Great effects and that's it.

I sort of knew that I wasn't going to like this film because it's a remake of a classic sci fi film, it is one of a few sci fi films that have been piles of crap in 2008 like The Happening, Awake and this. This film doesn't have a decent director neither. It is a film that didn't even try and surpass the original version. I wasn't that keen on the original film really but I still liked it of course. 2008 has released quite a lot of shit blockbusters like this, Max Payne, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 10,000 B.C. and Hancock. The story was very powerful only by reading it but when you watch it, it isn't at all.


Surprisingly, this film has a good cast (apart from Keanu Reeves) which includes Academy Award winners Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates. I have never liked Keanu Reeves at all because he is rather poor with the characters he plays. He plays an alien visistor/messenger to Earth which sounds like a good character to play but unfortunately from a bad actor like Keanu Reeves. He didn't show any enthusiasm at all and doesn't make me fear for the Earth at all. Jennifer Connelly is a really good actress and can do so much better than be in a film like this. Her character was unrealistic, weak and unfearful for the Earth. Will Smith's young son Jaden Smith was quite good in this film. Sometimes I find that children are sometimes better actors than adults are. Kathy Bates was rather weak because Kathy is a very powerful actress and she didn't even bring any power towards Regina Jackson's personality which is part of it. I don't think John Cleese was in this film for very long but he was decent.


The director had no clue how to direct a film like this. I mean, its supposed to be a remake of a classic but didn't feel that way. The script was lazy, dumb and very stupid. The Day The Earth Stood Still isn't the worst film of 2008 but it is one of them. Jennifer Connelly, John Cleese and Kathy Bates can do so much better than this. This film is probably best to avoid. Good effects involving sound and visual effects and that's it. It isn't as good as the original version.

5/10