FILM REVIEW: Although the above synopsis promises a “thrilling reinvention of the sci-fi classic”, there is nothing in this updated version of “The Day The Earth Stood Still” that is the least bit in keeping with that promise, save for some wonderfully rendered visual effects shots. The film does keep with the original premise of an alien coming to Earth to highlight the self-destructive nature of the human race and how we better shape up otherwise we will be history. However, the monotone and dull execution, the failure to capitilise on emotional moments and the broader themes of humanity and the environment make for a film that is a totally missed opportunity. The film is not a waste of time in terms of the story it tells, but its underwhelming and uninspired execution make the film unfortunately forgettable.
Strange alien spheres descend upon the Earth, with the largest one landing in New York’s Central Park. Fear and suspicion grip the planet as humans wonder how to handle this momentous event. Emerging in the flurry is scientist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) who is called to the Central Park site to assist with the alien the army meets after it emerges from the sphere. Benson comes to believe that Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), the alien, is there to help humans, although as the story progresses, she discovers that he is there to save the Earth from humans. As a story, the environmental themes are noble and just, making for the potential for strong story-telling that is not usually seen in a Hollywood sci-fi epic. The subdued nature, if it had been done in a more interesting way, is quite welcome and plays to the down beat nature of the film, despite its predictable happy ending.
Some of the sequences in the film are clumsy in their execution. The opening scene of Benson being coerced out of her home by government agents is stereotypical and contrived. Hearing dialogue like “tell me what’s going on?” – “Ma’am, I don’t know what’s going on, we were just told to find you.” How Benson did not freak out more and demand an explanation despite the fact she had no choice is a legitimate question to ask in terms of dramatisation instead of looking like a deer caught in headlights. The short montages of how the world reacts to the crisis are not particularly believable, mostly due to the fact that they are only covering the crashes in the stock market which seems hardly relevant. Where are the speeches by world leaders? Or the coverage of how humans would actually react aside from a few shots of looting? One should be happy at least that a Hollywood film actually decided to broaden its scope beyond America in depicting a global event like this one.
Other sequences however are much better, including any moment where Klaatu’s mechanical robot protector Gort appears, or the appearance of the swarm of nano-robots who are programmed to consume anything made by humans, including themselves. The sequence in the middle of the film where the smaller spheres leave the Earth carrying two of every species (except humans of course) is a climactic and biblical moment that is welcome, particularly the shots of the spheres flying past the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China.
Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu, an alien who takes human form, coming to Earth to do one final study of its inhabitants before passing judgment. Although as an alien he is by and large expressionless and devoid of emotion, Reeves unfortunately does not progress beyond the wooden, and in fact looks bored most of the time. Only his presence gives weight to the scenes in which he appears. Jennifer Connelly fares a little better as she has some nice acting moments with Jaden Smith, but again, perhaps the material and/or the director just did not inspire much of a performance out of them beyond the monotone. John Cleese is the same. Kathy Bates is the only one who performs with any vigour as the Secretary of Defense but her character is not particularly sympathetic. With a cast who appear to be going through the motions, it becomes very hard to get in to the journey their characters take.
The visuals of the film are what stand out above all else. The images of the alien spheres are a sight to behold, particularly the one that lands in Central Park and the one that emerges from the water and swamping a fishing boat. The darker sequences set in the swamp and forest are visually eerie and effective. The only down side are some unfortunate computer effects rendering of military helicopters and aircraft that never quite appear real.
“The Day The Earth Stood Still” has a noble story at its core but its execution is so dull and lifeless that you will probably forget it as quickly as you watched it.
TECHNICAL REVIEW: The technical transfer of this DVD is flawless. The video transfer is nothing short of spectacular with a clear, clean and crisp picture throughout with amazing colours and texture faithfully translated from the original film. The audio transfer is likewise spectacular, even though the soundtrack does not make full use of the surrounds with its somewhat quieter approach to the story-telling. There are two issues with the DVD; the first is that for some reason that DVD defaults to presenting Dutch subtitles, and the second is a long and blatant advertisement for Blu-Ray before the menu screen.
EXTRAS REVIEW: The extras package make for some great viewing despite the somewhat lacklustre film they complement. The audio commentary from screenwriter David Scarpa is informative, although there are long pauses of silence spread throughout the commentary. Despite being the writer, Scarpa does manage to impart a myriad of production stories and changes, from the re-imagining of his opening sequence to the casting of star Keanu Reeves and how that changed the nature of the film and its production. Over an hour of behind the scenes material is located across four making-of featurettes which by and large make the core of the extras package and although dry in parts do offer great detail in the making of the film and the ideas that are behind it. The featurette “Watching The Skies: In Search For Extraterrestrial Life” is an excellent examination of the work done by SETI and other scientists in tackling the concept of alien life and its potential existence. Another featurette “The Day The Earth Was Green” is a fascinating look at how the production aimed to be carbon neutral throughout, aligning with Fox’s broader corporate environmental targets; given the subject matter of the film, Fox found itself unexpectedly funding its first green blockbuster, both in theme and production execution. There are three deleted scenes that do not really add much to the story, and there are a wealth of still galleries to flick through. Overall, this is an excellent extras package for a single disc edition DVD.
BOTTOM LINE: Rent it.
For the complete, original DVD review, click this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/dvdreviewthedaytheearthstoodstill.htm
Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at the film/DVD review web site http://www.allaboutmovies.net
Author: Alex Demattia
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate
