Movie Review: E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL

1982

PG

"I'll be right here."

-- E.T.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 sci-fi film directed by Steven Spielberg that went on to win four Academy Awards. The film follows the story of small, friendly alien who is unintentionally left on Earth when his fellow aliens are forced to escape during a foraging expedition. The alien stumbles upon a house where he meets a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Although initially frightened, Elliott elects to bring the alien into the family home, hiding him inside his bedroom closet to keep him safe. He affectionately names the creature "E.T.," and he soon introduces the creature to his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and his younger sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore). Together, they do their best to hide E.T. from their mother Mary (Dee Wallace), but it becomes increasingly clear that E.T. simply wants to find his way home. E.T. and Elliott band together to create a communicating device that will send a signal into space in the hopes that E.T.'s ship may hear it and come to his rescue. However, a crew of government agents led by a man only referred to as Keys (Peter Coyote) learns of E.T's existence and moves into position to capture him for themselves.

I have to say that it's going to be difficult to write a review for a film so universally beloved as E.T. The film itself will turn thirty this year, and in that span of time, I'm sure millions, if not billions, of people have had the opportunity to watch it. It's a timeless tale about love and friendship, and even today, it still manages to find its way into the hearts of so many viewers. It had been quite a while since I'd had the opportunity to see the film in its entirety, but I was able to do just that yesterday, so here we go with my review.

I think we first have to take a look at the cinematic landscape in which E.T. was initially released. In the five years prior to E.T.'s release, the sci-fi world had seen the likes of 1977's Star Wars, 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1979's Alien and 1980's The Empire Strikes Back. To release a science-fiction film in the late-1970s or early 1980s was to have it compared to a slew of fantastic fare. At the same time, we need to look at the exploding Spielberg career. In 1975, he released Jaws, which he followed with Close Encounters. Then, in 1981, he released Raiders of the Lost Ark. With three preceding films like that, it was going to be tough to create something just as good. And still, Spielberg still managed to craft something truly brilliant with E.T.

Let's start with the film's screenplay, shall we? At it's base, it's a very simple story. A lost alien enlists the help of a young boy to aid him in getting home, and the two develop a beautiful friendship along the way. That's essentially the plotline in a nutshell. Sure, there are a few twists and turns here and there, but at the end of the day, that's the basics of what we're getting. Where E.T.'s screenplay excels is in its point of view. The film has a very childlike angle, placing the tale of first contact into the mind of a child. For the first two-thirds of the film, the adult perspective is essentially removed from the film - a feat achieved by denying the audience a view of any adult's face, save for Mary's. The story is strictly told from the child's perspective, and screenwriter Melissa Mathison didn't stop there. She managed to weave three different levels of childlike interaction into the film. We get the boyhood perspective from Elliott, the young girl's perspective from Gertie and the teenage perspective from Michael. Just seeing the difference in their reactions to E.T. is enough to make a quality film, but the interaction between the four characters is so brilliantly-crafted that it has to be applauded.

Fortunately, we're getting a well-cast group of actors to bring all these characters to life. As a younger movie-watcher, I had never noticed the merits of the acting in the film. It had always been about E.T. for me, but after re-watching it now, I have to say that the cast does a marvelous job. A lot of credit has to be given to Thomas, who plays the film's emotional lead. His relationship with E.T. is so genuine, and that couldn't have been an easy feat to achieve considering the puppetry used to bring the creature to life. And what a puppet it is! Even thirty years later, one can still marvel at how intricate and beautiful E.T. must have been to moviegoers in 1982. (Note: When the film was re-released in 2002 for the twentieth anniversary, some of the E.T. scenes had been reworked with CGI, but if you're looking for the better version, I still think the original 1982 flick is the way to go. Yes, the CGI brought forth a little bit more emotion for the E.T. character, but it just seemed - and still seems - a little out of place with the film.) I also have to give credit to the young Barrymore, who provides quite the comedic presence throughout the film. The rest of the cast fills out nicely, and as I said before, it's much better than I remember.

