I
can vividly remember when George Lucas decided to re-release the
"Star Wars" films, each featuring new and improved
special effects and once deleted scenes. While I enjoyed the
addition of the deleted scenes, I thought the beefing up of the
special effects was unnecessary and it made watching the films
less enjoyable for me. One of the primary reasons I loved
"Star Wars" so much was that the special effects were
phenomenal for that time period. Trying to improve the
effects also seemed to take away from the value of the film.
I felt the same way when watching "E.T. The Extra
Terrestrial".
The
idea to re-release "E.T." and expose it to a whole new
generation of children was a brilliant idea. However, they
could have left the special effects alone and it would have been
just as powerful and just as magical as it was when it was
released back in 1982. The brightest spot in the film was
that there were not many special effects improvements, unlike
"Star Wars", which was filled with new innovations.
"E.T.", directed by Steven Spielberg, is the story of an
alien who lands on Earth and befriends a small boy named Elliot.
The film deals with the alien trying to adapt and eventually
wanting to 'phone home'. Henry Thomas stars as Elliot, Drew
Barrymore is his sister, and Dee Wallace Stone plays the mother.
A sound plot, exceptional acting, especially from the child cast,
and gorgeous creature effects. The original "E.T."
is one of the best films ever crafted.
Spielberg had just finished living down the success of
"Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when
"E.T." came his way. I read a magazine article in
which Spielberg told an interviewer, "I was a little hesitant
to do the film at first because it didn't seem like the type of
film that was selling at that time." The film went on
to briefly hold the rank as the highest grossing film of all-time.
Nominated for several Academy Awards, and winning a few, it was an
immediate critical and commercial success. Almost every
child of the eighties looks back and recalls "E.T." as
one of their very favorite films. My mother took me to see
the film when it first opened--I wasn't even a year old. My
mother refuses to see the re-release of the film.
Some
films are better left alone. The classics are classics
because of the way they were made. Beefing up the special
effects may seem like a commercial plus, but ends up as a
cinematic negative. Is this as bad as completely remaking a
classic, like the case with "Psycho"? No. Is
the film still worth seeing? Of course. The enhanced
digital effects take away from the overall feeling, but a first
time watcher will not be affected probably. The magic is
still there. So, take your nieces and nephews to see the
movie and they shouldn't be disappointed. If they
are--they're just a different generation.
