MR2-Sooner86
12/14/2008, 03:46 PM
If you're like me and many others you've probably seen the original The Day the Earth Stood Still made way back in 1951. If you haven't I highly suggest you do as it is a great movie. It was in the day when story and not special effects made Hollywood create a good film.
Now I won't lie, the film starts out pretty fairly well. Things are changed around a bit but it stays close to the original just modernized a bit. The ship lands, Klaatu gets shot, Gort goes crazy, Klaatu calms him, Klaatu gets taken to the hospital where he escapes, and that's about where things start to go downhill.
In the original 1951 film Klaatu had a message for humanity. He talks about how people have nuclear weapons and are starting the very first stages of space exploration with rockets being shot into space. What he says is that the space community doesn't care what we do to each other just don't go into space and start wars with other civilizations on other planets. If we do the Earth will be destroyed.
Now what's the message in the new one? You should listen to Al Gore.
Klaatu meets up with this asian dude at a McDonalds that has been on Earth for years. He talks about how people can't change and how we're destroying the planet. We treat the planet like we do each other. Even though we know what we're doing we can't stop ourselves and keep on going down the destructive path. So Klaatu goes ahead with the plan to destroy Earth but save all the little critters. So a bunch of little spaceships land on Earth and start taking alot of animals with them in pairs. When they're full they take off. So yeah, they're Arks.
Without spoiling it, in case you didn't read the above, the message is this, if humans live, the Earth dies and if humans die, the Earth lives. Klaatu tells the girl, "We have stood by and watch you people destroy the planet. Only a small number of planets can support complex life in the galaxy and we will not sit by and allow you to destroy this one." This points gets drilled more as people say "our planet" and Klaatu will cut in saying things like, "Yours? It is not your planet."
So since nobody listens to Klaatu he lets Gort do his thing like you see in the previews. Gort is able to break down into a bunch of robot locust and so that's the 'cloud' thing you see in the previews. Now I won't lie, the special effects and visuals are really awesome. What you see in the previews is just a small part of the things you see destroyed and torn apart.
So how does it end? I won't go into much but I'll tell you this, a let down. Remember the famous phrase "Klaatu barada nikto"? You never hear it is this movie. The end of the original movie had a message that was simple, "well, you know what you have to do but we'll be watching to see what you decide to do." There isn't any of this in the movie. At the end you're sitting there thinking, "what the hell?" There isn't a message but it feels more as if somebody is preaching to you and telling you you're wrong in your ways.
However, if you want to know here it is.
Klaatu says he can stop the locust but in doing so it'll be a "huge price to humanity and you'll have to change your lifestyle." To rescue humanity from the locust swarm Klaatu goes to the spaceship and makes it send out a huge EMP. This causes the robot locust to die BUT in doing this all of Earth's technologies from cars to computers are destroyed and in the process we're left without power or anything. The film then ends with Klaatu leaving in the spaceship.
Now I know some people will say, "but...but...this isn't an exact remake or suppose to be like the original so if you want to see that then watch the original." Hey jackass if you're going to remake it then at least stay true to the story. If you don't then just do what people in Hollywood can't seem to do these days and MAKE A MOVIE THAT'S ORIGINAL WITH ITS OWN STORY.
In case many don't know, we're closer to space exploration with future plans for a moon base and space stations. Also, there's still a threat of nuclear war. Iran? North Korea? Terrorist and dirty bombs? However, the film makers thought they'd take a great classic and put a little 'green' into it. I mean hell, the original was named the way it was because the Earth "shut down" for a day. Does it in the new one? No. The title doesn't even fit with the remake!
If you're thinking about seeing this you've been warned. I say save your money and wait for it to rent. If I had to give it a grade I'd put it at a C- at best.
Now I won't lie, the film starts out pretty fairly well. Things are changed around a bit but it stays close to the original just modernized a bit. The ship lands, Klaatu gets shot, Gort goes crazy, Klaatu calms him, Klaatu gets taken to the hospital where he escapes, and that's about where things start to go downhill.
In the original 1951 film Klaatu had a message for humanity. He talks about how people have nuclear weapons and are starting the very first stages of space exploration with rockets being shot into space. What he says is that the space community doesn't care what we do to each other just don't go into space and start wars with other civilizations on other planets. If we do the Earth will be destroyed.
Now what's the message in the new one? You should listen to Al Gore.
Klaatu meets up with this asian dude at a McDonalds that has been on Earth for years. He talks about how people can't change and how we're destroying the planet. We treat the planet like we do each other. Even though we know what we're doing we can't stop ourselves and keep on going down the destructive path. So Klaatu goes ahead with the plan to destroy Earth but save all the little critters. So a bunch of little spaceships land on Earth and start taking alot of animals with them in pairs. When they're full they take off. So yeah, they're Arks.
Without spoiling it, in case you didn't read the above, the message is this, if humans live, the Earth dies and if humans die, the Earth lives. Klaatu tells the girl, "We have stood by and watch you people destroy the planet. Only a small number of planets can support complex life in the galaxy and we will not sit by and allow you to destroy this one." This points gets drilled more as people say "our planet" and Klaatu will cut in saying things like, "Yours? It is not your planet."
So since nobody listens to Klaatu he lets Gort do his thing like you see in the previews. Gort is able to break down into a bunch of robot locust and so that's the 'cloud' thing you see in the previews. Now I won't lie, the special effects and visuals are really awesome. What you see in the previews is just a small part of the things you see destroyed and torn apart.
So how does it end? I won't go into much but I'll tell you this, a let down. Remember the famous phrase "Klaatu barada nikto"? You never hear it is this movie. The end of the original movie had a message that was simple, "well, you know what you have to do but we'll be watching to see what you decide to do." There isn't any of this in the movie. At the end you're sitting there thinking, "what the hell?" There isn't a message but it feels more as if somebody is preaching to you and telling you you're wrong in your ways.
However, if you want to know here it is.
Klaatu says he can stop the locust but in doing so it'll be a "huge price to humanity and you'll have to change your lifestyle." To rescue humanity from the locust swarm Klaatu goes to the spaceship and makes it send out a huge EMP. This causes the robot locust to die BUT in doing this all of Earth's technologies from cars to computers are destroyed and in the process we're left without power or anything. The film then ends with Klaatu leaving in the spaceship.
Now I know some people will say, "but...but...this isn't an exact remake or suppose to be like the original so if you want to see that then watch the original." Hey jackass if you're going to remake it then at least stay true to the story. If you don't then just do what people in Hollywood can't seem to do these days and MAKE A MOVIE THAT'S ORIGINAL WITH ITS OWN STORY.
In case many don't know, we're closer to space exploration with future plans for a moon base and space stations. Also, there's still a threat of nuclear war. Iran? North Korea? Terrorist and dirty bombs? However, the film makers thought they'd take a great classic and put a little 'green' into it. I mean hell, the original was named the way it was because the Earth "shut down" for a day. Does it in the new one? No. The title doesn't even fit with the remake!
If you're thinking about seeing this you've been warned. I say save your money and wait for it to rent. If I had to give it a grade I'd put it at a C- at best.