Summary: A 1951 remake of environmental disaster flick of the same name. Extraterrestrial beings are coming to save Earth—but not humans.\r
Review: Keanu Reeves does not care what people think. He will continue to play the same roles, in the same type of movies and dare you to question it. I wonder what Keanu's daily life is like… does he live like a sci-fi movie? Make plans to save the Earth? Go in and out of the various Matrixes of his mind? Who knows... but the failure of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” should not fall solely on Keanu. He is just an ingredient to the pot of sci-fi mess that reeks of disasters like Constantine—oh, another Keanu movie.\r
Yes, there are producers, other actors and the director, Scott Derrickson, who also directed “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” Nonetheless, all of these films seem like the brainchild of Keanu. Go for stretch -- I would love for Reeves play a transsexual prostitute.\r
With all of that said, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” does start strong. There is a good set-up for a possibly strong action flick. From the beginning you know this will not be anything groundbreaking, but maybe enjoyable. Then, about 20 minutes in, “The Day the Earth Stood Still” - well, stood still and never moved. First, there was the introduction of a giant alien that looked like a Ken doll in a wet suit. Second, Keanu appears and turns Jennifer Connelly’s character into a wimpy dud who has some type of connection with Keanu - something that is never quite explained. There is Jaden Smith, who is Connelly’s son. He was enjoyable to watch and definitely has a career. It was excellent to see a young Black boy in a role that was obviously written for a White character.\r
In contrast, the special effects are powerful, but you can't have a movie with just special effects. If that is the case, just make a video game.\r
The Day the Earth Stood Still" is in theatres now.