I also have to take a moment to give credit to John Williams, who composed one of this best scores for E.T. By this time, Williams had become Spielberg's go-to guy, and this was the second Spielberg film that Williams composed that nabbed him an Oscar for Best Score. Although I'm not sure whether it's his best score, I think that E.T. has to rank as one of Williams' most beautiful. Here's a snippet for your listening pleasure:

At the end of the day, E.T. is one of the most beloved films ever to grace the silver screen. As with Williams' score, I'm not sure I'm ready to crown this film as Spielberg's best; however, I certainly think it has the most heart out of any of his films to date. There's something timeless about this tale that keeps audiences rushing back to see it. E.T. is beautiful in its simplicity, and it tells a tale of friendship and love with which anyone can relate. It has rightfully earned its place amongst the best films ever created, and it has every right to remain on that pedestal.

Movie Review Summary

Grade: A

Should You Watch It? Yes

Movie Review: DAS BOOT

DAS BOOT

1982
R

Das Boot is a 1982 German war film directed by Wolfgang Petersen that centers around the crew of a German U-boat towards the end of World War II. When Lt. Werner (Herbert Grönemeyer), a Navy war correspondent, is assigned to chronicle life on a German U-boat, he joins the crew of Captain Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (Jürgen Prochnow) for their voyage into the Atlantic Ocean. Because I don't want to give away too much of the plot's details, I'll simply give you the synopsis as presented by the Internet Movie Database: Das Boot tells the story of "the claustrophobic world of a WWII German U-boat; boredom, filth, and sheer terror." That's about as good of a breakdown as I could give without telling you exactly what happens.

The first thing you're probably going to notice about this film is that it's incredibly long. The original theatrical cut spans for roughly two-and-a-half hours, and the extended director's cut - which I was able to watch - adds another hour on top of that. The length alone is going to turn some viewers away, but for those of you who can stomach sitting through a movie this long, I can honestly say that you're in for quite an experience. Add to the fact that you'll be reading subtitles (unless you know German), and I probably only personally know a handful of folks who would even attempt to sit this one through.

I'm going to start with the acting because I have a little bit more to say on the side of screenplay. I thought that the cast was extremely well-rounded, with each man giving a finely-detailed performance. It seemed as though each principle character had their own unique personality. The aforementioned Prochnow and Grönemeyer deliver fantastic performances, but there's definitely a lot of love to spread around. Klaus Wenneman is great as the boat's Chief Engineer and closest friend to the Captain, and we also get some great performances from the 1st and 2nd Lieutenants, played by Hubertus Bengsch and Martin Semmelrogge respectively. And Erwin Leder gives a number of memorable scenes, so be on the lookout for him as well.

Now, for the screenplay, which scored an Academy Award nomination in the "adapted" category. The basic storyline is pretty straight-forward, which we'd expect from a film of this nature. We see the daily activities of living on a U-boat, and we see the "boredom, filth, and sheer terror" that it provides to the crew. At the same time, we're getting little bit of political context. At the film's outset, we learn that the Captain is tired of the ongoing war and sees it for how it truly is - the Germans are on their way to losing to the Allied forces. However, the rest of his crew consists of young, idealistic men who still believe in the words and the message of their Führer despite all the evidence that has been stacking up against him. This ideology is epitomized by Bengsch's 1st Lieutenant, who is as stiff as they could possibly come. Despite their obvious concepts of the war around them, all of them men still stand together when it comes to battling their enemy. That's where I think something even deeper comes into play within Das Boot's screenplay. We're given a story with a very human element, and it's filled with joy and sadness, elation and tragedy. At the end of the day, it's a story of survival, and I think that makes it all the more relatable.

In a way, Das Boot can be seen as a difficult film to enjoy, especially being an individual outside of Germany. Although you never really get the sense that these men are Nazis, that's basically what they are and will be throughout the film's entirety. Sure, they may have their reservations about the leadership, but ultimately, they're the ones that I was raised to cheer against in films like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Schindler's List. The Nazi Party has become synonymous with evil, and humanizing a group of them could seem a little off-putting for some. But that's the wonder of the film - despite all the reasons to hate these men, you start to develop a sort of affection for them, to the point where you're crying with them and cheering with them. A lot of credit has to go to Petersen's direction, but the screenplay definitely sets this film up for its ultimate success.

