User Reviews

I second another reviewer who said they'd have given it 10 stars if the movie ended with his character being killed. Not only was his acting horrible but the classic kid character that's annoying, makes trouble, doesn't listen and runs away causing problems totally ruined everything that could have been good. If our survival as a species depended on this kid representing us, we'd have been wiped out immediately, just like this movie's good ratings.

The kid was toxic. I found it hard to believe that the alien actually GAVE us a second chance because of him.

Keanu is the master of the expressionless look, perfect for an emotionless alien. I am being serious given the gravity of the situation.

I was amused by how they portrayed our military. Our Sec. Of Defense, played by Kathy Bates, was bafflingly hostile to a very benign first contact when diplomacy would have been most useful and we were outmatched. But later when military force is justified, we use the same weapons that failed so miserably the first time. And this is after we move the jumbo robot to an isolated location. How about using one of our many tactical nukes? This would have actually worked because Keanu disables the robot bug swarm with an EMP and our nukes generate EMP's.

So our military pisses off the aliens and then never uses our best weapon; great job guys :-)

I closed my eyes and thought about this whenever the kid spoke. This was still an entertaining enough movie to watch.

At being annoying. He gives a master class in this film on the art of annoying. At first I thought it was just the adult Jaden Smith that was so annoying. No. The child Jaden Smith is annoying too.

The epic science fiction blockbuster is slowly but surely becoming a dying form of cinematic entertainment. Not since the days of cold war paranoia and the initial splurge of CGI technology back in the nineties has the genre seen much love either from its core enthusiasts or those looking for something big but different. Yet there are numerous obvious reasons for its decline in demand, most of which are unavoidably apparent in this, the latest and arguably first of its kind for over a year now, The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Based upon a movie from the genre's heyday, director Scott Derrickson's version lacks the same sense of awe, conviction and relevancy to our current social climate. Bombarded with underdeveloped themes, an incoherent plot and extremely rough characterisation, the movie suffers not just from a lack of significance in its arrival, but also in its implementation. Most disappointing of all however is that in spite of the many technical flaws present, the biggest let down is that the movie simply doesn't convince; the effects are impressive and the story can be gripping through its thick layer of foreboding atmosphere from time to time, but an overall lack of substance hurts the film's ability to truly draw you in and take off. It's a routinely enjoyable experience sure enough, but an over reliance on this safe-play structure stops the feature from excelling beyond mere light entertainment.

Telling a first contact story that involves rather heavy handed themes of a doomsday like prophecy, like most good science fiction movies big to small, The Day the Earth Stood Still retains a sense of wonder and mystique to its tale, particularly early on. During these initial moments of exposition which come to an eventual climax of contact with an alien presence visiting Earth for unknown reasons, the movie achieves its only real piece of coherent and engaging drama; the way in which it unfolds is magnificent and capitalises on the movie's big effects budget in ways that feel impressive and yet substantially eerie at the same time- there are moments when this big shot sci-fi movie actually feels like a genuine product of imagination and heart.

Disappointingly however, this does not last very long. From here on in the feature slowly but surely declines in both mystique and interest, culminating in a third act which is about as convincing as it is exciting; which believe it or not, isn't much at all. It's around this point that things take a drastic turn from intelligent and insightful science-fiction to big dumb blockbuster action movie; the themes that are brought up during the movie's initial stages are belittled to a deux ex machina that never quite seems justified, and the climax –if you can call it that- feels stunted and perfunctory for the sake of giving a clean feeling of catharsis. It's perhaps the biggest reason why most major productions based on sci-fi scripts never seem to work; the balancing act between catering to the mass public and those wanting intelligent drama is a hard one to pull off, and nobody here seems quite sure how to do such a thing.

If there is one thing that I can praise the movie for, outside of its opening act that is, it would simply be within its excellent aesthetic design. From the dynamic score penned by Tyler Bates to the often endlessly interesting photography of David Tattersall, The Day the Earth Stood Still gets most of its outer shell right, even if everything that lies underneath is a less than inspiring mess. One also has to draw attention to lead star Keanu Reeves who plays Klaatu, the alien/human hybrid visitor and mediator who is welcomed to Earth with a less than hospitable, but terribly human introduction. Reeves is an actor known for his alien-like, wooden style- which is why he is so often found in these kinds of films- and it suits his character adequately enough here. Co-star Jennifer Connelly holds her own too, and while she isn't given much to work with throughout, she does a fine job in playing as Keanu's contrived human sociology lesson.

When the credits roll however, despite the movie's impressive effects, imaginative premise and somewhat entertaining moments, The Day the Earth Stood Still simply feels like an empty experience. As science fiction, the movie conjures up some intelligent questions and yet David Scarpa never seems quite up to the task of taking them any further; and as popcorn fodder, the movie simply doesn't do enough rule-breaking to come off as anything but standard fare. This awkward need to balance both crowds irrevocably results in a feature that indeed avoids polarising, but only to the point where mostly everyone will leave feeling under-stimulated. It has its fair share of compelling and visionary moments, but a distinct lack of development, coherency and substance stops The Day the Earth Stood Still from being one worth remembering. Light sci-fi with a dash of social intrigue that mildly entertains, but never reaches its potential.

