Ingrained in our national psyche is a flying saucer on the Mall in Washington DC, a large and imposing robot and a human like messenger named Klaatu. I've always loved the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, which stood apart in quality and effectiveness from other films of it's kind during that era. It was inevitable that a modern day remake was to come along showing off new and improved special effects.

Here it is, the updated version starring Keanu Reeves (as Kalatu) and Jennifer Connelly (as Helen Benson). The spaceship, looking quite different from it's 1951 predecessor, now lands in Manhattan Square Park. Out steps Klaatu, to deliver a message of destruction for all humans in typical 21st century Green propaganda. Instead of urging peace among nations (like the original), we are scolded in vague terms about how man is destroying the planet and now the aliens are going to destroy us. So much for tolerance.

Earth starts out strong with a very adequate cast (Kathy Bates as the Secretary of State, John Cleese as a wise Professor Barnhardt), excellent visual effects and an even more ominous robot (GORT) than the original. All these elements combine to build great dramatic tension. If I had to rate the first half of the movie, it would garner a 10. However, along comes Act II.

Soon, the movie consists of Reeves wandering around aimlessly, sounding mysterious and ambiguous as to why Earthlings can't be given a second chance. Boredom ensues as the movie, well, seems to stand still. Tiny robotic locusts do annihilate everything in their path, but it doesn't feel like anything new or threatening as they start out by destroying evacuated regions of the country. We aren't motivated to care as these swarms do their damage. The Day the Earth Stood Still should have let GORT loose to do this dirty work as he soon became the most fun and interesting part of the movie, offering a terrifying presence.

It is too bad that the scriptwriters and the director took their eye off the ball. What started out as very gripping became run of the mill. If they had exercised the discipline to unravel the story in the same manner as they started out, this could have been a sci-fi classic too.

The Day the Earth Stood Still starts out as a 10, but ends up with a 7.

 —Dan Kulp