Well, the new version of the 1951 classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still is now out, with Keanu Reeves doing his imitation of Michael Rennie. I cannot even imagine Reeves delivering Klaatu's going-away speech about turning the Earth into a burnt-out cinder. It hurts my brain. Rennie had gravitas. Reeves, well, not so much.Rennie, and Robert Wise, the director, are probably spinning in their respective graves, can the reviews be believed.
Got to give Keanu credit, though. Playing a wooden-alien is solidly within his Matrix range ...
I haven't seen it. And won't until it comes out on cable. The MSNBC review is, um, not kind, starting out with "Klaatu barado stinko ..."
A quick sampling of the reviews to be found on the first Google page pretty much agrees. One guy locally kinda liked it, but it's because he hadn't seen the original. A hunk of iron pyrites doesn't look so awful -- if you don't have real gold. If you do, there's no comparison. Since I saw the first version, have it on DVD and watch it now and then, I don't want to pollute the purity of that experience.
And according to the reviews, The Line, one of the most famous in Sci Fi Movie History, isn't even in the new version.
Gort, please ... !
4 comments:
Haven't seen it yet.
They apparently relocated it to NYC for unknown reasons...
But, while Keanu may not have gravity -- he certainly has density!
You know, I had heard that the line was not in the original script. However, Keanu was an advocate for the line and said it had to be in the remake.
How could they not! Anyways, I am not sure if I will go see it. It is probably a POC.
As to relocation of the story...it always used to bug me that the film-makers of the Wat of the Worlds moved the action from England to the States. Then again, I am originally from England!
War of the Worlds got jobbed on radio, in the late thirties, and that's when they moved it to the U.S. The movie didn't come out until the fifties, and that was the basis rather than the original H.G. Wells story.
I've seen it...as well as owning the original...
Trust me Steve, you do not want to pollute the original. I can see how someone might like it if they have no comparison, the special effects were up to par, Gort even started out pretty sweet...
But that just didn't carry the rest of the movie if you were expecting some shadow of the original. The bar was set pretty high there....
Two thumbs down.
Chuck
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