Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

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

Another re-release? Ouuuuch.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 3, 2023

Five years after the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray (which was also available as a 4K combo pack and a Limited Edition with a bonus CD), Universal reminded us how old we're getting with a recent 40th Anniversary Edition of Steven Spielberg's seminal E.T., which just so happens to be the first movie yours truly watched in a theater. Core memory unlocked. Highlights are limited to a pair of new featurettes and, for the separate 4K edition, a better encoded 2160p/HDR10 transfer. This Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is basically identical to the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray but at least retains both new extras. For the record, this brings the total number of E.T. home video releases to half a bajillion.

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As mentioned earlier, this 1080p transfer of E.T. looks essentially the same as Universal's 35th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, which was in turn a downsampled SDR version of a then-new 4K remaster. It's a competent presentation though it shows its age in several spots, with a few somewhat rough encoding patches that reveal compression shortcomings on flat, darker values (skies and the like) and more visually complex scenes. Therefore, it'll play decently enough on small to mid-sized displays, and anyone all that picky about video quality has likely moved on to 4K by now.

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

Similarly, the included audio options are identical to both earlier 35th Anniversary 4K/Blu-ray editions and include a full-bodied DTS:X remix as well as the original theatrical 2.0 audio in DTS 2.0 Surround (447 Kbps). While a lossless 2.0 track would've been a nice touch, it's nice that fans have both options to choose from.

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

This two-disc release ships in a keepcase with Elliott-free cover art and a Digital Copy code. Two brand-new extras are detailed below; otherwise, everything here is identical to the 35th Anniversary edition, which in turn ported over extras dating back to the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and much earlier home video releases.

• NEW! 40 Years of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (20:14) - This short trip down memory lane features director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter Ernest Cline, director Chris Columbus, and film historian Leonard Maltin (all recorded separately), who share how E.T. influenced them in their formative years. It's pretty surface-level but enjoyable nonetheless, and a few rare bits and pieces of behind-the-scenes footage are sprinkled throughout.

• NEW! An Evening with Steven Spielberg (27:07) - Recorded during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival's opening night on April 21, 2022 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, this one-on-one interview is hosted by Ben Mankiewicz and features the director in good spirits as he candidly discusses his favorite movies as a kid, early career highlights, getting advice from industry professionals, being "the warden of Jaws", how negative experiences during childhood affected him later in life, the development of E.T., and much more.

• The E.T. Journals (2 parts, 53:38 total)

• Deleted Scenes (2 clips, 3:40 total)

• Steven Spielberg & E.T. (12:31)

• A Look Back (37:43)

• The Evolution and Creation of E.T. (50:16)

• The E.T. Reunion (17:56)

• The Music of E.T.: A Discussion with John Williams (10:04)

• The 20th Anniversary Premiere (17:49)

• Designs, Photographs and Marketing (6 self-playing galleries, 45:01 total)

• Theatrical Trailer (1:55)

• Special Olympics TV Spot (1:02)

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 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 40th Anniversary Blu-ray is identical in A/V quality to the last Blu-ray edition and only features two new extras. It's a decent jumping-on point for fans uninterested in 4K and technically the best HD package available, but I'd personally wait for something better to come along.