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The Day the Earth Stood Still

dele

dele

New Member
Has anyone seen this movie yet? I went and saw it last night and I really enjoyed it. I thought it did an excellent job of capturing the essence of great sci-fi - H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, etc. It's a remake of the 1951 movie which was based on the short story, Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates. Unlike most of the sci-fi movies out today, I walked away from it with a sense of hope for the future and feeling like I've learned something valuable. In light of recent world events, I found it refreshing.

I'm curious if anyone's read Harry Bates' story. How similar are its themes to those in the movies?
 
Based on trusted opinion, I don't think I'm going to bother. I saw in the letters page of a newspaper someone suggested taking a plank to the cinema and jiggling it about when Keanu spoke and try to spot the difference.
 
I knew that starting this thread would get negative responses based solely on the fact that film critics dislike Keanu Reeves. Now I've only seen a handful of his movies, and maybe I'm been fortunate enough to have only seen his better movies, but I've always felt he gives strong performances. I will continue to watch movies and read books that interest me with an open mind, regardless of what the critics want me to believe.


If anyone has actually seen the new movie, the 1951 classic or read the 1940 short story, I'm interested in discussing.
 
It seems anything that has any sort of popularity to it gets negative responses.

I plan on checking out the movie in the next week or so. I'll let you know what I think.
 
Personally, I can make up my own mind about whether or not an actor sucks without having to refer to "film critics"; and since Keanu Reeves is indistinguishable from a wax figure, I've never understood how he managed to make a career in moving pictures - let alone why every big-budget SF remake has to star either Keanu or Will Smith. Are they really the only two actors who know how to (not) act together with CGI?

That said, the original is an excellent sci-fi movie, one of those that manages to use genre conventions to reflect real world concerns - the idea of letting a Christ-like (and boy, do they milk that analogy) alien come to Earth in the middle of the cold war and tell the US and the USSR to quit bickering is kind of beautiful, and it does a very good job of reflecting the paranoia and fear he's met with. Sure it looks a bit dated now, especially the robot, but it's aged a lot better than many other movies from the same time.

Out of curiosity, dele - what was it you learned from the movie?
 
Koda said:
It seems anything that has any sort of popularity to it gets negative responses.
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That's just nonsense. A lot of popular things are considered to be very good. What's to be negative about is cynical remakes when there's no need, other than a deficit of ideas, to bother with them. It doesn't sound like this movie brings anything new to the genre or tries to break any new ground in cinema and, with it having already been made, what's the point in doing it again. That goes for every second film these days, and not just The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Plus, bad stuff gets negative responses too. ;)
 
M. night shamalamalamanam and Keanu in a remake of an old classic means its most likely not worth watching. And I havent heard anything to indicate otherwise.
 
dele said:
I knew that starting this thread would get negative responses based solely on the fact that film critics dislike Keanu Reeves. Now I've only seen a handful of his movies, and maybe I'm been fortunate enough to have only seen his better movies, but I've always felt he gives strong performances. I will continue to watch movies and read books that interest me with an open mind, regardless of what the critics want me to believe.


If anyone has actually seen the new movie, the 1951 classic or read the 1940 short story, I'm interested in discussing.
Click to expand...
My having seen and loved the original 1951 version is really the basis for my low opinion of the new one, I don't know a thing about Reeves and have not even seen him in anything as far as I can recall. Of course I don't see too many films.

I have the short story and finding it was a story in itself. Suffice it to say I finally found it on Amazon as a download. I was surprised how little it resembled the film. I'd have to go back and reread it to say much of anything about it though. It's hidden somewhere on this computer. :whistling:
 
beer good said:
Out of curiosity, dele - what was it you learned from the movie?
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I tend to be a rather cynical person by nature. Living in a big city these last few years hasn't done anything to boost my opinion of the human race. When Jennifer Connelly's character takes Keanu Reeves to one of "our leaders", she takes him to meet a Nobel Prize winning scientist. If an alien came down today and demanded to see our leader, who would he meet? Bush? The pope? The president of the United Nations? A council of world leaders? I thought it was an interesting idea that our real leaders might not be our politicians. Watching the emotional journey of Jennifer Connelly's step-son reminded me of the true nature of humanity and that politicians do not represent mankind.
 
I was disappointed in this movie. Aside from the poor acting, the actual plot and direction of the movie let me down.
 
I quite enjoyed this movie, its a shame they are not bringing it out on DVD, well I hope they change their mind because I would love to see it again
 
K1nS said:
I quite enjoyed this movie, its a shame they are not bringing it out on DVD, well I hope they change their mind because I would love to see it again
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Really? Do you have a source for that? I'd be very surprised if they don't bring out such a high-budget film on DVD. Hollywood likes making money, after all.
 
beer good said:
Really? Do you have a source for that? I'd be very surprised if they don't bring out such a high-budget film on DVD. Hollywood likes making money, after all.
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I was very suprised myself... it was on the poster for it when it first came out 'exclusive to cinema'
 
I could care less about what movie critics say as I disagree with them as often as I agree. I haven’t read a single critic’s review of this movie but I did see it over the holidays. It wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t recommend it either. It was fairly blah. I also have never seen the original, but would like to. I didn’t care for Keanu’s performance, but that was also in part because he was given some pretty crappy lines to recite. It also came across too preachy. Don’t get me wrong, the message it was putting across was a good one, but it seemed way too forced, and thus corny. I have certainly seen worse movies, but in the end this movie was just plain forgettable.
 
1) Keanu is so wooden he makes wood look animated.

2) I've managed to watch a number of Keanu movies and quite enjoyed them (although he's a total embarrassment in Bram Stoker's Dracula, where some actual acting would have helped).

3) I won't be watching this because it's another bloody remake of a classic movie – that didn't need remaking, just as I will never, ever watch the Coen brothers' Ladykillers.

4) 'Keanu Reeves was ill the day the Earth stood still' ... You see? It just isn't right.
 
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