The Day the Earth Stood Still

There’s little doubt that The Day the Earth Stood Still ultimately stands as an ideal example of what a contemporary remake should look like, as the film – which admittedly does possess its share of problems – essentially uses the basic premise of Robert Wise’s 1951 classic as a springboard for an entirely original (and equally entertaining) science-fiction endeavor. The movie follows Keanu Reeves’ alien visitor Klaatu as he and an enormous robot guardian (GORT) arrive on earth with an urgent message for its various leaders, with the bulk of the proceedings revolving around scientist Helen Benson’s (Jennifer Connelly) efforts at both determining the nature of Klaatu’s mission and keeping her irritable step-son (Jaden Smith’s Jacob) safe from harm. Director Scott Derrickson ensures that The Day the Earth Stood Still instantly establishes itself as a far more somber and downright epic piece of work than its intriguing yet awfully slight predecessor, with screenwriter David Scarpa’s relentlessly morose modus operandi pervading virtually every aspect of the proceedings – thus ensuring that the campiness that defined the first film is almost completely absent here. And while the special effects are a tad on the uneven side – ie GORT’s computer-generated origins couldn’t possibly be more obvious – Derrickson generally sustains the viewer’s interest by stressing the trajectories of the two central characters (ie both Klaatu and Helen, anchored by Reeves and Connelly’s respectively compelling work, become figures worth following and rooting for). The movie’s only real misstep – aside from its eye-rollingly preachy message (which, to be fair, is no more obtrusive than it was in the original) – is the ongoing emphasis on Helen’s fractured connection with her step-son, as the egregiously confrontational nature of their relationship proves an absolutely needless element within an otherwise engaging piece of work.

*** out of ****