Robin PottratzReview: "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is the day that just won't end *1/2 stars out of 4
December 26th 2008 23:34
1951's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was recently selected as one of the 10 best science fiction films of all time by the American Film Institute...which begs the question: why on earth should this movie be remade when the original was so great? The most logical answer after seeing the 2008 rehashing starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly is that the remake allows us to appreciate the high-quality original. Director Scott Derrickson's retelling is overlong, unengaging, and just plain boring.
Reeves stars in his typical wooden delivery style as Klattu, an alien invader who brings news of earth's destruction at the hands of an alien that looks like a cross between an oscar statue and cyclops from the X-Men movies. When we are introduced to the statue alien in central park it is a scene that is the most indirectly hilarious introduction of a monster since the bird sea monster in "Cloverfield." With the help of a sypahetic widowed biologist (Connelly) as well as her troubled stepson (Jaden Smith - son of Will) Klattu goes on a journey that really has no direct purpose other than to elongate the movie and give the movie something that resembles a plot.
Along for this watch-checking ride are some talented actors who are given nothing to do other than to look distressed and run from the aliens. Kathy Bates is the secretary of defense who wont let the Klattu go when we all know that he is humanity's only hope. Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" plays a scientist who discovers the alien statue and alarms the global community and lastly John Cleese plays a reclusive scientist who tries to convince Klattu that there is some good in the world and that it is worth saving.
Just when "The Day" couldn't get more nausiating, the attempt to conclude that the only reason that the aliens want to destroy the earth is that they would rather obliterate the world before the destructive humans that inhabit it do. It is a political sidetrack that the movie never earns and seems forced and contrived.
There is one bright spot in the film, Jaden Smith delivers the one good performance in the film as Jennifer Connelly's stepson, who is still in grief after the death of his biological father. Apparently someone forgot to tell him that you should save your talent for a movie that is more worthy of it...but his effort is appreciated.
In a holiday season that is full of both Oscar bait and popcorn fare, there much better ways to kill two hours than to waste them in this cinematic trainwreck. Truly, when Keanu Reeves tells an interrogator that "You should let me go," he might as well be echoing the sentiments of the audience who will be trapped in a world of sci-fi crap and emotionless acting.
Reeves stars in his typical wooden delivery style as Klattu, an alien invader who brings news of earth's destruction at the hands of an alien that looks like a cross between an oscar statue and cyclops from the X-Men movies. When we are introduced to the statue alien in central park it is a scene that is the most indirectly hilarious introduction of a monster since the bird sea monster in "Cloverfield." With the help of a sypahetic widowed biologist (Connelly) as well as her troubled stepson (Jaden Smith - son of Will) Klattu goes on a journey that really has no direct purpose other than to elongate the movie and give the movie something that resembles a plot.
Along for this watch-checking ride are some talented actors who are given nothing to do other than to look distressed and run from the aliens. Kathy Bates is the secretary of defense who wont let the Klattu go when we all know that he is humanity's only hope. Jon Hamm of "Mad Men" plays a scientist who discovers the alien statue and alarms the global community and lastly John Cleese plays a reclusive scientist who tries to convince Klattu that there is some good in the world and that it is worth saving.
Just when "The Day" couldn't get more nausiating, the attempt to conclude that the only reason that the aliens want to destroy the earth is that they would rather obliterate the world before the destructive humans that inhabit it do. It is a political sidetrack that the movie never earns and seems forced and contrived.
There is one bright spot in the film, Jaden Smith delivers the one good performance in the film as Jennifer Connelly's stepson, who is still in grief after the death of his biological father. Apparently someone forgot to tell him that you should save your talent for a movie that is more worthy of it...but his effort is appreciated.
In a holiday season that is full of both Oscar bait and popcorn fare, there much better ways to kill two hours than to waste them in this cinematic trainwreck. Truly, when Keanu Reeves tells an interrogator that "You should let me go," he might as well be echoing the sentiments of the audience who will be trapped in a world of sci-fi crap and emotionless acting.
The Day the Earth said 'Whoa'
| 28 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog