Drama

Science Fiction

Thriller

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Dune Entertainment III

Earth Canada Productions

Hammerhead Productions

3 Arts Entertainment

20th Century Fox

Canada

United States of America

普通话

English

Keanu Reeves

Jennifer Connelly

Jaden Smith

Jon Hamm

Kathy Bates

John Cleese

Kyle Chandler

Robert Knepper

Brandon T. Jackson

James Hong

Jake McLaughlin

John Rothman

Sunita Prasad

Juan Riedinger

Sam Gilroy

Tanya Champoux

Rukiya Bernard

Mousa Kraish

J.C. MacKenzie

Kurt Max Runte

Daniel Bacon

Reese Alexander

Richard Keats

Bill Mondy

Judith Maxie

Serge Houde

Lorena Gale

Stefanie Samuels

Richard Tillman

Camille Atebe

Thomas Bradshaw

Terence Dament

Patrick Sabongui

Jacob Blair

Shaine Jones

George Sharperson

Shaker Paleja

Doug Chapman

Marci T. House

Aaron Craven

Roger Cross

Heather Doerksen

Hiro Kanagawa

Craig Stanghetta

Stefan Busse

Dean Redman

David Richmond-Peck

Andrew Wheeler

Darien Provost

Daniel St. Andrews

Brad Dryborough

Ken Kirzinger

William 'Big Sleeps' Stewart

Blair Redford

Daniel Wisler

Mark Kogan

Ed Fong

Sandy Colton

Ty Olsson

Jay-Nicolas Hackleman

Dawn Chubai

Joshua Close

Leanne Adachi

Geoff Meed

Michael Hogan

Ben Cotton

Kevan Kase

Josue Aguirre

Matt Adler

Scott Derrickson

David Scarpa

Erwin Stoff

Paul Harris Boardman

Heike Brandstatter

Mindy Marin

Coreen Mayrs

Tish Monaghan

Jill Bailey

Calla-Syna Dreyer

Susan Boyd

Robert Wilson

Ian C. Ballard

Norma Hill-Patton

John L. Healy

David Hoehn

Todd Masters

Sarah Pickersgill

Nicholas Podbrey

Kyla Rose Tremblay

Chad Washam

Pete Whyte

Matthew D. Smith

Douglas Dean III

Jeff Habberstad

David Klohn

Chad Belair

Rachael Fortier

Karin Nosella

Sandra Watson

Patrick Gray

Jennifer Grossman

Patrick O'Driscoll

Alison Fraser

Nicola Ryall

Susan Davis

Grace Lambert Pyke

Dane Bjerno

Hans Bjerno

Phil Pastuhov

Mariusz Cichon

Jean-Marc Saldini

Stephen Thorp

Shane Dobie

Dan Gorval

Benjamin Shurtleff

Marco Ciccone

Bela Trutz

Ashton Harmon

Boris Martens

Adam Braverman

Brent Ballard

Jack Cruikshank

Scott Gray

Peter Grotek

Andrew Coppin

Ray Wong

Christos Moisides

Gil Forrester

Bryce Shaw

Terry Calhoun

Christopher Lyons

Neil Macdonald

Terry McEwen

Sean M. Harding

Christopher DelSordo

Laurent Soriano

Trevor Holbrook

Peter Wilke

Dean Heselden

Jack English

Jay Anderson

Darryl Foulds

Miles Schick

Matthew Devitt

Aaron Knoke

Rick Stribling

Kim Olsen

Dean Collins

Simone Perusse

Rob Brady

Justin Hanika

James S. Harvey

Jeff Kuzyk

Jesse Mather

Christian Schauz

Frédéric North

Keith Woods

Oliver Berg

Rod Haney

Seth Hettrick

Tallis Kirby

Josh Lovig

Ralph Rutherford

Jonathan Bosse

Steve Machan

Sasha Proctor

Jeff Sayle

Paolo Di Persico

David Lourie

Terrible remake, original vastly superior

***Intriguing, Spiritual, Insightful, Moving***

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (2008) is an intriguing, powerful and even moving modern sci-fi blockbuster. I particularly like the symbolism: Klaatu=Christ, GORT=YaHWeH, as well as the numerous biblical references: Noah's Ark, the death plague, human beings trying to put God in a box literally, the sacrificial nature of agape love, etc. In other words, the film tackles subjects of great depth that every human being can relate to whatever their belief system. This itself separates it from the usual idiotic blockbuster fare.

