, but not as great as I wanted to rememberit. And yes I watched the 2002 version after watching the 1982 versionfirst.

The 2002 version is offered on the first disc while the 1982 version ison the second. I’ll just go in order. Both are presented in 1.85:1anamorphic widescreen. The 2002 version exhibits richer colors and is alittle brighter than it’s original counterpart. But blacks are not asdeep as they are on the 82 version. I noticed more pixelization incertain scenes on the 2002 version.

The 1982 version was put in at thelast minute since it was only being offered in the expensive box set.You’d think after being crammed in at the last minute would affect thequality but suprisingly it does not. Blacks and solids are noticeablydeep and colors are fine. The 82 version is not as bright as the 2002version but this is the way I remember it. In terms of quality (andpreservation) I’d pick the 82 version as the best one.

Sound is the same for both versions. Both include Dolby Digital 5.1tracks along with a DTS 5.1 track. Both exhibit good sound for a movielike this. ET wasn’t meant to shake the Earth or anything but each soundis rendered nicely on both tracks.

Some extras had to be dropped to include the 1982 version, which I’mglad happened. But what we were left with is just ok. Nothing great,nothing spectacular, pure fluff. The box set has more extensive extras.Here’s how it stacks up:

Extras on disc 1 note: (after hitting the option for bonus featuresyou’ll have to watch an introduction by Speilberg but you can skip it ifyou want, why does Universal put automatic segments on their DVDsanymore)

Disc 1:

  • 20th Anniversary Premiere: 17 minutes long and presented in fullframe. Shows how the orchestra actually played the soundtrack live whilethe guests watched the new version. Also shows how the projectors wereset up.
  • John Williams Live at the Shrine Auditorium 2002 Premiere: Alternatesoundtrack to 2002 version. Strangely enough I couldn’t tell a realdifference from the other track.
  • Space Exploration: Just a kiddie extra, info on each planet narratedby ET.

Disc 2:

  • The Making of ET: One of the only good extras in the set. 24 minuteslong and presented in full frame. Shows aspects of making the ’82version and the 2002 version, also shows some screen testing footage.
  • Designs, Photographs, and Marketing: Preliminary sketches of ET, finalsketches, spaceship designs, production, photos, and some merchandisingstills.
  • The Reunion: 17 minutes long and presented in full frame. Main castand filmmakers have gathered together for the first time in 20 years(they didn’t have time for an audio commentary?). It’s pretty cool tosee them all together again and everyone looks the same exceptSpielberg, Drew Barrymore, and Robert MacNaughton. They mostly justreminisce about what it was like filming and how much has changed. Ithink this was on NBC before the 2002 premiere.
  • Trailers: Only the 2002 trailer and the shameless promotion of theBack to the Future Trilogy DVD. At least they didn’t force the BTTFtrailer on us at the beginning of the film like Universal usually does.Where’s the 1982 trailer? My guess is the since the 82 version was putin at the last minute they left the 2002 trailer since that was all ithad to begin with. Both trailers are non anamorphic.
  • Cast and Filmmakers: Production Notes. Two of the longest survivingDVD extras besides trailers.

Overall this 2 disc set leaves a lot to be desired in terms of extras.The only notable extra, and even that is not great, would be thedocumentary on the making of the film. Everything else is prettydisappointing.

Now here’s the biggest disappointment. The packaging is a paper foldout. Alright, that’s not bad. But shouldn’t there be a slipcase to putthis in? The package is premanently open for dust unless you putsomething on top of it. Their is no title on the spine either. I’ve alsoheard complaints, and seen pictures, of people tearing the coversbecause of the multitude of security devices. Why do we even havecardboard cases anymore? There are 20 chapters to both films and themenus are animated the same way on each disc.

Overall, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by Universal’s offering ofET. For the true purists I would recommend purchasing the box set butfor those of us who will not spend 70 dollars for a movie here you go.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALL
Review copyright © Traveta, 2002.

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