Retrospective Film Review

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) • 40 Years Later — emotion and wonderment in a children’s classic

A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a perennial favourite. It never gets old because there’s always a new generation to experience it. Those who see it at the right age will never forget how it felt to discover something scarily wonderous, then find it to be a friend in need, realise it’s just what they needed themselves, and feel the deep pangs of love, loss, and hope all packaged in an exciting, perfectly paced, and ultimately positive cinematic adventure.

It’s the deep emotional core that keeps E.T. fresh, eternally appealing, and relevant. It touches upon concepts of compassion, tolerance, and displacement. It examines how we may define ourselves by the way we empathise with the other — an important lesson that can still be applied on a global scale considering our attitudes toward refugees and climate justice.