Now let me address some common criticisms (please see the film first before reading further due to **SPOILERS**): 

The kid is initially quite annoying but this is understandable as he's an archetype for what humankind is: an annoying, untrusting, simpleminded child-race. His sudden change into "maturity" represents how humanity needs to "grow-up." This helps make sense of the kid's repeated statements about killing Klaatu, which were magnified by the media's slander of Klaatu as a dangerous escaped convict. Klaatu's strange actions helped feed this negative mindset. As for the kid's dead father, the boy was only 9 years old and understood his father to be a soldier. Why wouldn't he have a mythical impression that he killed 'bad guys' for a living, likely with his bare hands? 

The judgment of mass human destruction was already set for the earth after hundreds of years of observation, including an Asian scout who lived with humans for 70 years. Klaatu was sent to activate the judgment UNLESS he observed some clear indication that the harsh judgment wasn't necessary yet. Klaatu didn't change the original plan UNTIL very late in the story, which is why he stated to Helen that he wasn't sure if he could overturn it. Although Klaatu was the primary agent, he wasn’t necessarily alone. Gort was there and he was only partially robotic, as well as Mr. Wu. There were probably hundreds/thousands of other aliens involved in one way or another.

The military attacks because their modus operandi is to defend the nation, which was augmented by the destructive nature of humanity in general. 

When Bate's character finally decides to send Helen out to talk with Klaatu she was the government’s proverbial last hope. All other governmental attempts to prevent the judgment failed abysmally up to this point, not to mention the judgment of mass destruction was ALREADY well into motion. Other national leaders were concerned with saving their own.

The biggest sphere was the central command orb. Klaatu didn't possess the power to stop the swarm himself; he had to get to the central orb to attempt to stop the mass destruction. Even then, he wasn't sure if he could do it. In fact, it cost him dearly.

The alien swarm only destroyed humanity and all human imprints (like the stadium, the the installation and the semi); I saw no evidence of the swarms destroying trees or animal life. The animal ark-orbs were obviously precautionary in nature; in other words, the aliens knew there would be collateral damage due to the nature of the swarms so they snatched away all manner of animal life as a precaution.

Klaatu made it quite clear what he was doing: saving the earth by destroying humanity and their intrinsic bent toward destruction. The way he put it was: If humanity lives the earth will die, but if humanity dies the earth will live.

The Aliens are powerful, but it's inaccurate to call them careless. They monitored the planet for centuries and their decision was carefully decided.

To write-off humanity's destructive bent as "minor-league carelessness" is shallow and un-enlightened, as well as wholly inaccurate.

The aliens' actions had nothing to do with "might makes right" but everything to do with saving a planet from the infection that would wholly destroy it (people) if they failed to act. Their celestial judgment was that the cancer HAD to be cut out and time was of the essence.

Really, the only "detestable characters" are the government as a whole, which is displayed as a cold machine. Helen (Jennifer Connelly) is a character of beauty, reverence and wisdom while the professor plays humanity's wise intercessor. Kathy Bates' character is unlikable because she represents the government and comes off as an arrogant machine-like biyatch. After she's completely humbled, however, she changes her tune. Meanwhile the kid is only 9 years old and lost both of his biological parents; cut him some slack. Besides, he also changes his tune and Klaatu takes on the role of his spiritual father. How can you NOT feel for Jacob when he falls on his face at his dad's grave? 

So none of the common gripes hold water. The insane bashing of the film is simply the result of an unjust critical feeding frenzy. If people would disregard the monkey-see-monkey-do panning and view the film with an open mind they might actually enjoy it and possibly discover something worthwhile.

The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes.

GRADE: A-

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Original Trailer [FHD]

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The Day the Earth Stood Still

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Keanu Reeves

Jennifer Connelly

Jaden Smith

Jon Hamm

Kathy Bates

John Cleese

Kyle Chandler

Robert Knepper

Brandon T. Jackson

James Hong

Box office

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