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The Day the Earth Stood Still Review

Movies.com Critics

0.5

Dave White Profile

Dumber and dorkier than the dumbest dork you know. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    40

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 10

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    What's never explained is why anyone would do such a dumb remake of Robert Wise's 1951 sci-fi classic.

    Read Full Review

  • 40

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    Any movie that awards a former Monty Python cast member a Nobel Prize in anything cannot be all bad. And The Day the Earth Stood Still could be worse.

    Read Full Review

  • 40

    out of 100

    Variety Todd McCarthy

    This botched remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" seriously dishonors the seriously fine 1951 sci-fi landmark on which it's based.

    Read Full Review

  • 42

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    The original Day the Earth Stood Still had a paranoid poetry that lifted the audience up even as it warned the world to come together. This one is so dour it just comes off as a scolding.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    All this is presented in an expensive, good-looking film that is well-made by Scott Derrickson, but to no avail.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    The story, an updated version of the 1951 classic about a portentous extraterrestrial visit, feels musty and derivative, and not only because it's a remake.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

    Despite the best efforts of stars Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly, this new "Day" is tired and corny.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

    This contemporary remake of the science-fiction classic knew what it was doing when it cast Keanu Reeves, the movies' greatest stone face since Buster Keaton.

    Read Full Review

  • See all The Day the Earth Stood Still reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 13+

Sci-fi remake has big effects but no real power.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this drama/thriller (which is a remake of a 1950s classic that most kids probably haven't seen) has lots of urban destruction, as well as some scenes of science-fiction-style violence perpetrated against people. There's some blood and some graphic visuals, such as when a man with broken legs is healed through super-science and his broken legs are seen straightening out. There's also a notable amount of product placement, particularly for Windows and McDonald's. On a positive note, there's basically nothing in the way of swearing or sex, and the movie offers thought-provoking discussion about humanity's relationship with Earth's ecology.

  • Families can talk about the film's central theme: What will it take for humans to deal with issues like pollution, global warming, overpopulation, and other consequences of our industrial-technological lifestyle? Is it the media's job to point out these issues?
  • Do you think most mainstream movies have an issue-based agenda? Why or why not?
  • Families who've seen the original can also discuss the differencesbetween the two films. How have filmmaking styles and technologieschanged in the past 50 years, and what era-specific real-world concernsdo the different films speak to?

The good stuff
  • message true1

    Messages: An alien visitor judges mankind's stewardship of the planet Earth and finds us wanting -- resulting in a plan to eradicate human life from the planet. Discussion of loss and death; discussion of the human capacity for change in the face of disaster.

  • rolemodels true0

    Role models: The alien is unlikable; Helen is a better role model, but her character isn't really developed well.

What to watch for
  • violence false3

    Violence: Military forces shoot an alien visitor, with blood spatter; later, people bleed from wounds created by microscopic nano-bots that devour everything in their path. Missile strikes and bombs are rained down on indestructible alien robots and ships, with some humans in the path of the blast. A police officer is struck by a car; several supporting characters are knocked out or suffer pain as an effect of some high-pitched noise the alien technology emits.

  • sex false0

    Sex: Not an issue

  • language false1

    Language: Hardly any -- just one "hell" and a couple of expressions along the lines of "oh my god."

  • consumerism false3

    Consumerism: A good bit of product placement -- the Windows logo is clearly visible at several points, and one scene takes place at a McDonald's. The NASA logo is also visible. Several shots of cityscapes, where advertising for companies like Coca-Cola and The New York Giants can be seen.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false1

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Two people driving drink beers.

Fan Reviews provided by

2

The Day My Brain Stood Still by gegan
I sat there, waiting and waiting, for something original to happen. You know? There is always supposed to be at least ONE wow-factor moment. This movie is a re-hashed direction of tired special effects, poor writing, and supporting actors going through the motions of reprimanding us little-people of the errors of our ways. The Evil Americans Strike Again. Gratuitous bi-racial relationships, environmental speeches, and gloom-and-doom foretellings make this hum-drum movie nearly unwatchable. Please, save your soapbox for the street corner.

3

The Day I Sat Still In My Seat by Half-Breed
I went to the sneak preview on Thursday night, and since I got free tickets to see it in IMAX, I can't really complain too much. However, I can say that everything in this movie seemed too big for the movie to handle (and not because it was on a screen 60+feet tall). I think the idea of the movie is a good starting point and could have gone somewhere, but it just felt to me that we were going down the same road that so many movies like this have already traveled. To give you a quick example; many mysterious "things" from space come down to earth. "Are they good or bad? How should we deal with them?" Kinda sounds like Independence Day right? However, unlike ID4, this movie didn't have that "Let's kick those Aliens' butts, hoooooraaaahhh" kind of energy. So you may think this is going to be a "deeper" type movie, but with so many token moments and sappy lines, it's hard to take seriously. P.S. I've never seen the original of this movie.

3

This movie was not your typical action flick like you expected But... by foxasher
Okay we have a monotonous Keanu Reeves that does a great job on his acting part. When I went into the sneak peek tonight of course I was expecting this all out flick that would surpass War of the Worlds. It was a totally different approach. Imagine say, Tree huggers making love to Sci-Fi Gurus and this is what the film basically is. The little kid in the flick is just annoying, the ARK balls are visually appealing but really have no effect whatsoever in this entire movie, yes that's right. No massive attacks on a nationwide scale, no mass rioting visible, or mass suicides which would mark apocalyptic style endings, just a conflicting talk the whole movie how humanity can change its evil ways towards each other. They did not even show the conclusion or after math of what happens when the aliens leave. For the budget this film spent, they could've conveyd and entertained a lot more movie goers.