• A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)

If Klatu and his robot had come to Earth to kill Jaden Smith, i would have given this Movie 10 stars. I'll be Frank. this kid ruined the movie for me. The 1951 version is still my favorite. 2008 version has some good effects, But changing the storyline is stupid. Casting is atrocious. And I'll say it again Jaden Smith killed the Movie for me.

First off, if you are a fan of the original, like me, you will see this movie in spite of all the good or bad reviews. It is a different take on the original while dealing with much of the same themes; namely,our tendency to destroy ourselves, others and everything. What I found fascinating was the film's take on the character of Klaatu, which seemed more realistic and more alien than the original. Also, I liked the reason for the the visitation...which, like the original, was not the conventional invasion theme. Unfortunately, this central reason, which lies at the core of the film, has been so frequently preached, that I felt it was basically lost on the choir. But if you can bear that and go along for the ride, I think you will enjoy it. Like the recent X-Files film, seen on a big screen, the CGI flaws and lack of big whiz bang special effects, will be very apparent and the film will seem more remote. But a smaller-artsy-screen (20'X 50')seems to make it easier to connect with; for this reason, I have a feeling that it will be a cult classic once it hits the DVD and large flat screen TV viewing crowd.

The movie could have done more character development and been much more complex, for our times. But in such complicated times, sometimes it's just nice to go see a simple movie with basic themes.

Jaden Smith is the worst part of this entire film! He alone makes it almost unwatchable!

Watching this remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still reminded me of how Q in the opening episode of Star Trek The Next Generation was ready to condemn humanity out of hand. But at least John DeLancie was saying this far you've gone and no farther. Here like an old testament prophet Keanu Reeves has come to render final judgment on humanity and how it is messed up the gift of planet earth.

Keanu Reeves was certainly different than Michael Rennie in his interpretation of alien Klaatu. He's more like Fredric March in Death Takes A Holiday, the handsome young stranger who brings a promise of destruction. Rennie was a sophisticated kind of actor and brought that quality to his performance. In his version he does mix and mingle with humanity and does save us from the big robot.

The robot here is about the size of the Statue Of Liberty much bigger than the 1951 film. His arsenal is mighty and in the climax, positively biblical.

I do prefer the 1951 film, but this one is not as bad as folks make it out to be.

I feel bad for everyone that worked on this film, one spoiled rotten brat wrecked the entire thing. It's his dad's fault he's been unleashed on the American public the way he has. Must we continue to suffer or can he just retire already?

Could have been a great movie. That kid was so utterly unlovable and unlikeable that he made what could have been a great movie just a likable movie. If at any point in this there had been a gruesome murder scene of that hideous brat, I could have enjoyed this a lot more, but no, he had to live. I guarantee any film starring this awful individual will be a flop. What a dreadful actor and character portrayal.

America's top scientists are pulled together into one place and told of an object hurtling towards Earth on a direct collision course. There is little over an hour before it impacts and no chance of stopping it – all they can do is prepare for the aftermath. However, the object slows and lands in NYC. A figure comes out but is shot and only an alien command prevents a large robotic figure retaliating. Dr Helen Benson is there when this figure (Klaatu) is recovered and taken to hospital where he develops a human form. Distrusting the motives of her superiors and curious about this Klaatu, she helps him in a small way that leads to his escape. Against the advice of her son, Dr Benson helps him further but learns that, although he has come to "help", Klaatu's definition of "help" may not be in everyone's interests.

The trailer was rammed with the effects shots and it did enough to draw me in when I saw it recently. I'm not sure why my brain did not stop me but it was the festive season and perhaps I had goodwill in my heart and figured that this trailer, this one trailer right here, was telling me the truth and that this would be a great blockbuster sci-fi. Of course the truth is that it is nothing of the sort but even still, was it unreasonable of me to expect it to be at least an OK film? Probably not but this boring, simplistic and bland sci-fi cannot even get to that. We'll get the action out of the way first. OK, there has been money spent, there is no denying that – I could not make these images myself and would have no idea where to start. Are they the most amazing effects ever – no, but they are still good. The problem is that they are nothing more than images, the effect-driven sequences do not engage and do not excite at any point and so they just sort of "happen" and I met these scenes with a shrug.

The reason for this reaction is that the rest of the film is wooden and/or simplistic to the point where the film was probably written in crayon. The plot is an offensively simplistic "green" message that just clunks down in front of the viewer with no intelligence or thought – and I say this as a left-leaning environmental professional, not as someone scoffing at the message itself. This crass message is then filled out by wooden characters with barely serviceable (at best) dialogue, who are then pushed down a narrative path that doesn't ring true even once but manages to be corny and contrived at the same time as being wooden. Nothing in the plot or characters engage the viewer at any point, instantly killing the film by leaving the majority of the audience looking at their watches and wondering when it will be over, rather than caught up in it.

