The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

The original The Day the Earth Stood Still was released in 1951 and it became and remains to this day a scifi classic and a must see for anyone studying the genre. Ever since that original release apparently, a remake has been talked about. It seems though that with this new 2008 release, although lots of people were talking about it, they didn’t seem to get together to present one solid idea. Everyone it seems has had their input and the result is a bit of a mess.


The set pieces are spectacular, there is plenty of action and pyrotechnics. You also get the expected save the planet now content, but it doesn’t really mesh together very well. You may also even end up asking yourself why the movie is called The Day the Earth Stood Still, because apart from the fact that the Keanu Reeves character is called Klaatu and he has a giant robot bodyguard with him called GORT, this movie has nothing at all in common with the original.

Now onto the good bits. The visuals are a masterpiece in their own right. The opening 30 minutes is as iconic and memorable as the mountain scenes from Close Encounters.


So, if you are into your special effects and huge set pieces, then this movie is for you. If you are expecting dramatic, earth shaking and emotional story telling, then give it a miss


DVD Extras: All the key players show up for a decent 30 minute making of documentary. There is a 15 minute piece on the development of GORT and there are the obligatory deleted scenes. Finally there is a documentary on the real life search for extra terrestrial intelligence. Not a bad package really.

Price: £12.98