THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

I think that everyone knows by now that this film is a remake of the 1951 Sci-Fi classic of the same name. I say classic but I’m sure that there’s an awful lot of people who had never heard of ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ prior to this latest version.

I think a better word to use for the original would be ‘cult’ movie. It was very much of its time with the Cold War being the underlying theme.

However, the plot is still pretty much the same. An Alien called Klaatu is sent to Earth to warn us that if we continue with our violent ways and keep stock piling nuclear weapons (although in the 2008 version it’s more of an ecological issue) then this could also be a threat to other planets and the only solution is to exterminate Earth. That’s pretty much it. Klaatu arrives in Manhattan (it’s never Wandsworth or Sydney?) gets shot by nervous soldier; robot bodyguard called Gort steps in and protects his master by immobilising the troops. Although wounded Klaatu calls off his Robot by saying those immortal words ‘Klaatu Barada Nikto’ which also became a cult movie phrase taken from the original. Both Spielberg and George Lucas managed to squeeze this line into one or two of their movies, also quoted in episodes of ‘X-Files’ & ‘The Simpson’s’.

Even after Gort shuts himself down, Klaatu tells the earth folk that the robot is a defence mechanism and only acts on being threatened with violence. So what does the military do? Send in fighter jets to destroy Gort ……what part of only reacts to violence didn’t they understand?

Klaatu is taken to the obligatory high security defence hideaway for medical assistance and interrogation. This is where he meets astrobiologist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connolly) who the authorities have seconded from her home in the middle of the night along with a heard of other top scientist who all seem underused for some reason. She is one of the few people who want to listen to what he has to say and wins over his trust. Jennifer Connolly is actually quite good as well and makes the most of the lines she has been given.

The politicians seem to be the bad guys here and resort to the usual diplomatic American way of wanting to nuke what they don’t understand! When the secretary of defence (Kathy Bates) interviews Klaatu she asks him ‘Why have you come to our planet?’ to which he replies ‘Your planet?...it’s not your planet’. Yet later he tells Helen that the Sun on ‘His planet’ was dying. (Mmm..bit of a contradiction I think, who died and made him King of the planets?).

Although the film has a big budget feel to it never really delivers and the film has quite a few slow moments. Having said that, Keanu Reeves is the perfect actor to play an alien he has that confused and cautious look and is actually quite good in it. Look out for quite a bizarre moment when Keanu Reeves shares a scene with our own John Cleese “What have the Aliens ever done for us Eh??”

It may be just me but there seemed to be a great deal of blatant product placement throughout the film as well. This often got an unintended laugh from the audience at this screening. The film just seemed to be lacking something. I think many of the lines had come straight from ‘Independence Day’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ which is a shame as it had a lot of potential.

Just one last thing, there is a really annoying performance from Jaden Smith (Will’s boy) who plays Jennifer Connolly’s stepson. Now I’ve got nothing against kids in Sci-Fi Movies but he is one obnoxious little brat and I don’t think anyone would miss him if he got lost in the woods!

2 Star rating

Back

© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.surreycomet.co.uk

http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/trade_directory/