The cast match this feeling of blandness. Even if Reeves was a great actor, the material would have limited him. He is not a great actor so the poor script is really just another layer of lacquer to his wooden performance. Connelly is no better as the plot gives her a thankless task that she cannot deliver on – stumbling badly as she goes. It doesn't help she has to work with Jaden Smith, who offers up almost nothing here. Bates slums around in a vague role that is necessary as a plot device but she is half-asleep while John Cleese gets the job of delivering the "moralising" part of the script – which is just dumped in one scene as yet another bit of proof of terrible writing.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a poor film. At best the blocks of narrative provide a really basic story to follow and the usual effects are OK (but all in the trailer) but it is all so basic and dull that you'll not even make it to the halfway point before you are ready for it to end. And when it does end, it does so with such a pathetic conclusion that it is clear that many of the makers had stopped caring as well.

When a science-fiction movie's location is not space but is earth, also if there is an alien threat, it becomes a nightmare for most of the audiences. At least, I feel this way and I believe so. If you can focus on this movie carefully and if you have no idea about it before, you will enjoy it and you will scare a bit. Many of other critics did not fit my thoughts and I really liked to watch how earth stopped. Especially the ending message is good but could be better if editors would leave it longer. I think many of other fans will wait for it's DVD to see the deleted scenes. Because somethings looks missing in this one. 7/10 Give this one a chance and watch it.

It's not a bad movie. Keanu Reeves is great, Jennifer Connelly is great as usual, the real problem with the movie is Jaden Smith, he is just a toxic blob, perhaps one of the worst actors in the history of Hollywood.

Nobody should ever hire him, nobody should ever allow him within a hundred miles of a film set, every word he utters, every scene he's in is toxic and unwatchable just like After Earth. Every project he is involved in is diminished by his presence and extreme lack of charisma. An iguana has more screen presence than he does.

The same with virtually everything else he's done the kid has an unbelievable lack of talent. Considering his father and how talented he is one has to wonder how how does a son of a talent like Will Smith fall so far from the tree.

Avoid Jaden at all costs, avoid anything he's in, anything he does, he's is utterly unwatchable.

If you are able to get past the Jaden roadblock, the film is fun.

I genuinely don't know why this is 5.5 ? I'd give it a comfortable 7.5

Very good remake and Reeves nails his part as the visiting Alien wanting to speak to mankind, surprise part for John Cleese too

I very much enjoyed it and have watched it a number of times over the years (one of those films that you can watch again)

Still perplexed by the 5.5 and running out of required word count but I think it's well worth a watch if you like the sci-fi end of the world happy ending genre

Not sure what else to say, I thought it was well made, well acted, good script and certainly worth a watch if you like this genre.

Can one little kid ruin a movie?

Yup.

Think I'm exaggerating? Watch this film. You can see Exhibit A of it right here in this science-fiction "classic" film, a re-make of the 1950s hit movie of the same title. This re-make actually would have only "bad" without inserting this annoying kid, but he made it "horrendous." Jaden Smith as "Jacob Benson" is a spoiled, chip-on-his-shoulder, disrespectful kid who incessantly talks back to his mother, who puts up with it - which is equally annoying for most audiences.

What was the purpose of inserting this kid in the film? What were the writers thinking? I'm glad to see a number of reviewers here agree with me on this one. I guess if you're the son of a famous actor (Will Smith), they'll insert you in film roles, even if there is no purpose to it. And Hollywood wonders why people don't go to the movies much any more, and they sneer at pitiful re-makes?

Meanwhile, Keanu Reeves was a good choice for his starring role: an emotionless robot-like alien. Reeves is such a wooden-sounding actor to begin with that playing a bland robot is good casting for him. "Klaatu" is tailor-made for him.

Comedy was provided via the ludicrous environmental fear-mongering message in here. I laughed out loud in several spots when "Klaatu" explained to us the reason for his mission. It's so stupid, it's laughable. I was reminded of Ed Wood's horrible sci-fi stories in the 1950s.

I will say some of the special-effects and the surround sound in here is excellent. It was the highlight of the movie. These are good visuals and good audio, and a nice film to view on Blu-Ray. Unfortunately, the story got in the way.

Why do these movies feel they need to include a bratty, spoiled, overbearing kid?? The ridiculous performance of Jaden Smith added annoyance to the empty script.

The movie starts off well enough, and then tries miserably to develop the characters and make us care for them. The Bates role is absurd; Cleese's role has virtually nothing to say this amazing encounter. The military point of view is typical; as if there's only one area where the military is useful (I would expect nothing less from "Hollywood").

There were some very interesting ideas (the sphere-like ship, the nanobots, the Gort acronym) and the effects were top notch, however Gort (the one thing the movie had going for it) was on screen for less then 10 minutes.

Keanu was perfectly cast and Connelly does a good job with what's given to her. All in all, another flop of a remake. This actually makes the War of the Worlds remake shine.

I saw this movie in IMAX - if you're going to see it, find an IMAX theater. Lastly, am I the only sick of seeing the same old New York back drop? I love New York City, but come on! Be original!

Keanu was a good choice for this, but he forced the role. If you're gonna play Klaatu, you need to be calm, cool, collected and not anxious. Reeves came off as a bit too emotional, too....human. Still, it's better than that monstrosity Cruise made of 'War of the Worlds'.