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Movie: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Director: Scott Derrickson
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese
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The Day the Earth Stood Still is based on the groundbreaking 1951 sci-fi classic, which influenced many authors and filmmakers. Keanu Reeves portrays the role of alien Klaatu, using a human body as his vessel, who lands with a gigantic spaceship and the freakin' huge robot-bodyguard Gort, right in the heart of Manhattan. His mission is to save earth from its destructive inhabitants, the human race. Scientist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) and her stepson Jacob (Will Smith's son Jaden) need to stop the alien and convince him to cancel the process of total annihilation. Helen's message is that there's also something good in us left.
Jennifer Connelly is as always pretty convincing, this time as the role of the desperate scientist Helen who not only has to save her race, she also has to handle her wiseass stepson Jacob. Even Keanu Reeves delivers an okay performance as the alien without feelings Klaatu. However, it's the rest of the characters, Kathy Bates as secretary of defense and Jacob who are utterly annoying. Great actors but poorly written characters. And that's the biggest flaw of the film, an awful script with corny moments. The above synopsis doesn't only seem thin and cliché, it is thin and cliché and is pretty much the entire story of this sci-fi epic. The film goes further down the drain during the inevitable bittersweet climax.
Director Scott Derrickson impressed with The Exorcism of Emily Rose but, unfortunately, doesn't deliver the epic science fiction adventure this time around. Don't get me wrong, despite the little story, the flick had the potential to be something a bit more spectacular.
But, I'm a sucker for alien-invasion films, the visual effects are fine, robot Gort is pretty cool, that's why I'm giving the flick 2.5 stars.
Written by Reggy 09/12/08
© fox 2008
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