| | The Day the Earth Stood Still [Blu-ray] |  | Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Language: English (Unknown)
Media: Blu-ray
Number Of Items: 1
ASIN: B001KZIRK4
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| Customer Reviews:
 the day the earth stood still December 19, 2008
excellent. we do what we do and we get what we get. the real warning from
the landlord.
 The day the Earth stood...Stupid. December 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Yes! Everyone who watches this 2008 rendition is now dumber for having seen it. Remember the old adage...the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well, this film expands on it with...a remake of a remake should be avoided. Before we dissect the modern version...let us probe its roots. The original had an excellent cast: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Sam Jaffee and Hugh Marlowe played the leads...it was directed by Robert Wise...and had a compelling story: Klaatu, an advanced human and his guarding robot Gort come to Earth on a mission of peace during the Cold War and deliver a warning: "If humans bring their violence into space, neighboring worlds will destroy them" It seems the inhabitants of Earth are on the verge of destroying their own planet. Proving that his message is valid, Klaatu halts all electricity on the planet...this sends the world into escalating chaos. The original captures these emotions flawlessly and how it projects the fear and uncertainty of this warning and its deliverer creates one of the best sci-fi films of all time. Let us now proceed with the autopsy of its modern remake, shall we?
Every aspect that made the original great this film fails to utilize. Keanu Reeves does play the emotionless role of Klaatu fairly well...and Jennifer Connelly does an adequate job playing the sensible yet cautious voice of reason. However, neither are able to invite the audience into the film and overall, deliver flat performances. The film begins in the cold, inhospitable Karakoram Mountains of India in 1928...here we meet the human vessel Klaatu will later inhabit. The film never tells us why he his here? Maybe a research project? Maybe decided to just go for a stroll? Anyway, alone and with very little equipment he traverses the peak and discovers a small frozen orb...after chipping away a layer of ice, he reveals a small, Jupiter-like sphere that brands him and the symbiote relationship begins. Fast forward to Princeton University - modern day and we meet Jennifer Connelly who is giving a lecture on micro-organisms and possible existence on the Jovian moon Callisto. Callisto? Not Europa...Not the newly visited Titan, but boring Callisto. Anyway, let us continue...
A mysterious orb lands in Central Park and an equally mysterious vistor emerges...Klaatu. Now this is the only realistic part of the movie...the US military, out of fear, opens fire wounding the alien...forcing the giant robot guardian to neutralize the situation. Klaatu is brought to Ft. Linwood Military Academy for interrogation and observation...where he requested a meeting with Earth's leaders...Kathy Bates, acting as the president's advisor, denies his request and orders him to be drugged for evaluation. Well, Klaatu escapes and develops a relationship with Connelly and after about an hour we finally learn why he is here. I won't go any further but will add...at no point in the film did it project any of the fears and uncertainties that made the original so good onto the viewer. The world is being invaded, a giant robot has the capabilities to destroy the human race, the earth is in the grasp of impending doom, and people are acting like it's just an ordinary day. If you take only one thing from my review, make it this: save your money and watch the original.
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