IMDb > The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
The Day the Earth Stood Still
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The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 58 | slideshow) Videos (see all 22)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) -- Aliens land on Earth with an important message for its citizens. A remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi film directed by Robert Wise.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) -- An alien and a robot come to earth in this remake of a 1951 classic.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) -- Movieplayer.it - Featurette (Flash)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) -- This is the first trailer for The Day the Earth Stood Still, directed by Scott Derrickson.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) -- Keanu Reeves stars in the remake of the classic science fiction film

Overview

User Rating:
5.5/10   44,156 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 48% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
David Scarpa (screenplay)
Edmund H. North (1951 screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Day the Earth Stood Still on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 December 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
12.12.08 is the Day the Earth Stood Still
Plot:
A remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film about an alien visitor and his giant robot counterpart who visit Earth. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(319 articles)
The Birds Remake Gets The Last House on the Left Director
 (From FilmJunk. 4 December 2009, 6:20 AM, PST)

Birds Remake Up In The Air
 (From FilmShaft.com. 3 December 2009, 8:47 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Disappointing more (578 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
D.T.E.S.S. (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
The Day the Earth Stood Still: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence.
Runtime:
104 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
WILHELM SCREAM: Heard when Gort breaks out of the military facility and the metal door crashes on top of multiple soldiers. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: The robot figure intercepts the MQ-9 Reapers and flies them into what is depicted as a M1 Abrams Main battle tank. The destruction depicted could not have happened, even with the missile warheads on-board. The M1 variant tanks have taken hits from "explosive" tank rounds in combat with only minimal damage to their advanced armor composites. more
Quotes:
[Seated at a McDonald's, Klaatu begins speaking to Mr. Wu in Mandarin]
Klaatu: You've been out of contact for a long time.
Mr. Wu: I had a dangerous assignment. This is hostile territory.
Klaatu: I've noticed. I was hoping I could reason with them.
Mr. Wu: I'm afraid they are not a reasonable race. I've been living amongst them for seventy years now. I know them well.
Klaatu: And?
Mr. Wu: Any attempt to intercede with them would be futile. They are destructive, and they won't change.
Klaatu: Is that your official report?
Mr. Wu: The tragedy is, they know what's going to become of them.
[Both Klaatu and Wu turn to look at Helen, Jacob and Wu's grandson who are seated at another table]
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
References Transformers (2007) more
Soundtrack:
On the Radio more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
What sort of remake is this going to be?
What does "Klaatu barada nikto" mean?
more
324 out of 461 people found the following comment useful.
Disappointing, 10 December 2008
5/10
Author: FabD1 from France

Let's be blunt: this is definitely not a good movie; it's not horrid either, it's just somewhere between average and bad. There are quite a few problems. First, with the script, which tries to incorporate all elements of the 1951 movie into a new, updated whole. The end result lacks cohesion and plays more like a sequence of 5 to 10 minutes scenes badly sewn together, the prime objective of each scene being either to introduce an element taken from the original movie or, on the contrary, an idea absent form the1951 original, instead of simply advancing the story. Second, the direction: poor, poor, poor. Third, some of the worst acting I have seen in a mainstream movie for a long time; I found the leads, especially Keanu, quite good but the other actors are decent at best, with Katie Bates delivering a frighteningly catastrophic 'performance'. I was not shocked (positively or negatively) by all the other aspects of the film.

Coming out of the theater, I found myself pondering about this remake and the 1951 original. I find the Robert Wise movie quite good, but not the masterpiece some claim it to be. I was therefore ready to accept a remake and the few new ideas offered by the 2008 movie made me painfully aware that a remake could indeed have been interesting, had it been put in better hands or, if I dare say so, in much better hands. So, to me, it's another sadly missed opportunity.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I wondered who sponsored the film? Mookeebaka
Klaatu wanted to talk to the U.N. xerxerxex
Ten Things I learned from TDTESS browskijim
BAD BAD BAD (cursing herein) antimatter33
What are the 'Sidewinders' the soldier was referring to? duffy12
Why can’t GORT just attack? bjphysics
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