Spielberg creates movie magic with this warm-hearted yet gripping fantasy tale. E.T. himself is a creative marvel, certainly the cutest, most non-threatening alien in sci-fi history. The child actors are uniformly good, particularly Thomas and the beguiling Barrymore. "E.T." ingeniously turns science-fiction conventions on their head, as the earthling grown-ups are the bad guys, and the alien, the hero. Larger-than-life emotion (and tension) elevate this film to the status of timeless family classic, aided by another majestic John Williams score. E.T. – phone home!