Nobody
ever says 'There's nothing better
than a Keanu Reeves performance.'
That's truth in its highest form.
But for Reeves his perfect role is
when he has to play an alien with
robotic emotions and outlook as the
main role in "The Day the Earth
Stood Still." Usually Reeves' acting
is where Reeves' movies go wrong but
not with The Day the Earth Stood
Still. Playing Klaatu is a great
role for Reeves and his performance
in the movie is probably the best
part of the film.
It's rare that a
movie is made too short but that's
the case with The Day the Earth
Stood Still. The storyline moves at
a ferocious pace which doesn't allow
for emotions or characters to really
resonate with an audience. The
storyline resembles the 1955 version
of the film, (that also comes
bundled with the 2008 version on
DVD.) Klaatu is an alien life form
sent to Earth to save the Earth from
humanity. He meets and somewhat
befriends Dr. Helen Benson (played
by Jennifer Connelly) and her
step-son Jacob (played very well by
the young Jaden Smith) has a day to
change Klaatu's mind about
terminating humanity on Earth. But
while she struggles fiercely to find
common ground with Jacob she has a
hard time showing Klaatu the beauty
in humanity.
The acting in the
movie isn't terrible but it's not
allowed to make an impact as noted
before. The story moves too slowly
and is dominated in parts by the
military's futile efforts to destroy
Klaatu's inactive weapons and
transports. The 1955 version holds
up better than the new version
because while it comes over as campy
in places the lack of action allows
the viewer to think more seriously
and less loosely than the new
version's constant ferocious pace
and high effects.
The Day the Earth
Stood Still is a renter, even though
fans might like to purchase the
movie just because two versions of
the film are bundled in the same
package. While it's not a total
disappoint or a waste of time it's a
film that's not to be taken too
seriously even though in places it
desperately tries to do so.
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