From the dystopic to the fantastical, the young robotic boy David (Haley Joel Osment) goes on an adventure to become ‘real’ in order to regain his human mother’s love. An enriching film that touches on life’s hard truths but never loses wonderment.īringing Stanley Kubrick’s long mulled-over idea of a science fictive fairy-tale to life, Spielberg delivers a glorious melting-pot of multi-genre entertainment. John Williams is on top from here, delivering a score that captures the merriment and melancholia of being a child, whilst the choreography of the flying bikes is cinematic magic. itself, brought to life by Carlo Rambaldi’s superb animatronics – a reason why this alien creature does not feel dated in the slightest amongst this charmingly anachronistic 80s film. The young Thomas gives an outstanding heartfelt performance, alongside co-star E.T. A cross-generational family film that will appeal to all ages, Spielberg perfectly captures the viewpoint of a child and the anomie of being a youngster unsure of his place in the world – one of vying siblings, preoccupied adults, sunny suburbia and expansive woods – a mise-en-scéne of recognisable proportions that manages to possess a quaint nostalgic backdrop for all viewers of any age. Troubled child Elliot (Henry Thomas) goes on an enlightening journey of warmth and compassion by helping a friendly big-eyed alien escape earth and return to its home world.

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