The Day the Earth Stood Still

[Scott Tortorice]

I think Hollywood is pulling a bait and switch:

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I've seen the original movie, and this doesn't remind of it at all. What it does remind me of is Greg Bear's The Forge of God. Personally, I hope they are pulling a bait and switch as I never cared for the original movie. The only memorable moment was the following exchange:

Old Man: Why doesn't the government do something, that's what I'd like to know.
George Barley: What can they do, they're only people just like us.
Old Man: People my foot, they're democrats.

:laugh: I don't think that is going to make the new version.

Now, The Forge of God was a better story. While it suffered from somewhat stilted dialogue and a bit of a heavy hand with the hard science stuff, it was ultimately a very chilling story about Earth getting caught up in a war between two alien races - with disastrous consequences. Therefore, I hope I am right and this movie will be a mix of the two.

 

[freightshaker]

We're going to see it at the Imax theater in Seattle this weekend. Should be interesting.

 

[Scott Tortorice]

Let me know what you think.

 

[Honus]

The Forge Of God was a good book...the sequel (Anvil of Stars) was the only Greg Bear book that I didn't finish...fifty pages in and boooooriiingg.
I am looking forward to this movie though...the role Keanu Reeves was born for!
"Why have you come to Earth?"
"Whoa!"

 

[KingNothing12]

Oh God, not Keanu Reeves.

 

[Mark Peachey]

Keanu Reeves career has lasted about 10 years too long. That guy is terrible.

 

[KingNothing12]

Keanu Reeves career has lasted about 10 years too long. That guy is terrible.

One of the worst actors I have ever seen.

 

[Honus]

One of the worst actors I have ever seen.

You've obviously lived a sheltered life.

 

[KingNothing12]

You've obviously lived a sheltered life.

Name a more lifeless actor who has starred in multiple major films.

 

[Scott Tortorice]

Nicholas Cage.

 

[Dr Zaius]

Nicholas Cage.

Nah. True, Cage is on a dry spell right now, but he has been in some good films and won a Golden Globe for his work in Moonstruck. That film won multiple Academy Awards.

 

[Scott Tortorice]

I find him to be an awful actor with an awful taste in movies. I suspect that if his uncle wasn't Coppola, he'd be nothing more than a bit player today.

 

[KingNothing12]

Still not as bad as Keanu. He makes the Matrix even more unbearable, which is a tough thing to do.

 

[freightshaker]

Name a more lifeless actor who has starred in multiple major films.

Ben Afleck. He is an actor, right...?

 

[Psycho]

Ben Afleck. He is an actor, right...?

I'll slap your sassy mouth, hippy! :freak:

He's man pretty!

 

[Honus]

I'll always respect Ben Afleck after that awesome Keith Olberman impersonation he did on Saturday Night Live. Obviously, anyone who disagrees with me really should resign immediately.

 

[alanp]

I find him to be an awful actor with an awful taste in movies. I suspect that if his uncle wasn't Coppola, he'd be nothing more than a bit player today.

Didn't you see/like Leaving Las Vegas? or that movie in which he played twins, one was Charlie Kaufman? [can't think of the name] it'a a great film. and maybe it's that I have alcoholics in my life, but LLV is hard for me to watch because it's so true, not because it's so bad.

Keanu Reeves is worse than Ben Affleck but they're both bad actors. Still I'll probably see the Day the Earth Stood Still when it comes out on DVD. Guilty pleasure kind of thing (that stadium getting destroyed looks cool.) I like movies like Independence Day, say, or Sum of All Fears (Affleck film, no?) because of the destruction depicted.

 

[Mark Peachey]

Nicholas Cage.

Touche, Scott. Touche.

 

[Honus]

Saw this over the weekend and liked it. It wasn't the greatest movie ever made or anything, but it was worth $6. As anticipated, the role of Klaatu was a perfect fit for Keanu...and Jennifer Connelly is indisputably awesome to look at.

 

[Scott Tortorice]

Rotten Tomatoes only gave it 21%. One reviewer had something interesting to say:

If you want to see all the cool special effects in this remake, watch the trailer. If you want the extreme environmentalist agenda that goes with them, buy a ticket....

n 1951, a atomic-age film called The Day the Earth Stood Still warned that harnessing the atom came with great responsibility, even suggesting that peace-loving aliens would destroy humanity outright rather than risk exposing our war-like tenancies to other worlds. The 2008 remake, however, suggests that everything except humanity deserves to live more than humanity does, no matter what the cost. That’s right, turn off the power, cease communications, unplug the freezers, delete the Internet, and get ready for some good ol’ hunter-gather living off the land....

Groan. Just what we needed, environmentalist wacko aliens....

Another reviewer thought this was a compliment:

You could almost swear the Obama campaign had some sort of hand in making the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Yeah, I don't think I'll even be renting this. Sounds like another left-wing, preachy Kingdom of Heaven.