If Klaatu from the original The Day the Earth Stood Still saw the 2008 remake, he would cry.
The update takes the simple story from the 1951 version and complicates it without improving anything. The pacing is sped up while the actual plot is stretched out; the tone is taken to thriller territory; and millions of dollars have been spent staging elaborate scenes of destruction. This tale of peace and hope has become an excuse to blow things up.
Pointless and ill-advised changes from the original are evident nearly from the first frame and persist for most of the movie. They generally fall into one of two categories.
First, there are changes made seemingly only to prolong the runtime. Does the audience really need to know why Klaatu, the alien visitor, appears human? The original doesn’t bother explaining, but the remake spends a large amount of time justifying this fact, introducing a backstory and technical jargon to provide a reason. What for? It adds nothing of real value to the story.
Secondly, there are the tonal shifts, which inevitably come off as manufactured and contrary to the point. 2008’s Day seems determined to turn what was a fairly mellow narrative into a taut thriller.
Had the filmmakers stuck to the feeling of the original, this would have been nearly impossible. In the 1951 film, Klaatu (Michael Rennie, Assignment Terror) was polite and dignified. He spoke clearly and never attempted to threaten anyone; he was simply relating the facts of the situation.
The new Klaatu (Keanu Reeves, Street Kings) threatens; he lowers his voice to say lines such as, “You should let me go.” He gives commands. Reeves is doing nothing to change his reputation with this monotonous performance, all stillness and vague menace. In short, this Klaatu is nothing like the classy version played by Rennie in the original.
Take the following scene when two helicopters attack Klaatu. This is probably the best microcosm for the idiotic and impossible angle the 2008 film is trying to take.
Two helicopters approach Klaatu and aim their Gatling guns to shoot him down. So what does Klaatu – an alien from an advanced race that has evolved past violence and aggression – do? He uses his powers to bring the two helicopters crashing down. As they explode, he turns around and walks away without looking back, action-hero style.
2008’s Day wants to make Klaatu a badass and an arbiter of peace. The film wants to scold mankind for its violent ways while making viewers “ooh” and “aah” as the alien robot Gort destroys entire armies.
There were two directions 20th Century Fox and the Day creative team could have taken with this remake. They could have simply updated the original story, which would have cost maybe $10 million. Or they could have done away with the pretense that they were making a film about non-violence, taken the initial hook – an alien arrives with the power to destroy Earth – and made a totally different film.
Instead, they’ve tried to straddle those two approaches, a balancing act that is inherently hypocritical. The result is not particularly thrilling or thought-provoking.
The film is not poorly made on a technical level, though, nor is most of the acting detrimental. The effects team has clearly put in a lot of work, and while the destruction may undermine the viability of the story, it looks incredible.
And some fine actors put in completely solid performances. Jennifer Connolly (Reservation Road) is stuck recycling her understanding-woman routine from Hulk, and Jon Hamm (Mad Men) is believable as a government official.
But it’s the angle that’s all wrong, and there is no amount of money, spectacle or acting finesse capable of remedying the situation. It’s a pity; the concept is timeless and certainly relevant in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, Patriot Act America. It’s no accident one of Klaatu’s first interactions with human beings occurs in an interrogation room.
Unfortunately, the potential for a timely update is lost. In this economic downturn, you would think Hollywood might have saved its money for a story that really called for a more than $100 million devastation.
dan.benamor@gmail.com
