'The Day the Earth Stood Still' remake fails to deliver
Christina Thompson
Issue date: 1/13/09 Section: Arts & Life
Trying to find a great movie to see over the holiday season proved harder than expected.
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" did absolutely nothing to fulfill my expectations of seeing a good film. To be completely honest, it was extremely forgettable. The only part of this movie that was remotely good were the special effects and the plot, but that wasn't enough to make the film enjoyable.
Klaatu played by Keanu Reeves is an alien who arrives on Earth. After landing, he is captured and taken to a secret location to be studied. Helen Benson, played by Jennifer Connelly, is a scientist recruited by the military to study the alien.
Once Klaatu is able to communicate with scientists, he tells them that he must meet with the leaders of the world. He is denied this request, and Benson helps Klaatu escape.
Klaatu explains that he is a friend to the Earth, and Benson initially believes him; however, Benson and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Christopher Smith) soon find that the meaning of his words were quite literal, and he is here to protect the Earth from the pollutants of mankind, using deadly force, if necessary.
The remainder of the movie shows precarious situations involving Benson trying to show Klaatu that mankind is worth saving.
Does she succeed? Yes.
Should she have succeeded? No.
Benson fortunately shows Klaatu that humans are essentially compassionate creatures and worthy of saving. However, there was not one scene in this movie that really portrayed the compassionate nature of mankind.
The acting was very robotic and lacked real emotion, leaving you to wonder what Klaatu saw to make him have mercy. The true essence of the plot was not captured or developed.
Over the course of the film there was no real character development. Klaatu was the same at the beginning as he was at the end. Supposedly, he makes a connection with the young boy Jacob, but this was not convincing.
There was too much focus on what the movie looked like, and not enough focus on content and performance. The only character who was even remotely believable was young Jacob.
This film had tremendous potential, providing its great special effects and intriguing plot, which made it even more disappointing when that potential was wasted.
Don't take me wrong; this is not a comparison to the 1951 classic because I have never seen it. So coming from an un-biased perspective, this film still completely missed the mark.
Do I recommend seeing this movie? Sure, but only because the plot is important and has a great message. But, don't expect to be blown away, or you'll be left wanting.
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" did absolutely nothing to fulfill my expectations of seeing a good film. To be completely honest, it was extremely forgettable. The only part of this movie that was remotely good were the special effects and the plot, but that wasn't enough to make the film enjoyable.
Klaatu played by Keanu Reeves is an alien who arrives on Earth. After landing, he is captured and taken to a secret location to be studied. Helen Benson, played by Jennifer Connelly, is a scientist recruited by the military to study the alien.
Once Klaatu is able to communicate with scientists, he tells them that he must meet with the leaders of the world. He is denied this request, and Benson helps Klaatu escape.
Klaatu explains that he is a friend to the Earth, and Benson initially believes him; however, Benson and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Christopher Smith) soon find that the meaning of his words were quite literal, and he is here to protect the Earth from the pollutants of mankind, using deadly force, if necessary.
The remainder of the movie shows precarious situations involving Benson trying to show Klaatu that mankind is worth saving.
Does she succeed? Yes.
Should she have succeeded? No.
Benson fortunately shows Klaatu that humans are essentially compassionate creatures and worthy of saving. However, there was not one scene in this movie that really portrayed the compassionate nature of mankind.
The acting was very robotic and lacked real emotion, leaving you to wonder what Klaatu saw to make him have mercy. The true essence of the plot was not captured or developed.
Over the course of the film there was no real character development. Klaatu was the same at the beginning as he was at the end. Supposedly, he makes a connection with the young boy Jacob, but this was not convincing.
There was too much focus on what the movie looked like, and not enough focus on content and performance. The only character who was even remotely believable was young Jacob.
This film had tremendous potential, providing its great special effects and intriguing plot, which made it even more disappointing when that potential was wasted.
Don't take me wrong; this is not a comparison to the 1951 classic because I have never seen it. So coming from an un-biased perspective, this film still completely missed the mark.
Do I recommend seeing this movie? Sure, but only because the plot is important and has a great message. But, don't expect to be blown away, or you'll be left wanting.
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