The Day the Earth Stood Still – Starring Keanu Reeves
Posted by the editors on Wednesday, 25 January 2012
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly with John Cleese and others. In this remake of the eponymous science fiction classic of 1951, Keanu Reeves portrays an extra-terrestrial messenger, Klaatu, here to save the earth. Though the theme of nuclear warfare in the original film has been replaced by the theme of global environmental disaster in the remake, and the character of Klaatu, the extra-terrestrial, has been humanizingly inverted, The Day the Earth Stood Still, adheres, sadly, to many of the qualities of the original, notably the U.S.-centric perception of the world, and the shallow, stereotypical characters. Though the film received a decidedly negative critical reception, it went on to be rather successful at the box office, perhaps in view of Reeves’ participation in The Matrix franchise. Reeves, here, too, clearly demonstrates his talent for appearing emotionless, perhaps appropriate given the circumstances. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, in a role reminiscent of that portrayed by Michael Caine in the film Children of Men, is present for a very short scene, as a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. There are, of course, ample special effects, some of which aren’t bad, but by and large, The Day the Earth Stood Still is likely to appeal to fans of a certain dated school of science-fiction, and those who appreciate Keanu Reeves. (PR)
See our posts on the science fiction films Solaris, starring George Clooney, and Predators, starring Adrien Brody.
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