5

What's with all the negativity? This was a great sci-fi movie. by jtm1974
I don't get it. Did you naysayers see the same movie I did? Or are you just all Keanu haters that rag on any movie he's in whether it's good or not? Because this movie definatly didn't suck like you all claim it did. I saw this today and it was very good. It kept me on the edge of my seat; very intense. The only thing I was disappointed with was the ending but still overall is was well worth seeing. If you like intensity buildup and cool special effects, you'll enjoy this movie. It's not all action, but it still moves along well and the intensity and suspense keeps your eyes glued to the screen. And I have to say Keanu might not be the best actor, but he does have screen presence and he's cool. He's at his best in sci-fi movies so he should just stick to that genre and give up the boring romance movies. I am even considering seeing it again next week.

1

Another "Day After Tomorrow" by 808_State
So I was excited to see the film but was disapointed by the dull and poor acting, Mr. Reeves must have taken a pill, with all due respect to Will Smith, your son did not come through but to be fair he did not have much to work with, and this "save the planet" script...give me an F'n break. I wanted to walk out about 30 mins into the film but my wife wanted to give it a chance, afterwards she agreed we should have walked out. Do not waste your hard earned money on this refuse pile of a movie. If you must see this one, please rent it. * I'd had rather pay someone to kick me in the pants then see this movie....in fact I wish I had on Friday night...it would have been alot less painfull.

1

"The Day The Earth Demanded a Refund" by slave2six
This movie brings an entirely new definition to "appalling drivel from the pits of the netherworld of your choice." It wasn't merely that the script was apparently written by Al Gore's retarded twin brother or that the special effects were special in the same sense that Al Gore's twin brother is. Nor was it that Keanu Reeves acted like an android with the IQ of his character in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Nor was it that the rest of the third-rate cast members, even "cute black kid who has lost both his parents and is being raised by his white step mother," clearly never attended acting school, (it is doubtful that any of the cast made it through elementary school). What made this movie a total toilet clogger was that even Kathy Bates stunk!Imagine Jimmy Stewart playing a stripper in a gay bar and you'll get an idea of how I felt about this performance by the Kathster. I don't know what it was but when Kathy Bates sucks, it's time for Hollywood to pack up and go home

3

a plot cannot stand on a paradox by mischiefmeister
Despite the excellent special effects and geek-tastic casting choice of Keanu as the alien Clatu, I'm afraid this movie has nothing to offer. The entire plot of the original, if you recall, fellow sci-fi buffs out there, was that the aliens believed humans would threaten the intergalactic politics of their association. Clatu stopped the destruction of humanity but left the robot behind, in order to prevent humanity from leaving the planetary surface, and thus become a nuisance. However, THIS Clatu was sent to preserve all life on earth BESIDE humans, under the preposterous assertion that there "are only a few planets that can support life". What? You have nanotech, can repair biology, bring dead bodies back to life, deconstruct organisms and recombine them into arbitrary shapes and you say that you need INCUBATORS???? WTF? Go terraform another world, you lazy half-assed space-police! Next time, do more research before you destroy a planet. Listen to Bach on Itunes in advance.

3

The Day the Earth Stood Still by madddawg
As Si-Fi goes, it was nice to see it tied to the Pulp Mag days in the 50's. It was nice to see it tie all the way back to the creation of time and man, and even the somewhat touch and go connection to Biblical creation, the Arc and the Flood .. pretty cool. However, I am a tad tired of listening to Hollywood tell me about science, the biology of the planet, global warming and it's current description of "change" and how stupid we are as a animal species. Worse, I am totally tired of hearing about how we should grab hands and sing until we become one, that is die and lose our individual selves, and join the cosmic energy flow as a non- being, and help ever thing by so doing. Go Buda! Wait a minute, he died. What a goal .. be dead and stay that way. I am also tired of hearing how the military mind set is shoot first and ask questions later. They don't have that mind set! Much more interested in Sci-Fi ... prediction of future technology and human interaction, like of old

4

A Science Fiction Fan Speaks Up..... by densteele
I've been a science fiction fan all my life, and I've seen the 1950's version of The Day the Earth Stood Still 30 times or more. I really like this film. So, after reading some of the negative fan reviews in this forum, I wasn't too sure whether I'd bother to see the remake. It's my philosophy that one needs to see a film first-hand before making a judgment, so it was off to the movie-house yesterday. As the film evolved on the screen, it became clear to me that the screen writer had the core of the story well in-hand. The thrust of the film has to do with the Klaatu saving the Earth -- not the inhabitants of the planet. As in the original, Earthlings are on the brink of losing their planet because of their own actions. In the end, the "humanity" of both the Earthlings and alien prevail.I would have liked to see more of GORT, and for the first time learned what G.O.R.T. means. Kinda neat! Dennis

3

The Day the Earth Stood Still by d2k1323
This movie was decent but nothing really spectacular. It wasnt boring, pleasant to watch but it was the typical humans are killing planet earth and aliens have to get rid of the human race to save planet earth and how we should change blah blah blah. I'd wait for the dvd.

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