Remakes can traditionally go one way: worse than the original. Lots of times, with lots of remakes, I've never seen the originals because they are really old and I just don't watch them. People who love the originals bemoan the fact that the remake is terrible because it's not like the original or just not good. I do understand this, but a lot of times, I think taking each film seperately is a better route than comparing them.
The remake I watched was "The Day the Earth Stood Still," which came out in April but I just watched it this week. I haven't seen the original, but now I'd like to, and compare them. I actually really liked this film, whether it stuck to the original or not.
The movie opens in 1928, with a hiker in India coming upon a glowing sphere during a major snowstorm. He touches the sphere, blacks out and awakens with a circular scar on his hand.
Cue up present day, where we are introduced to Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly), a renowned scientist at Princeton University. She is rounded up by a group of FBI-looking people, thrown into a Suburban and given a police escort to a military base. Once there, Benson and other scientists learn that an unidentified object is headed for Manhattan, and will hit in just over an hour. They can't stop it, so they have to prepare for "the aftermath."
As the object approaches earth, it slows down, landing gently in Central Park. The scientists surround and approach it, as do military personnel and NYPD. A being emerges from the sphere, and Benson reaches out to touch it, but someone shoots it. The being is taken to a hospital, while a giant robot life like looking thing emerges from the sphere as well, a seeming guard for the being.
The being is of course an alien named Klaatu, and takes the form and is played by Keanu Reeves. He wants to speak to our world's leaders to discuss the human race, which the US Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson (Kathy Bates) disagrees with. Klaatu escapes, but his purpose is clear: he is to reason with humans and stop them from ruining the earth's environment, or wipe them out.
This isn't an action packed movie, but there is action, and it is enjoyable. It did make me want to see the original; I have a long list of films I need to see now! If you've seen the original and/or this one, comment on the blog, and tell me what you think.
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" is rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and general apocalyptic themes. I'll let you know if Crazy Mike's has the original as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment