Moonlet is now getting old enough to sort of somewhat understand movie plots. I stress the “sort of”. As such, our movie experiences are expanding into more adult oriented stuff. Not movies with drugs, violence, sex, excessive profanity, or complicated boring plots. But, the other stuff. That doesn’t leave a whole lot. It did however, leave room for The Day The Earth Stood Still. Now, I had always been a fan of the original The Day The Earth Stood Still. I figured it would be something like the original. Kinda hokey, kinda goofy, kinda fun in an overly serious way. I really thought Keanu Reeves, who made his biggest mark with this expression for three entire movies:
Would make a perfect Klaatu. And, it was pretty much what I expected. For the entire movie, he held this expression:
Being as Klaatu was an alien and unexperienced with emotions apparently, Keanu was a perfect fit.
That was the only thing perfect about this version of the classic.
The UFO’s everyone has learned to be so suspicious of have been transformed to blobs. The main character has been transformed into an ordinary college professor. The crux of the movie has been transformed into an omission of such epic proportions it derails the entire movie. I mean, who has watched televion and never seen emotion? They know everything about mankind, have been watching us for a thousand years or so, and did know we care about each other? Give me a freaking break. Toss in Klaatu actually saving people so they can be eaten by the robot bugs and you’ve got yet another groan. Then the little things start getting annoying like the big blob being completely impervious to any missile, bomb, or anything man can toss at it. However, the smaller version of a blob is easily destroyed with a blowtorch. I won’t even groan about how it ends. Let’s just say, it’s sudden. I kind of got the feeling the director knew he had made a bomb and just wanted it over.
This movie just does not make any sense. The original did. If you want to enjoy The Day The Earth Stood Still, get the original.











