A Review of The Day the Earth Stood Still
Top Ten Mistakes in the Remake of the Classic Science Fiction Movie
Dec 14, 2008
The cultural context of the times explained much of that popularity. The original movie was released following two World Wars and spoke of the senseless violence and man’s inhumanity to man. It followed the recent U.F.O. sightings and American U.F.O. hysteria of the times. It gave man a broader universal perspective beyond the self. It gave a sense of unity and hope for humanity.
The movie script essentially was that an alien lands on Earth and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed. Earth with its weapons and hostile mindset had now become a danger to other planets.
The Remake of the Day the Earth Stood Still
The remake of the movie considerably lacked the elements that made the first movie so successful. Even a fairly strong performance by actor Keanu Reeves as the alien Klaatu could not save this remake.
Essentially, the movie remake was missing key ingredients and important script development from the original:
- In the original, Michael Rennie played the “mysterious” visitor. Little was known or revealed about his character and it was left to the viewer to decide if he was good or bad.
- The original was more of a “thriller” with greater suspense and drama.
- The original lacked distracting subplots such as an ultra aggressive military or boy struggling with grief.
- In the remake one could not relate to the step-son who was rebellious and defiant.
- In the remake there never was a meeting with the world’s leaders.
- In the remake it was unclear that the entire world came to a “still” due to a power outage by the aliens.
- Gort was the name of the Robot. In the remake, though, it was the name given as an acronym by the U.S. military, not by the aliens.
- While special effects in the original lacked sophistication, in the remake they were unrealistic and distracted from believability.
- In the original film Klaatu told Helen Benson that if anything should happen to him, she must say the phrase “Klaatu barada nikto" to the robot Gort. This would deactivate Gort and stop him from destroying the world. This was a very powerful moment in the first movie, but was conspicuously absent in the remake.
- There never was a moral to the story in this remake. The original had a warning and ultimatum speech in the end that left one mesmerized in deep and profound thought about how man is in control of his own fate.
The Moral to the Story
In the 1951 version, Klaatu left with a very strong message for all the world. The message was clear, and profound.
“I am leaving soon, and you will forgive me if I speak bluntly. The universe grows smaller every day, and the threat of aggression by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all, or no one is secure. Now, this does not mean giving up any freedom, except the freedom to act irresponsibly...... It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.” (The Internet Movie Database, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951, Memorable Quotes, Last Lines.)
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic. The remake of the movie, though, could have better captured the spirit of the original.
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