The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)
This film has gotten bad reviews from every source. I have read many of them and though I agree with the details, I must say, I liked it. So how can you like a movie with bad supporting acting, plot holes, poor direction, a rocky narrative, and inconsistent CGI effects?
It all comes down to expectations.
Admit it, the 1951 version, although said to be a classic, was also not that great. The concept was intriguing and fun but the script and the style weren’t anything to write home about. I suppose those elements provoke a remake but adding Keanu to the mix screams, “don’t get your hopes up!” Now don’t get me wrong, he was perfect in The Matrix and a very compelling pseudo-philosophic stoner as Ted, but I dare someone to stand up and say that his resume is consistently good. But now I see Hollywood’s divine plan for him, he was born to play Klaatu. He displays no silly earthling emotions, delivers lines as if he barely understands the words coming out of his mouth, and holds himself with such an awkward posture that there is no need to suspend your disbelief.
When I heard that the updated version would swap warring for environmental destruction, I knew that it would be corny, and I had already canonized it in the SciFi-SuperDisaster-BySupernaturalMeans-ButActuallyHumansAreTheVillains genre. (There are more of these than you think, perhaps a future blog post will outline them, stay tuned). When it turned out less corny than I imagined, there was only room to be pleasantly surprised.
What it all comes down to is that I thought it was fun to watch, and ultimately, I recommend it.
IMDBcomments: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970416/#comment
RottenTomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/day_the_earth_stood_still/
Ebert’sReview: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081210/REVIEWS/812109993/1001
Tags: Keanu Reeves, Klaatu, Reviews, science fiction, The Day the Earth Stood Still
December 31st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Lmao.
Good roles have been cast Keanu’s way before. Like when he was a junkie in “I Love You to Death”. I mean, could you imagine him as a drug addict so fried that he walks into closed doors and walls wherever he goes? My guess is you can.
I hear he is also playing the lead role in “The Rock II”. He is going to be the rock.
January 1st, 2009 at 11:37 pm
You have to remember, in 1951 the thought of the a possibility life existed on other planets and extraterrestrial beings existed with superior intelligence was unheard of and outlandish, making the film shocking in its day because of the stretch to the imagination. Nowadays, conspiracies, terrorism, government plots, UFOs and other similar theories are old hat. We hear about them every day. We’ve all become jaded. The film was quite far-fetched for its day.
January 15th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I think the original is great–I watched it again recently and was struck by how much better it was than I remembered. It’s a genre B movie that’s 50s years old, so it’s bound to be a little silly, but aside from just having a pretty solid production design (the spaceship and robot are great, as is the “Washington DC” shot 90% in LA), both the performance and written characterization of Klaatu are so neat. He’s not an Keanuesque robotman–he’s just a smart reasonable dude who’s kind of pissed that we’re all such jerks.
There are far more technically impressive and visually striking 50s scifi films, from the doofy “This Island Earth” to the kind of beautiful “Forbidden Planet” (which we should watch if you haven’t seen–http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y4crGU7dkg).
But “The Day the Earth Stood Still” just has *heart*, you know? And the new one couldn’t have less.