The Day the Earth Stood Still - 2008

The remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still could only hope to approach the excitement generated by the iconic 1951 science fiction classic, and it failed in that regard. Although, it was a decent try.

Comparisons must be drawn between the two films, and at almost every level - script, character development, musical score, acting, direction, set design - the 1951 film is superior by a long shot. Well, this generation of film makers didn't have architect Frank Lloyd Wright to consult on the design of the spaceship (as he did on the original movie). Still, if the ship has to house a 30 foot tall robot, then some changes have to be considered. Nor did they have Bernard Herrmann writing the musical score.

However, this new film is not a bad movie. It is actually seems weakest in some of the elements that it retained from the 1951 film, such as Klaatu's meeting with a leading scientist played by John Cleese. The meeting has practically no purpose. And let's face it, Michael Rennie's portrayal of Klaatu is just too fine to challenge. I think his portrayal of Klaatu is his best perfomance as an actor. Keanu Reeves manages a more purely intellectual alien, but his Klaatu is just dull compared to Rennie's Klaatu. OK, the remake may not trump the original, but it has some interesting creative segments, and it may be more enjoyable to someone who has not see the 1951 movie. It is certainly worth seeing, but do yourself a big favor and see the original too!