Twenty years ago, a homesick alien made the cover of Rolling Stone. Times have changed since Steven Spielberg's E.T. was the coolest thing around. Look at the pre-rehab Drew Barrymore - she was only seven when she laid a smacker on the wrinkly blob. She has since moved on to two ex-husbands, including Tom Green. But E.T. stays the same. Or at least he would have if Spielberg hadn't tried to improve his 1982 film for a March 2002 national rerelease. The tenderness of the piece is still intact;…

Steven Spielberg's most personal film gets the deluxe two-disc treatment. Luckily, the original 1982 version is included and not just the 2002 special edition in which E.T. is spiffed up with computer-generated effects and guns are digitally replaced with flashlights to serve the PC gods. Bad form. Skip the new version and it gets four stars.

PETER TRAVERS
(October 31, 2002)

20 years ago a cute little alien wandered away from his spaceship and into America's hearts. Now, 20 years later, we get to experience the magic of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial all over again--this time with a new and improved look.

Story

Even if the some of the images are redone, the story remains true to form--and fits surprisingly well in this savvy 21st century. As it goes, an alien botanist, visiting Earth to collect some vegetation, gets stranded when his space friends have to make a hasty…