The Day the Earth Stood Still
The 1951 original that earned cult status lands itself a slick modern remake. In that instance, an alien, Klaatu, and his robot counterpart, Gort, travelled to earth to warn us of the dangers of nuclear weapons in the cold war age, but the message has been updated for the twenty first century, now aimed at our destruction of the environment.
Keanu Reeves stars as Klaatu, a "friendly" being from a distant intergalactic location. Governments and scientists race to unravel the mystery behind his appearance, and his claims to know of an impending attack on Earth. Astro-biologist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) and her son (Jaden Smith) get caught up in Naatu's mission.
- Director:
- Scott Derrickson ('The Exorcism of Emily Rose')
- Writer:
- David Scarpa
- Cast:
- Keanu ReevesJennifer ConnellyJaden SmithKathy BatesJohn CleeseJon Hamm
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Andreas Heinemann
flicksIt ain't the 50s no more, thank God, so here's your shiny new remake of the apocalyptic sci-fi cult classic just in time for Christmas. Keanu Reeves is Klaatu, a mysterious being from a far off intergalactic location who may know something about those strange orbs that are popping up all over the face of the earth. If he does, it'll be Jennifer Connelly as astro-biologist Helen Benson who gets to the bottom of any potential alien invasions.
Winning Idea Turns To Garbage
The original TDTESS was a rare gem in the 1950s; A story taken from a science fiction magazine, turned into an inteeligent if slow-paced movie about what first constact with a technologically superior and pacifist alien culture would be like. Updating it to serve an ecological turn of thinking might have been done well, as the work of John Varley and other...
Variety
pressThis botched remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" seriously dishonors the seriously fine 1951 sci-fi landmark on which it's based.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
pressSurprise! The remake is not a heresy. It's a decent enough stab at being what the old movie was to its time, following the same basic plot, full of respectful references to its model, updated with a gallery of fairly imaginative special effects.
Salon
pressA jumble of spare parts and leftover dialogue, as if it had been assembled out of unused bits of every movie where an unknown whatzit threatens our way of life and the government goes into full institutional pants-crapping panic mode.
Roger Ebert
pressAll this is presented in an expensive, good-looking film that is well-made by Scott Derrickson, but to no avail.
Los Angeles Times
pressThis contemporary remake of the science-fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton.
Empire Magazine
pressA remake that does not disgrace the original, this is sufficiently different to stand alone and just as relevant in its concerns – as well as succeeding (arguably better) as a thriller. And after this performance, are we sure that Keanu Reeves is really human?
Flicks, Andreas Heinemann
flicksIt ain't the 50s no more, thank God, so here's your shiny new remake of the apocalyptic sci-fi cult classic just in time for Christmas. Keanu Reeves is Klaatu, a mysterious being from a far off intergalactic location who may know something about those strange orbs that are popping up all over the face of the earth. If he does, it'll be Jennifer Connelly as astro-biologist Helen Benson who gets to the bottom of any potential alien invasions.
Variety
pressThis botched remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" seriously dishonors the seriously fine 1951 sci-fi landmark on which it's based.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
pressSurprise! The remake is not a heresy. It's a decent enough stab at being what the old movie was to its time, following the same basic plot, full of respectful references to its model, updated with a gallery of fairly imaginative special effects.
Salon
pressA jumble of spare parts and leftover dialogue, as if it had been assembled out of unused bits of every movie where an unknown whatzit threatens our way of life and the government goes into full institutional pants-crapping panic mode.
Roger Ebert
pressAll this is presented in an expensive, good-looking film that is well-made by Scott Derrickson, but to no avail.
Los Angeles Times
pressThis contemporary remake of the science-fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton.
Empire Magazine
pressA remake that does not disgrace the original, this is sufficiently different to stand alone and just as relevant in its concerns – as well as succeeding (arguably better) as a thriller. And after this performance, are we sure that Keanu Reeves is really human?
Winning Idea Turns To Garbage
The original TDTESS was a rare gem in the 1950s; A story taken from a science fiction magazine, turned into an inteeligent if slow-paced movie about what first constact with a technologically superior and pacifist alien culture would be like. Updating it to serve an ecological turn of thinking might have been done well, as the work of John Varley and...
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