The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still - 3.5 out of 5 stars

This epic adventure is based on the original film made in 1951. For nearly five decades, this film has captured the heart of sci-fi fans across the world. The original movie told how another rate of advanced technology came to warn the world that their knowledge of Nuclear power was a danger to the peace of the universe. The stupidity of the U.S. government in not allowing this other ambassador to speak to the leaders of the world almost results in the destruction of not only our way of life, but life itself. The original film posed an intriguing question that led a whole generation of people to wonder about the universe around us.

In this new film, directed by Scott Derrickson and starring wonderful actors such as Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, and John Cleese, the story is slightly different. The once human, now ambassador for an advanced race, Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) comes to Earth, landing in a technologically advanced sphere in the middle of Central Park with his invincible robot companion GORT. Getting a regular American greeting, he leaves shot and injured in the hands of the military from Central Park. A scientist/teacher Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is requested by the military to help in the strange occurrences of the situation. Klaatu and Gort’s mission is to keep peace in the galaxy, and they will destroy the world if they have to in order to get rid of nuclear power. The weaponry in the remake has certainly been upgraded since 1951, but it still fails to live up to the original’s legacy. If you are a sci-fi lover and you want to know if our world was destroyed, this movie is for you.