E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Steel this movie.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 3, 2023

Available alongside the standard 40th Anniversary Edition 4K combo pack and a full-blown Amazon-exclusive gift set, Universal Studios also released a limited edition Steelbook exclusive to Target. As usual, on-disc contents are identical to the standard version; neither are a night-and-day improvement over the well-received 35th Anniversary 4K edition, although better disc encoding and two new retrospective extras make this the best anniversary edition to date.

For a synopsis and appreciation of E.T., please read Kenneth Brown's review of the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray released by Universal in 2012. This is a well-made and effective film and, though my personal love for it is partially due to nostalgia bias (and might just account for my slightly higher star rating), its mixture of great performances, terrific special effects, great pacing, and a truly memorable score are enough to ensure that E.T's existence will be celebrated for decades to come... and we'll probably buy at least one more home video re-release in the future.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For my thoughts this disc's 2160p transfer, please read my review of the standard 40th Anniversary 4K release.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, see my review of the standard 40th Anniversary 4K release for details about the audio options, which include a default DTS:X remix and an original theatrical 2.0 mix in lossy but effective DTS 2.0 Surround (447 Kbps).

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set ships in a Steelbook with a distinctly 80s vibe; both the front cover's close-up of E.T. and the back cover's wider shot of him and Elliott silhouetted against the moon are surrounded by a thick orange border. The interior spread features a paneled image of E.T.'s spaceship landing (or is it leaving?) the forest at night. You're either going to love or hate the aesthetic of this one but I think it's a fun design that evokes the era in which E.T. was made.

The extensive extras (which include two short new retrospective featurettes and many recycled from earlier home video editions) are found on both discs and listed in my review of the standard 40th Anniversary 4K release.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steven Spielberg's E.T. is a perennial family favorite around these parts, a truly classic family film that holds up thanks to its superb craftsmanship and broad, enduing appeal. Universal's new 40th Anniversary Edition 4K release is, on the surface, extremely similar to their 35th Anniversary Edition although it features a slightly better 2160p/HDR10 transfer and two new retrospective extras. Target's exclusive Steelbook variant may be the most appealing of the bunch if you like its design, as the "bonus" of a packaging upgrade helps to offset the small amount of new on-disc content.