Average Rating: 4.2/10
Reviews Counted: 190
Fresh: 40 | Rotten: 150
Heavy on special effects, but without a coherent story at its base, The Day the Earth Stood Still is subpar re-imagining of the 1951 science-fiction classic.
Average Rating: 3.9/10
Critic Reviews: 40
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 36
Heavy on special effects, but without a coherent story at its base, The Day the Earth Stood Still is subpar re-imagining of the 1951 science-fiction classic.
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Average Rating: 2.9/5
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Keanu Reeves tops this adaptation of the seminal 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still with this 20th Century Fox production. Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) helms the story of an alien traveler, Klaatu (Reeves), who heads to Earth along with his bodyguard robot, Gort, to deliver a warning of planetary destruction if the people of the world fail to stop laying waste to the environment. Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Kathy Bates co-star in the David Scarpa-penned film. ~
Dec 12, 2008 Wide
Apr 7, 2009
$79.1M
20th Century Fox
All Critics (193) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (151) | DVD (20)
The special effects in 1951 were hokey fun. Here, in the first half of the movie anyway, they are hokey but they aren't fun.
The remake of that fine old fifties alien-invasion picture The Day the Earth Stood Still comes to a standstill about an hour before the Earth does in the wilds of New Jersey.
What a ridiculous movie.
One can only hope that in the future [Reeves] will devote himself to playing androids, less-self-aware species of undead, stylish pieces of contemporary furniture, and other roles that do not require the exhibition of any recognizably human traits.
You'll be doing yourself a huge favor if you go into this movie with lowered expectations.
Solemn, sober and efficient, The Day the Earth Stood Still gets the job done and moves on.
The world doesn't actually stand still. The corners of Keanu Reeves' mouth, his eyebrows and most of his other facial features, however, remain motionless for almost two hours.
As a flashy big-budget distraction, Stood Still is adequate overall -- rarely above, occasionally below -- and often familiar in its spectacle.
Robert Wise's original is well served by 20th Century Fox's popcorny but respectful update, a sturdy, entertaining sci-fi actioner.
Now we know what happens when the Earth slows below 55 mph and stands still.
An entirely unnecessary and unremarkable remake.
Those next to me in the cinema staring blankly at the screen gave a remarkably similar performance to that of Reeves without even being aware of it.
About 20 minutes in The Day the Earth Stood Still -- well, the movie stood still and never moved.
It's just like us to be arrogant enough to believe, like Marvell's coy mistress, that our cherry is the ripest for busting of the lot.
The movie has the air of missed opportunity about it - but as reimaginings go, it's no global disaster.
Fails, fails, epic fails all around...
More of a mess than the pleasant surprise one might have hoped. [Blu-ray]
The three-disc Blu-ray packs all the extras onto the first disc and adds a digital copy of the movie and a Blu-ray version of the 1951 original on the third disc.
The sort of movie that will do a perfectly acceptable job of filling an evening that otherwise might be empty (or, God forbid %u2013 one that cries out for reading a good book).
I really have to say I liked this movie enough to not pan it like a lot of people. It wasnt horrible, had some really good special effects and had its nice preachy sci fi meaning. So overall not to bad for a couples hours of popcorn fare.
May 23, 2009Super Reviewer
"Change his mind. Not with reason, but with yourself."A mysterious alien presence arrives on earth, causing chaos, confusion, and many questions. Primarily, why is it here? Is this humanity's hour of judgment, or salvation? I really don't know how I found The Day The Earth Stood Still to be bearable enough to finish.
December 1, 2008Super Reviewer
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