The guys over at AICN got their hands on a script for the Keanu Reeves starring remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still and the reviews are not good. In fact, the reviewer, Uncapie, was so upset he threw the script against the wall.
Now, I’m not one of those people who think The Day The Earth Stood Still is one of the greatest movies ever made (yeah, there are people like that), but I do think that the filmmakers should have respected some of the classic parts of the film if they wanted to remake it. I mean, update the stuff that needs to be updated, but don’t change things that don’t need to be changed.
In the new version they apparently change so much of the story that the movie is practically unrecognizable from the original. For instance: (BEWARE: SPOILERS)
- There is a robot in the film but it is nothing like “Gort.” It’s called the “Totem” and apparently walks around on all fours, shoots a death-ray, and then stands upright like a totem pole when it’s finished.
- The very famous phrase, “Klaatu Barada Nicto” is never uttered.
- Earth is going to be destroyed by the other galaxies because of Global Warming.
- The Major Carpenter and Hugh Marlowe characters are not even in the film. Professor Barnhardt is in it, but his role his limited. And he dies.
If you go read the review at AICN you’ll actually find a lot more reasons to be saddened by the screenplay. I knew it wasn’t going to be a “great” film, but I was hoping that maybe it would be a good science fiction film.
I have to agree with what Uncapie says at the end of his rant. There are so many good science fiction books that have yet to be made into movies, why bother remaking a classic science fiction movie, especially if you’re just going to destroy everything in it that made it classic in the first place? We’ve said the same thing here at Pop Critics on many occasions. It’s just stupid.
One thing is for sure, if there was ever a guy for a movie about something standing still, it’s Keanu Reeves
In the immortal words of Bill (or was it Ted) “Whoa…” , Nice going hollywood, I’m still holding out for the StarWars remake reimagining…it’ll happen…
I thought that’s what Episodes 1-3 were…
Gotta love Hollywood — take a movie or book, strip the content except maybe a character name or two, make everything else up new, and retain the name, so you can use the recognition value.
Why even call it a remake then? Especially when it clearly is not.
Do you think the reception for the script and film would be better if “The Day The Earth Stood Still” wasn’t the title or even mentioned? Probably.
That’s the thing — they’re expecting the buzz of “Big Movie With Familiar Name” to be bigger than “New Movie” and are trading the letdown so long as you get your butt in seat. If you’re let down, you already paid, and no longer really matter.
Piqued curiosity brings them cash.
Plus, there will be all those “younger” people who have heard of the movie but never actually seen it because it’s, I don’t know, in black or white or something, and they will go see the remake and have no idea that it’s nothing like the original and won’t be disappointed at all because they’ve grown up on crap movies and are used to it.
Well, that’s gonna suck, big time.
They intend to meaninglessly politicize the film with an entirely irrelevant topic. I mean, people, think. At least have the intelligence to go anti-war and not something to make Prius drivers even more annoyingly smug.
Frank C’s last blog post..BANS vs. Blogger
@ Jason: Some of us “younger” people have seen this, like myself for instance.
Of course I was too young to remember. 
This bugs me. Just name it something else if you’re going to change up the entire plot. Arg!
I wonder how long they’ll get away with “Totem” as a name for a robot who stands like an Indian totem pole…
I would expect that will be quickly changed.
Well since its about global warming, perhaps it will be named “Earthday the earth stood still”…
The Robot is going to end up being the Indian with a tear running down his face because we’re littering. Hence the name “Totem.”
@Ana - LOL. Twice. Once for the “native american” with the tear running down his face named Totem. And once because you said “Arg.” Like a pirate!
I aim to please.
Yeah, I don’t get it. In the end it’s all about what someone thought would make the most money, but not having things like “Klatuu Barada Nikto” is just dumb. That’s iconic of the original. It’s like remaking the classic Star Trek and renaming the ship something other than the Enterprise.
[...] in April, Jason told us about the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still starring Keanu Reeves, and no one was really [...]
Pixar should try its hands at a remake like this.
Then, you’d be assured that no second-rate actor would fill the lead role and most important, the script would be made into a piece of art.