The premise behind the remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still is actually quite good. The problem, of course, is in the execution. However, the more I thought about it, there really wasn’t much the filmmakers could have done considering making the logical decisions in this story would have ended the film in 15 minutes. Of course, I have a hard time justifying 103 minutes of stupid decisions just because the logical decision would have made the movie too short.
Let’s create the scenario shall we? A bunch of organic sphere-like structures have landed all across the Earth. Fortunately the aliens have once again chosen the United States to send their spokesman as getting Jennifer Connelly and her stepson (Jaden Smith) out of the States would have been one stupid plot device too many. Out of the Central Park sphere walks an alien creature extending its hand in what appears to be good faith. This is the moment a sniper shot takes out the alien and our story begins with the violent nature of the human race expected to ultimately be its undoing.
Where the film runs into a brick wall is in its declaration that humans are 100% stupid (as if an unprovoked sniper shot wasn’t proof enough). I am willing to admit there are a lot of stupid people running around out there, but I would say even a first-class moron would realize that after a giant metal man has destroyed several missiles and taken control of the offending Predator planes and smashed them into the ground that it probably isn’t something you want to mess with, let alone capture and transport to an underground science lair for experimentation and drilling procedures. What this film seems to be insinuating is that an unarmed human would rather attack a well armed individual without provocation or negotiation. Sort of a “death before discussion” tactic. Humans instantly see something alien and want to kill it right away. It’s ridiculous, especially considering these aliens speak English and look like Keanu Reeves!
Reeves, playing the 2008 reincarnation of Klaatu, is born out of a soft jelly-like substance and this jelly acts as some kind of cosmic Neosporin that heals wounds on contact, even bullet wounds. Now doesn’t that sound like a guy you want to mess with? On top of that he takes out a guy with his mind and can do a whole bunch of other impressive tricks. His only request is to talk to the United Nations. Denied, nope, no discussion, sorry, ain’t gonna happen. There is no “Why?” Nothing. Just a flat out “No” to the man that could crush you with his brain. Are humans really this stupid? Hell, even if they are, the third act falls into the sappy melodramatic mess you could have predicted from the moment Jaden Smith opened his mouth.
Now critiquing the performance of a child actor is not something I typically like to lower myself to doing, but Smith is downright terrible in this flick. It wouldn’t have mattered, as it often doesn’t with child actors, had so much of the third act not depended on his storyline, but you just know that rebel attitude is going to come back to teach us all a lesson in the end. I can’t blame it all on him, however, as the script didn’t do him any favors, but his performance feels like a bad soap opera and I’m sure that’s not what they were going for.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is a perfect example of how storytelling has regressed over the years in film. In 1951 they couldn’t depend on CGI effects to wow the audience, they had to formulate a story that would be scary enough to get the audience to worry about what Klaatu and his menacing robot counterpart would do next. In the 2008 version the story is of little consequence as long as things explode and cities are leveled. We have come a long way from instantaneously eliminating electrical power as a scare tactic to the only means of persuasion are to blow things up. In many cases it seems we can now eliminate the word “science” from science fiction as a sit down conversation with a vastly intellectually superior alien being isn’t as fun as trying to blow him up.
