The Day the Earth Stood Still

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The Day the Earth Stood Still

PG-13

2008

1h 44m

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

21%

Tomatometer

193 Reviews

27%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Klaatu, an extraterrestrial visitor to planet Earth, becomes the herald of upheaval on a global scale. As the world's governments and scientists race to understand what is happening and how to stop it, Dr. Helen Benson and her stepson come to understand the chilling ramifications behind Klaatu's statement that he is a "friend to the Earth."

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Critics Consensus

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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David Stratton

The Australian

Jan 8, 2009

3.5/5

Derrickson and his team take a much-loved sci-fi classic and, even if they can't improve on the original, at least rework it in intriguing ways.

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David Edelstein

New York Magazine/Vulture

Dec 15, 2008

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.

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Christopher Orr

The New Republic

Dec 12, 2008

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.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 28, 2020

3/10

The computer animation and picture quality is significantly cleaner and more impressive than the low-budget, man-in-a-foam-suit costuming of the 1951 classic.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 5, 2020

1.5/4.0

If you look past the fairly cool special effects you're going to see a film at war with itself.

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Ellie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

Jun 6, 2019

2/4

Doesn't have a single practical reason for its existence.

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Frans B

@FransB 10 hrs ago

Not as bad as made out to be. Forget "original and remake" and some such. The movie has it's own intrigue and ambiance. Well written and directed. Very capable cast all excel in character. Great storyline and interesting communiqué. Fascinating and captivating.

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Charles K

@RT95048736 Sep 3, 2026

I would say that it's a bad film. And gets one star, because of the great cast it has, and I think Keanu and Jennifer and others are great. And jayden, but it's just such a weird film that really makes no sense, and really has no story that makes any sense at all.

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Sibby 5

@RT12152834 Aug 10, 2026

This movie was amazing! Great actors, storyline, and unexpected occurrences throughout the movie that I was unable to predict! Lots of action, special effects. Highly recommend!

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saeed T

@RT37809958 May 31, 2026

I actually really liked this movie. Even though the special effects are very much a core part of the movie, I think Keanu Reaves fits the role of Klaatu very well, I also was touched by the part where the kid asks Klaatu to revive his father, it was a good use of the one thing that the kid saw. The guy in the flash chamber who didnt let the scientist leave the airlock but later was denied leaving the chamber himself, was also a pretty good scene and played a role in actually showing the hypocrisy of us humans. The child actor himself was very annoying though, he likely doesnt see helen as his mother or even someone important to him considering he barely makes a reaction as shes literally reeled away from him into a helicopter, I dont think he was fit for the role at all to be honest and he bought the movie down for me personally as he just infuriated me but the rest of the cast were pretty good. The movie also didnt make much sense at all but thats a story for later.

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Ibrick T

@Ibrick May 10, 2026

Good story, great effects. Great cast. Can we change in order to save the earth from destruction?

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Aoci G.

@askey03 May 6, 2026

Trash, god I wish I hadn’t seen it

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Scott Derrickson

Director

Keanu Reeves

Klaatu

Jennifer Connelly

Dr. Helen Benson

Kathy Bates

Regina Jackson

Jaden Smith

Jacob Benson

John Cleese

Professor Barnhardt

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The Day the Earth Stood Still: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Klaatu, an extraterrestrial visitor to planet Earth, becomes the herald of upheaval on a global scale. As the world's governments and scientists race to understand what is happening and how to stop it, Dr. Helen Benson and her stepson come to understand the chilling ramifications behind Klaatu's statement that he is a "friend to the Earth."

Director: Scott Derrickson
Producer: Gregory Goodman, Paul Harris Boardman, Erwin Stoff
Screenwriter: David Scarpa
Production Co: 3 Arts Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Some Sci-Fi Disaster Images)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $79.4M
Runtime: 1h 44m

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