‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ With Keanu Reeves Falls Flat in Every Way

CHICAGO – “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is about an alien visitor’s decision to wipe out the human race. And, if an interstellar race actually gets to see this film, it would be hard to blame them for wanting to clean house on planet Earth.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

The original “Day the Earth Stood Still” was a plea for peace. The film was made shortly after the nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan and it was producer Julian Blaustein’s desire to make a metaphorical sci-fi film that led to one of the most influential movies in the history of the genre.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” in our reviews section.

Even with the importance of the original “Day” in mind, there’s absolutely no reason that a modern filmmaker couldn’t make a riveting and contemporary update of its story. We clearly could still use a message of rational thought over reactionary violence, and 57 years is more than enough time to go by before revisiting a film like “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

What’s baffling about this new version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is that the filmmakers and producers who “reimagined” (their word, not mine) the original have completely inverted what made the original work. A documentary-style film more concerned with the human race than the alien one visiting it has been turned into a loud, CGI-driven disaster flick where it’s a lot easier to root for the otherworldly visitors than the insufferable humans.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “The Day the Earth Stood Still” review.

Jennifer Connelly as Dr. Helen Benson and Keanu Reeves as Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Photo credit: Doane Gregory