The Day The Earth Stood Still - (2008) (DVD)

This engaging sci-fi cautionary tale is a remake of the 1951 classic from acclaimed director Robert Wise. The story is about an alien and his robot who descend upon Earth to warn us of impending doom if we continue to be self-destructive in our ways. Back then, the main theme of the story was about being anti-Cold War. Now, this update has us being responsible for global warming and endless wars, and this is where we should change our ways.

This flick is by no means non-stop excitement, but rather a movie with a message, one we should all heed. The storytelling is straightforward and linear, as our "visitors" get treated with suspicion and fear by the authorities. But the alien soon finds a kindred spirit in a scientist who understands him and his logic behind his deeds. But is this enough to convince him that our planet is worth saving? Not by witnessing the things he sees going wrong here. And this all leads to an exciting visual effects spectacle of a climax.

The performances are all quite good, especially from Keanu Reeves, who is so adept at displaying little to no emotion, hence a perfect choice to play the alien "visitor". He gets fantastic emotional support from Jennifer Connelly as the scientist who is willing to take the time to listen to him and try to change his mindset. All in all, a fabulously entertaining remake of a classic for a whole new generation. (4 out of 5, by Carlisle Johnson)

A spacecraft lands in Central Park, and an alien emerges, with a menacing robot whose destructive powers defy imagination.

Rebuffed in his efforts to warn the Earth's leaders of it's impending doom, the alien, Klaatu, takes to the streets. Klaatu's plea for peace is embraced by a pretty, young woman and an eminent scientist, but the rest of humanity reacts with mistrust, fear and violence.

With time running out, Klaatu is forced to demonstrate his awesome powers, teaching all of mankind a lesson for the ages.

General

Studio:	20th Century Fox
Country of origin:	South Africa
Release date:	February 2009
Actors:	Keanu Reeves • Jennifer Connelly • Jaden Smith
Dimensions:	192 x 137 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:
Running time:	1 hour, 44 minutes
Region encoding:	Region 2. This DVD will play in all South African DVD players.
Audio format:	Dolby Digital 5.1
Age restriction:	13 PGLV
Categories:	DVD > Adventure DVD > Science Fiction DVD > Feature Film
LSN:	X9U-3FP-4FH-5
Barcode:	6003805100894

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 | Review by: Micky B

This 2008 colour remake of one of cinema's all-time sci-fi classics, stars Keanu Reeves, who is backed up by a somewhat unlikely cast that includes the likes of Jennifer Connelly, John Cleese (?!) and Kathy Bates – who plays the United States' Secretary of Defence. Although maybe not as spectacular as the same studio's Independence Day, nor as good a narrative as The Andromeda Strain; it is still a significant milestone in the history of the science-fiction genre. Former earthling Klaatu (Keanu Reeves,) accompanied by a bodyguard in the form of a giant robot, Gort, returns to his native planet after many years to inform the nation's leaders that his mission is to save the Earth. This, however, does not include the human race, who are seen to be a major destructive force in the order of universe. Are Klaatu's people wrong...and, more importantly, can they be stopped?

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (1) | No (0)