If you are looking for action or big sequence of destructions of your favorite landmarks, you probably would be disappointed at The Day the Earth Stood Still. It’s more of a thought provoking movie. I was impressed with the new idea that this movie presented in the sci-fi genre even if this is a remake – just look at the alien’s traveling aircraft is finally not a flying saucer but a sphere (granted Terminator travels in a sphere too, but they are not aliens), then there’s the bio womb-like “space suit” and the best of all is that the aliens’ choice of weapon is not big laser or giant robot, but something small, something nano! It makes so much more sense! Making something small is much more difficult and advance than making something big!

Let’s talk about the cast. I always like Keanu, even if he’s essentially playing the same type of emotionless character in every single sci-fi/fantasy films ever since Johnny Mnemonic. Does he ever crack a smile? Probably never~ Can he talk in a less making you fall sleep monotone? I doubt he can~ You gotta give it to him for finding every flawed emotionless characters (Johnny, Neo, Constantine) and played them, this time he found an emotionless alien character – I can’t imagine anyone else can play emotionless as good as Keanu! Plus as long as he is that pretty, I will continue watch all of his sci-fi movie! Go Neo!! Jennifer Connelly, such a good actress, but she just can’t convince me that she’s a scientist! Jaden Smith’s Jacob is one of the more annoying kid on screen, he plays the character so effective that I just hated this damn kid. John Cleese’s short appearance stole the screen! He played way too many goofy characters that I forgot how good an actor he is~~ Kathy Bates plays the Secretary of Defense, she’s always good at what she do, but this character doesn’t seems to have much for Kathy to work with, I did like who she plays the character as a more humanized and reasonable one.

Then there are the thought provoking quotes: “If the Earth die, you die; If you die, the Earth survive.” “It’s only at the blink of destruction that we found the will to change.” And then there’s this more subtle one that served as the reason behind the aliens’ action: “Earth is one of the few planets in the universe that can support intelligent life and we won’t let it perished by one single species.” The first quote is extremely powerful and relevance that we should all keep that in mind. The second quote is such an honest observance to the human race, destruction and tragedies are what give people the will to act. Look at what Pearl harbor finally give American the will to fight evil; look at how the giant hole of ozone layer finally let to the ban of CFCs; or something more localized: the demolition of Penn Station led to the preservation movement in New York City; There are just ton of examples. As for the last quote, the aliens might know more planets than we do and still come to that conclusion. We humans, for all we know, there’s only one planet that can support life and we are living on it. Why are we still destroying it?

Related posts:

1. The Nines
2. Monsters vs Aliens
3. New Cast New Moon
4. My two cents on Eclipse recast
5. The Movie 9

Tagged: Day the Earth Stood Still · Keanu Reeves · Movies