[Trailer] The Day the Earth Stood Still

[Deset Gled]

I don't have hight hopes. From what I've heard before (and some of the implications of the trailer) the central plot will revolve around global warming rather than nuclear war, and that just doesn't work for me.

 

[Wombat]

After watching the trailer, my feeling was "Why?"

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I don't have hight hopes. From what I've heard before (and some of the implications of the trailer) the central plot will revolve around global warming rather than nuclear war, and that just doesn't work for me.

Global warming? That doesn't even make any sense! "Stop global warming or we'll kill you! Um, wait, we won't have to..."

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

That doesn't even make any sense!

Well, to be fair, all be know about the aliens so far is they don't emote much and have it in for 18-wheelers and sports stadiums. And they keep their balls in the water.

Edit: You know what I mean about that last part. I hope Gort is in the movie. Klaatu Berata Knicktu.

 

[Dirigible]

You can see a glimpse of a distinctly Gort-like head in the last half second of the trailer. There are death rays involved.

"Klaatu, barata... whoa."

 

[Mark]

I have not liked Keanu Reeves in anything except Parenthood, which seemed to be written to his style. I think Jennifer Connelly has a great amount of range but this film looks like it might be more about the posing and the cinematography. I am also not sure that this movie needed to be remade. I rarely miss an A-list sci-fi or fantasy film on the big screen. I am utterly torn on whether or not to see this movie and will have to make my decision when I get more information.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970416/

I like some of the other casting choices a good deal. The writer is fairly untested but remakes are just the sort of thing new writer's often wind up doing. Given the high profile casting, this is the kind of movie that could make or break this fairly new director, though I see he is also already working on a rather ambitious project in Paradise Lost.

Still torn . . .

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

More "hrmmm" than before. Not a lot of credits to their names, but the writers and director do have some credit.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: David Scarpa (writer)
Release Date: 12 December 2008 (USA) more
Genre: Drama | Sci-Fi more
Plot: A remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film about an alien visitor and his giant robot counterpart who visit Earth.

Cast:
Keanu Reeves as Klaatu
Jennifer Connelly as Helen
Jaden Smith as Jacob
Kathy Bates as (Unknown)
John Cleese as Dr. Barnhardt
Jon Hamm as Dr. Granier
Aaron Douglas as Sgt. Winter
J.C. MacKenzie as Grossman
Alisen Down as Laptop Woman
Mousa Kraish as Yusef
Hiro Kanagawa as Dr. Ikegawa
Lorena Gale as Scientist #2
Richard Tillman as Army Sargeant
Patrick Sabongui as Soldier #1
David Richmond-Peck as Polygraph Operator
Sunita Prasad as Rouhani
Serge Houde as Scientist
Craig Stanghetta as Gray Man
Leanne Adachi as Flash Chamber Technician
Marci T. House as Medic
Andrew Wheeler as Guardsman
Daniel Bacon as Winslow

From the IMDB Synopsis:
The 2008 remake about an alien and his indestructible robot will star (Keanu Reeves) as Klaatu, Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, (Jaden Smith) as Jacob, and (Kathy Bates). Gort has not been cast at this time and will most likely be created using FX.

The remake of (The Day the Earth Stood Still) will supposedly remain true to the original movie, however there is a chance the remake will more likely remain true to the short story upon which the 1951 movie is based. In either case the alien 'weaponry' seems to have been upgraded. In addition to a city going dark, and a very brief look at the new Gort, the film trailer shows a cloud of black smoke, capable of rapid movement and disintegrating matter on contact.

In the 1951 movie, Gort is described as one of a race of robots created by the planets to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. If the 2008 remake follows the short story by (Harry Bates), "Farewell to the Master" upon which the 1951 movie is based, it will be revealed at the end of the movie by Gort himself that he is the master, and not Klaatu.

Other Movies Directed by Scott Derrickson:
The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008)
The Exorcism of Emily Ross(2005)
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000) (V)
Love in the Ruins (1995)

Others Movies Scripted by David Scarpa;
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) (post-production) (writer)
The Last Castle (2001) (screenplay) (story)

 

[Shadeydm]

I love the original movie, but if they changed the story to be about global warming...no thanks. The planet may have a fever but I don't need to hear it from Keanu anymore than I needed to hear it from Al Gore.

 

[frankthedm]

The planet may have a fever but I don't need to hear it from Keanu...

Sorry, the 'message'... well... the later trailer clears up any doubt.

Original: If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives.

Revised: If the Earth dies, humanity dies. If humanity dies, the Earth survives.

Still the FX look good enough to go just for that. Plus i want to see how well Keanu's acting 'ability' fits this role.

 

[Pbartender]

*delivered with no emotion, much like most of the Lines uttered by Keanu.

Which is what makes him so perfectly suited to the role of Klaatu.

I've found I actually really like Keanu Reeves when he's a playing a role in which he's not required to act. Otherwise, you might as well replace him with a Supermarionation puppet.