Movie review: The Day the Earth Stood Stilll

Well, the good news is that those avid moviegoers trying to fit in the onslaught of worthwhile December releases amid busy holiday schedules won’t have to feel bad if they happen to miss the sci-fi thriller “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

This Keanu Reeves vehicle, directed by Scott Derrickson, is a cheesy remake of the 1951 classic in which aliens come to earth in order to save the planet from the destructive and violent nature of human beings. David Scarpia’s script closely follows the original and ignores any opportunity to inject metaphorical elements along with a modern-day spin that might have energized the story line or dialogue.

A brilliant scientist Helen (Jennifer Connely) is summoned by the government to be part of a team of experts gathered to analyze an alien sphere scheduled to collide into New York City. Instead of making a crash landing the sphere gently touches down in Central Park, where the military promptly shoots at the alien being who has emerged from the orb with an important message.

Ironically, the alien Klaatu (Reeves) is then rushed for life-saving surgery in a military hospital and shortly thereafter informs the Defense Secretary (Kathy Bates) that he will be taking over the planet in order to “save” it from certain destruction.

Soon Connelly and her stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith) go on the run with Klaatu and proceed to convince him that the population needs a second chance.

Although there are no great performances to speak of, Connelly and Smith share nice screen chemistry on occasion. However, they are both capable of so much more.
Reeves pulls out his standard low-key and soulless approach to present a characterization that might have worked better if the transition he makes at the end of the film was not so incomprehensibly contrived.

In the end “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is reminiscent of a lot of other sci-fi disaster pictures and director Derrickson uses a ton of CGI that is more uninspired than it is spectacular.
With the onslaught of “heavy hitters” heading toward the box office, diehard fans of Reeves will want to scurry to the theater quickly as this light-weight offering isn’t likely to stick around for long. But the ending of the movie so =.="

Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu

Helen and "space-man" Klaatu