Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

I have seen Michael Rennie in many movies.  I have seen Michael Rennie in the original “The Day the Earth Stood Still.  Michael Rennie was a fine actor. Keanu Reeves, sir, is no Michael Rennie.  And that is only one of many problems with the remake of “DTESS”.

In the 1951 original, an alien named Klaatu comes to Earth seeking peace. As soon as he arrives, he is shot in the arm.  An eight-foot-tall robot named Gort steps from the flying saucer and begins destroying guns, tanks, and cannons.  Only code words spoken by Klaatu makes him stop.  Taken to Walter Reed Hospital, doctors find that  Klaatu is a human alien who represents a federation of advanced civilizations. He decides to go among the Earth people to learn more about them.

His message: the nations of the world must learn to live in peace or the Earth will be reduced to a burned-out cinder.

The original “DTESS” has much Christian symbolism.  For example, when Klaatu escapes from Walter Reed, he takes the clothes and name of a Mr. Carpenter.  Jesus was a carpenter.  Klaatu is shot and killed (Crucifixion) but is “resurrected” by Gort.  At the end he takes off in his flying saucer (the Ascension) after promising to return someday.

In the 2008 remake,  Klaatu comes to Earth alarmed by mankind’s abuse of the environment.  Again he is shot  upon arrival but this time Gort is a towering “biological” robot.  It turns out that Klaatu is a weird-looking alien who has taken on the appearance of a human.  Klaatu represents a federation of advanced civilizations that question whether the human race deserves to live.  He escapes from the hospital rather than be dissected It turns out that his message is: humans must learn to treat the environment better or they will be destroyed.

Of course, in our secular world, there is no Christian symbolism.  Klaatu mostly walks around with an expressionless face like a zombie.  He is “just Klaatu”, an alien with a salve that can bring people back to life, including himself at one point.  There is no mention of an “almighty spirit” as there was in the 1951 original; there is only science and ecology.  Heaven forbid we should offend the 20% of Americans who do not believe in  Jesus.  Let us just offend the 80% who do.

Anyway, Scott Derrickson is not half the director Robert Wise was.  There is a lot of action and visual effects here but nothing you have never seen before.  Jennifer Connelly, a beautiful and talented actress, is the best thing about this movie.  Seeing it in IMAX helps a little, but all IMAX gives you is a bigger and brighter picture. Instead of spending money to see this thing check out these movies with a similar theme:

• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• E.T.
• Starman
• It Came From Outer Space