So last night Amanda and I finally saw The Day the Earth Stood Still and we thoroughly enjoyed it (though I might have a little more, I definitely must give her dad credit for weening her on Star Trek and 50's sci-fi classics). I heard mixed reviews on it, and yes I know it didn't stick to the 1951 story exactly, but what did surprise me was that it stuck to the way 50's Sci-Fi was made, and then beefed it up a bit.
Let me explain myself. 1950's Science Fiction used to be exactly what it says it the title and would show through in the movies. Their would always be the scientist-hero in the story, and some form of government/military always did stupid stuff with Science winning out in the end. Also, their would be some portion of the film where said scientist would get to explain real scientific principles. The Day the Earth Stood Still stuck to this winning formula.
John Cleese and Jennifer Connelly play said hero-scientists who end up saving the world while politicians and military over-react and worry about protecting themselves. The movie opens with a micro-biological discussion led by Jennifer Connelly on organisms that are able to live on one of the moons of Jupiter (?) Then there is a medical surgery scene that seemed pretty real to the actual practice, the "As scientists we cannot do what you are asking us to" bit, and the Klaatu (alien played by Keanu Reeves, perfect casting) helps a scientist (Dr. Barnhardt by Cleese) solve an equation scene...and I loved it all!!
On top of having these types of scenes that don't happen in Sci-fi a lot these days, the creators of this new edition added in some cool explosions, a better protector-robot version of GORT, a way cooler spaceship for Klaatu, and all the great special effects to go along with those that new-age Sci-Fi can provide.
The Day the Earth Stood Still blends the old and new of Sci-Fi beautifully and provides a good message about protecting the planet without getting too preachy or self-righteous (there is no "ooh, our spaceship is 'green'" crap, just "take care of your planet or die"). Just an all-around fun movie and a fun remake of the original.
Showing posts with label Day the Earth Stood Still. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Day the Earth Stood Still. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
New Movie Previews
OK, so there are some amazing movies coming out this year, everyone loved Iron Man, it was great. And everyone knows about Batman and has seen the preview so there is no need to post those, but here are some interesting movies you may not have seen the previews for:
James Bond in Quantum of Solace, Nov 7, 2008
Do I really need to explain the meaning of James Bond? One of the best franchises of all time!! Oh, as a side note the movie take place one hour after where the last Bond flick (Casino Royale) ended and Daniel Craig is returning as James Bond.
Next, The Day the Earth Stood Still:
This movie may need a little more explaining. It is a remake of a 1950s sci-fi classic. I won't give too much plot away because it looks like it diverges a little from the original plot (but not too much). Anyways, without knowing anything about the plot, one can see from the preview that it looks really, really good.
As for other good news:
-- X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out May 1, 2009 with Hugh Jackman returning as the Wolverine and directed by Gavin Hood (who won the Academy Award for best foreign film in 2005 for "Totsi"). The screenplay will be done by David Benioff (who wrote the screenplays for "Troy" and "25th Hour"). Joining the cast are Gambit (played by Taylor Kitsch from TVs "Friday Night Lights"), Deadpool (by Ryan Reynolds), John Wraith (by Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am), Col. William Stryker (by DannyHuston), Kayla Silver Fox (by Lynn Collins), and of course Sabretooth (by Liev Schreiber).
--Thor for this film only the director has been announced, and it is Matthew Vaughn, the director of "Stardust," and "Layer Cake."
Anywho, that's it for me. Hope you're as excited about these films as I am. Other tidbits, in the works after Thor are movies about Captain America, and then an Avengers film that will link up Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Woo Hoo!!
James Bond in Quantum of Solace, Nov 7, 2008
Do I really need to explain the meaning of James Bond? One of the best franchises of all time!! Oh, as a side note the movie take place one hour after where the last Bond flick (Casino Royale) ended and Daniel Craig is returning as James Bond.
Next, The Day the Earth Stood Still:
This movie may need a little more explaining. It is a remake of a 1950s sci-fi classic. I won't give too much plot away because it looks like it diverges a little from the original plot (but not too much). Anyways, without knowing anything about the plot, one can see from the preview that it looks really, really good.
As for other good news:
-- X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out May 1, 2009 with Hugh Jackman returning as the Wolverine and directed by Gavin Hood (who won the Academy Award for best foreign film in 2005 for "Totsi"). The screenplay will be done by David Benioff (who wrote the screenplays for "Troy" and "25th Hour"). Joining the cast are Gambit (played by Taylor Kitsch from TVs "Friday Night Lights"), Deadpool (by Ryan Reynolds), John Wraith (by Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am), Col. William Stryker (by DannyHuston), Kayla Silver Fox (by Lynn Collins), and of course Sabretooth (by Liev Schreiber).--Thor for this film only the director has been announced, and it is Matthew Vaughn, the director of "Stardust," and "Layer Cake."
Anywho, that's it for me. Hope you're as excited about these films as I am. Other tidbits, in the works after Thor are movies about Captain America, and then an Avengers film that will link up Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America. Woo Hoo!!
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