Overall, Das Boot is a film that you should probably watch if you haven't already done so. Try to get the director's cut if you can, and definitely try to watch it all in one sitting. I'm not sure if it would have as much staying emotional power if you try to break it up into smaller chunks. It's easily one of the best war films I have ever seen, and as you'll see below the picture, it ranks as one of the greatest films I've had the chance to witness. So give it a chance as well - I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A
2 Thumbs Up

Rankings
Best All-Time: #91

Movie Review: THE THING

THE THING

1982
R

The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror film directed by John Carpenter. It follows a group of men stationed at an American outpost in Antarctica. It's never really clarified just why these men are stationed there, but that's neither here nor there. When a pair of Norwegians chase a dog into the American camp and are subsequently killed, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Copper (Richard Dysart) decide to investigate the Norwegian camp. They find no one left alive, but they also find the remains of what looks like some type of humanoid creature. The two bring the corpse back to their base for an autopsy, and upon further examination, it appears to be a human specimen. Still, something seems a little off about the entire situation. When Clark (Richard Masur) puts the dog into the holding pen with the other dogs, it immediately transforms - in rather gory fashion - into some other creature that begins to attack and kill a number of its cellmates. The men are successful in killing the creature which they subsequently learn ingests its prey in order to copy its genetic code, ultimately making a perfect copy of whatever it ate. At this revelation, the men begin to question whether the alien creature had actually infected one of their fellow men. As the creature slowly ravages the outpost, the men become more and more wary of each other in fear that they might have been infected.

In essence, there's not too much of a story hidden inside The Thing. The "creature" - which may force me to alter my list of favorite movie animals and creatures - gets to the camp and begins to terrorize its way through the population. That's basically the entire story. It all comes down to the fact that we're given a story about survival and (dis)trust. It's definitely a film that's more driven by the characters than the plot. We can sit back and watch as the all-male cast bickers and fights about who may or may not be infected. We get a good luck at the various characters brought onto the screen, and it makes the whole situation a little more engaging.

Part of the reason we care so much about the characters is because they're all rather well-acted. I'm not saying that there's any brilliant performances anywhere in The Thing, but everyone's solid enough to be believable. Russell is very good as our lead in this ensemble cast. Everyone else is on about the same level, but Russell's character definitely starts to take center stage after he assumes leadership of the outpost. Aside from him, there's really nobody that my generation will recognize right off the bat (save for Keith David, but he's so young that it took me a moment or two to realize it was actually him).

Where this movie really succeeds is in the atmosphere that Carpenter was able to create. By placing the setting in Antarctica - an isolated place literally at the bottom of the world - the characters aren't really given much opportunity for any type of escape. There's a very claustrophobic component to the film that works to show that, no matter what all these men do, it may all be futile. The horror isn't over-the-top; although there are a few moments of cheap thrills (which I tend to dislike), they are definitely few and far between. Carpenter does well to stick to suspense, showing rather than telling. There are a number of attacks that we never actually see, adding to the fact that we never really know who was infected and who wasn't infected until the man is ultimately exposed. There's a lot of sleight of hand with the camera work and the editing, and I think it works to the benefit of this film. Kudos, Mr. Carpenter.

Overall, this is an effective sci-fi thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the screen fades to black. Be on the lookout for a prequel of the same title that will be released this coming October. Apparently, it will be looking at the Norwegian group from the beginning of this film, but we'll have to wait and see. It could very well be terrible, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that John Carpenter's The Thing is extremely good and definitely worth your time.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: POLTERGEIST

POLTERGEIST

1982
PG

You can watch the trailer here

Now that I've gone through most of the major awards films for the upcoming 2010 awards season, I can set my focus back onto other movies that I've always wanted to watch. Poltergeist definitely fell into that category. I had seen snippets here and there over the years, but I had never had the opportunity to sit down and watch it in its entirety.

