The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008): D

Here is indisputable evidence that Hollywood can, indeed, do anything. They have taken one of their most revered and influential classics and turned it on its’ head into something as bland as painfully ridiculous as any modern movie. OK, it’s not the first time they’ve done so (remember Gus Van Sant’s shot-for-shot “Psycho” remake?), but it is debately the worst.

In 1951, director Robert Wise (a versatile filmmaker who worked as an editor on “Citizen Kane” before going on to direct such films as “West Side Story” and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”) made a film called “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” about an alien landing in Washington D.C., looking to speak to the leaders of the world about their warful ways, with a menacing robot that only used force when necessary. The alien would eventually be helped in his task by a young woman and her son. The film was a brilliantly simple allegory for a world that just started the Cold War, and came out of the ravages of World War II scarred and scared. But it was more than that- it was a landmark in American cinema, the first truly significant offering in sci-fi we gave the world, with a score by Bernard Herrmann that created the sound of sci-fi for years to come with its’ use of the Theramin, whose otherworldly tone fit right in with a genre that could only exist with the existence of such an other world.

In 2008, Twentieth Century Fox has given its’ blessing to writer David Scarpa (whose only credit before this was the 2001 film “The Last Castle”) and director Scott Derrickson (whose previous credits include “Hellraiser: Inferno” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) to update the film for the modern age. So that means that we get an invasion instead of a single visitation, a deadly robot that’s 25 feet tall instead of normal human size (‘cause, you know, CG can do anything these days), the aliens arriving in a big sphere-shaped ship instead of one that looks like a cheesy sci-fi film, the ordinary woman becomes a scientist (‘cause you know, her presence has to be integral to the plot), and her relationship with her son (played by Will Smith’s son Jaden) is fractured (‘cause you know, an unknown alien presence just isn’t compelling enough of a story), the bold innovation of Herrmann’s score has been replaced by a bland score by Tyler Bates (although some experimental touches do exist), and the alien Klaatu is now played by Keanu Reeves.

Actually, that last part isn’t as bad as it sounds. Reeves is always pretty solid in a specific type of role (see “Constantine,” “Speed,” and “The Matrix”), and even if the film were significantly better, his stoic features and demeanor wouldn’t be out of place in this film. The alien played by Michael Rennie in the original wasn’t terribly expressive, and was learning about humanity as the film went on, and that angle has been preserved here. I’m not saying Reeves should expect some award talk anytime soon, but his performance in this movie is one of the most solid aspects of the movie, even if we don’t get to hear the iconic line “Klaatu Barada Nikto” pass from his lips.

The film isn’t a complete wash. The performances by Jennifer Connelly as the scientist and Smith draw you in- even if the conflict between them is completely manufactured. The visual effects may have gotten unnecessarily more elaborate for the modern age- I guess back in the ‘50s having one spaceship was menacing enough- but they’re quite good in what they do. And some of the ideas are compelling (an interrogation scene with Reeves is funny in how Klaatu turns it on its’ head). Still, this is small consolation as we watch the gutting of a classic story of all its’ mystery, human drama, and social importance, leaving us with a contemporary version that’s just as big and dumb- and not as much fun- as the likes of “Independence Day” and “War of the Worlds.” I’m just grateful Wise- who passed away a couple of years ago- wasn’t around to see what’s been done with his classic film.

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