Screenplay by David Scarpa
Based on the Original 1951 Screenplay by Edmund H. North
Directed by Scott Derrickson
“Your problem is not technology. The problem is you. You lack the will to change.”
This 21st century version of The Day the Earth Stood Still is a strange movie. It’s not actually that much of a remake: we have a humanoid alien, but he’s actually a pure extra-terrestrial born into his human body. We get the robot, but he’s far more massive than before, with a much more devastating purpose…and his name is assigned to him by the military. Even the purpose of the film is altered: the aliens aren’t here to warn the Earth of its impending self-destruction. They’re actually here to SAVE the Earth from its human inhabitants…by erasing them.
That’s the key to the movie’s minimal success: faced with the final, apocalyptic judgement for our actions, and unable to stop it…what happens next? Is there any final appeal? Do we deserve to survive? How many second chances do we get? All fascinating and worthy philosophical questions for such a film…
…unfortunately, it’s in no way, shape or form deep enough to answer them convincingly. It’s all surface gloss — albeit very impressive surface gloss. There’s a great deal of power to many of the images (especially the spheres and Gort the robot/engine of destruction)…but they go by EXTREMELY fast. There’s so much fabulous potential…so many disturbing/fascinating/wonderful images on display. But all we get is a brief taste, and we move on to the next set piece.
The characters are presented with equal brevity…which is a double shame, as some first rate actors deserve much richer material. Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Jaden Smith…they all need far more screen time, and far more SCRIPT time, to develop their characters with any satisfactory depth. John Cleese is especially hard hit as the polymath genius who tries to help our alien visitor. So much potential exists with the scenes featuring his character…but it ends up amounting to nothing but a few blackboard equations, a few token statements, and a bit of Bach over the speakers. We don’t even get to hear the majority of his argument supporting the existence of humanity!
Ironically, the best served actor is Keanu Reeves. His version of Klaatu is actually quite successful, with his dispassionate distance and awkward, slightly puzzled view of our planet. Reeves gets a lot of stick for his acting talents (such as they are), but he really is perfect casting for the role of Klaatu. In fact, his best scene comes at a McDonald’s rest-stop meeting with a fellow alien, who has been living on Earth for 70 years, observing humanity. The old man’s assessment is damning and terrifying…but also poignant. He knows that humanity will be eliminated, but he refuses to abandon the creatures he has grown to love and cherish. THIS moment - more than anything else - is what deserved to be explored over the course of the movie. This quality of humanity that is unspoken yet cherished by an alien visitor…leaving Klaatu confused and uncertain…this SHOULD have been the heart and soul of the film. Unfortunately, The Day the Earth Stood Still doesn’t unfold in this manner.
All of this sounds as if I’m pretty much destroying the film, but I’m not trying to…I actually did enjoy it (I highly recommend the IMAX version), and its pace is a refreshing change from more ponderous offerings. But unlike the similarly paced Quantum of Solace, spectacle and characterisation aren’t married together in any meaningful way. It’s the ultimate triumph of style over substance…and it seriously needs (and deserves) more substance than what is visible on screen. You’ll enjoy it when you see it…but it doesn’t linger with you when leaving the theatre. It should…and that’s a pity.
5