The film, which was directed by Tobe Hooper, tells the story of the Freeling family, headed by father Steve (Craig T. Nelson) and mother Dianne (JoBeth Williams). The couple live in an up-and-coming community with their three children: Dana (Dominique Dunne), Robbie (Oliver Robins) and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke). When the family starts to notice that Carol Anne has begun to communicate with static-filled television screens, they also begin to notice a slew of paranormal activity affecting the house. At first, it seems like harmless fun, but one night during a storm, a large tree pulls Robbie from his bed, causing the family to leave Carol Anne in her room alone while they try to get him down. Carol Anne is then pulled by a force into the bedroom closet and cannot be found. Steve and Dianne enlist the help of para-psychologist Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight)who, after surveying the house and the continued happenings, calls a woman named Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein) to conduct a seance in order to bring Carol Anne back to the conscious realm of the living.

The story is actually quite well-written considering it falls under the horror genre. Nowadays, we're lucky to find a horror flick that does more than make us jump out of our seat every couple of minutes. Poltergeist actually has a little bit of intelligence, but that's not to say that it doesn't fall into some of the standard tricks that so many of us are used to by now. Still, the story does enough to captivate you and draw you into the film, making you wonder how it's all going to turn out. That being said, the ending is somewhat predictable, but that doesn't necessarily make it any less enjoyable.

The acting is also very good considering we're delving into horror. Nelson and Williams bring a pretty realistic look at parents struggling with the loss of a child to strange and unnatural circumstances. In fact, most of the adult characters play their parts quite well. However, I don't think enough can be said about little Miss Heather O'Rourke, who has gone down in history as the "Poltergeist girl" because of her role. She's not on-screen for much of the film, but the times you see her, she's utterly captivating. There's something about her childish innocence that fits perfectly with the character and the story. It's so tragic that she was taken from this life at such a young age (she passed away six years after this film was released).

It's also worth mentioning that Poltergeist was an Oscar-nominee three times over, garnering nods for sound editing, visual effects and original score. For 1982, I'd say the effects were exceptional, especially considering the heavy, effects-laden film of that year was everybody's favorite TRON (which ironically wasn't nominated in the visual effects category). If you needed any other prodding to watch Poltergeist, it's definitely for the effects and the music which fits perfectly.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: B
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: TRON

TRON

1982
PG


You can watch the trailer here

I can see why Disney decided to recall every last copy of TRON circulating through today's society. Apparently they're absolutely terrified of releasing the original film on Blu-Ray. Over the summer, the original film was played at Disney World in the hopes of instigating a new wave of fans as they made their final preparations for the release of the sequel, TRON: Legacy; unfortunately, the film was laughed at and ridiculed beyond belief. By recalling all copies, Disney has essentially created the possibility for people to see TRON: Legacy WITHOUT seeing its predecessor. I, personally, refuse to watch a sequel without seeing the original film, so I had already come to terms with the fact that it would be a while before I could see the newest installment (in theaters on December 17). However, as luck would have it, my dad found and old VHS copy of TRON, giving me the opportunity to view it in all its 1980s glory.

TRON, which was directed by Steven Lisberger, follows a software programmer named Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) who lost his job at a gaming company called ENCOM after a fellow programmer (David Warner) stole his work on a series of new video games. In an attempt to take back what was his, he enlists the help of two friends in the company, Alan (Bruce Boxleitner) and Lora (Cindy Morgan), to help. While cracking into the Master Control Program (MCP), Flynn is transported into the realm of the program's universe which takes pieces of each of his video games and creates a living, breathing environment. He learns that he is the only "user" surrounded by a series of "programs" manifested as other people. He meets TRON (also played by Boxleitner), the program created by Alan to help break through the MCP's layer of security. The two set off on their journey to take down the MCP with the help of Yori (also played by Morgan) and a program named RAM (Dan Shor).

Normally, I talk about the film's screenplay at this particular juncture; however, I think it makes more sense to talk about the film's positive attributes first. One of the reasons TRON was essentially laughed out of the theater at Disney World was for its simplistic and dated special effects. Sure, by today's standards, they're absolutely ridiculous, but I can imagine the fascination and wonder of those people in the early '80s who had never seen anything like this before. There was a reason that this film became a cult classic, and it was not the story or the acting. It was the special effects, all of which were generated through a computer. This had never been done before, and it was absolutely groundbreaking at the time. So, yes, nowadays we have some spectacular special effects, but thirty years from now, the next generation will probably look at the effects in Avatar in the same way.

