So, here it is. The remake of the classic early sci-fi, philosophically poignant The Day the Earth Stood Still. The 2008 version is chock full of amazing special effects and big name stars including Jennifer Connelly and Keanu Reeves in the lead roles, with Jaden Smith, Kathy Bates, and John Cleese all supporting. Reeves plays the godlike Klaatu who has come to destroy the Earth, only in this version he is taking the other species away from the annihilation because they, apparently, have done nothing wrong.
For the initiated, this film follows the story of Klaatu, a visitor from another planet who was sent here to destroy the Earth. His sidekick, GORT is the annihilator but doesn’t move until Klaatu begins the process. Of course, Klaatu is host by the military in the first few minutes, setting off a string of events that philosophically deal with the Cold War (in the original version) and man’s responsibility to the Earth and to each other (in the original a bit but more prominent in the remake). Can mankind convince the powers that be they deserve a second chance? Can they change? The original is amazingly well-written but not much to look at, while the remake is utterly amazing to look at but takes the film pretty far left of the original.
The film itself is fine. The special effects look great and the acting, although it seems to be getting a lot of criticism, was pretty spot in my opinion. Reeves doesn’t make the friendliest Klaatu BUT he has the best poker face in the entertainment business and his almost deadpan approach is entirely believable. I enjoyed the film for sure but it certainly was as gripping as the original, which is a shame because it had the potential to be.
The extras here are very well done. There are documentaries on GORT (who, in an attempt to make him more intimidating, is a giant in this version) and why they choose to rewrite the script as well as standard deleted scenes, etc. The documentary on rewriting the film is probably the best of the extras and it’s hard to argue with their reasoning. Everything they did makes sense on paper, it just doesn’t come together as powerfully on the screen as I had hoped it would.
This three-disc special edition is certainly the way to go when purchasing this. The remake is a solid action film with great special effects and the extras are worth your time. While it’s not as good as Independence Day Men in Black, it does have a similar re-watch quality to it. So that makes it worth a purchase. This version though contains a digital copy of the film as well as the original film. The original film is something you should own anyway if you like classics so this is easily the best deal going.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
