Comcast quotes Henry Thomas, the actor who plays Elliott, as saying that the short gives fans "everything they want out of a sequel" minus the parts that "could destroy the beauty of the original." Thomas, we love you, but that's just not true -- it doesn't really advance the story (apart from showing that Elliott raised a family) and reduces a Spielberg classic to a marketing tool for a company with an anti-consumer reputation. It won't completely sour your childhood memories, but we'd suggest watching the original movie afterward as a palate cleanser.