The acting is okay, but it's really nothing to rave about. Bridges is always a revelation to watch, and if it weren't for him, this film would probably be a total train-wreck from a storytelling and acting standpoint. He just exudes this level of unmistakable charm in each one of his roles, and it's hard not to like him. His supporting cast does just enough to keep you engaged, but it's really Bridges who acts as the glue holding everything together.

There's two main problems with TRON's screenplay (and I know this is probably nitpicking considering you should never critique this type of film this harshly, but still). For starters, everything seems to come just too easily for Flynn and his fellow programs. I get that they're all computers (or computer-savvy), but there was literally no thought process when it came to solving the problems they faced. They were just able to do everything at a moment's notice, as if being thrown into this fascinating world made perfect sense. The second problem was that Flynn had absolutely no character arc. Neither did any of the other characters, but they're computer programs, so maybe they shouldn't have them anyways. However, Flynn starts and ends the exact same person, and it just bugged me a little bit. I'm not asking for some grandiose change or some Oscar-worthy emotional breakdown, but a little bit of change and recognition of his experience would have been greatly appreciated.

Overall, I'm not quite sure if I really want to recommend this movie. If you can watch it for what it is (a dated special effects bonanza) and appreciate how groundbreaking it must have been in 1982, then it's probably for you. I can't help but think that TRON was the Avatar of the early 1980s: groundbreaking technology meant to wow and amaze while putting little to no emphasis on legitimate story or acting. At least now I can watch TRON: Legacy in all of its special effects glory in theaters where it is meant to be seen.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C-
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Movie Review: THE DARK CRYSTAL

THE DARK CRYSTAL

1982
PG


You can watch the trailer here

I used to think that Jim Henson could do no wrong. All of those movies and television shows based around the Muppets led me to believe that he was full of original ideas. I mean, as lame as it may sound, Muppet Treasure Island is one of my favorite movies. And while The Dark Crystal is definitely original in its production, it leaves a lot to be desired as entertainment.

Our story centers around a Gelfling named Jen (voiced by Henson) who lives on a world far from our own. His world is ruled by an evil band of creatures known as Skeksis who are waiting for the planet's three suns to align because it will give them immortality. Jen is supposedly the last Gelfling on the planet, making him the one prophesied to end the Skeksis's rule. He is sent to find a crystal shard that he will reunite with the dark crystal at the Skeksis's castle, thus ending their control over the planet. Along the way, Jen meets another Gelfling named Kira (voiced by Kathryn Mullen), and the two band together to complete Jen's quest.

When this film was released in 1982, it was promoted as a family film directed towards children. When you take into account that Jim Henson helmed the movie (in collaboration with Frank Oz), one can assume that a fun, lighthearted family film would be the final result. However, The Dark Crystal takes after its namesake and proves to be rather, well, dark. It ultimately seemed more geared towards adults than to children. Some of the creatures probably proved terribly frightening to children sitting in a theater.

The movie is your basic action-adventure story, and I felt like I had seen it all before. Sure, the characters and creatures are as original as they come, but I couldn't help but feel like Henson stole quite a bit from Tolkien. I mean, a quest to return an object to the place it was formed? Sounds a little hobbit-ish to me.

Most of the puppets are rather incredible to see, even if it's oh so obvious that they're puppets. Still, the movements are pretty lifelike. Many of the creatures in the film are quite complex, but none are more so than the Skeksis themselves; they're quite a sight to behold. I did, however, have issue with the our two lead Gelflings. Whereas every other creature, either or big small, has some capacity for showing emotion, the Gelfling puppets seem stoic at best. Their faces do not move, and I couldn't get any sense of emotion from them whatsoever. Normally I'd say that's normal with a puppet, but considering the fantastic job Henson did with every other creature, you would think he'd devote as much love and care for the "stars" of the film.

Overall, the film is innovative and should be commended for the time and effort it must have taken to create such complex puppets and scenery. However, when it comes to basic storytelling, the movie fails on every measure, creating a boring, lifeless film that leaves a lot to be desired.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: D+
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