The Day
The Earth Stood Still
“Another
blast from the past as film-
makers dip into classic sci-fi history to
bring the 1951 movie The Day The Earth
Stood Still bang up to date with a
glowing, spherical spaceship landing
in New York’s
Central Park and striking
fear into the hearts of mankind...”
DESCRIBED AS A 'RE-IMAGINING' of the original sci-fi classic,
the 2008 version of The Day The Earth Stood Still should serve as a reminder
of the need to look after our planet. The 1951 film starred Michael Rennie,
Patricia Neal and Hugh Marlowe and bore the tag line: A robot and a man hold
the world spellbound with new and startling powers from another planet.
That holds good for 2008's The Day The Earth Stood Still which starts
with a flashback of a mountaineer's close encounter with a glowing sphere in
1928 in India's Karakoram Mountains.
Fast forward to the present day and astro-scientist Dr Helen Benson (Jennifer
Connelly: A Beautiful Mind; Blood Diamond), who cares for her dead husband's
son Jacob (Jaden Smith: The Pursuit Of Happyness), is bustled away in
the night to be taken into Federal custody.
Along with other scientists, a geologist and a civil engineer, Helen is taken
to Fort Linwood Military Academy in New Jersey — where they are ordered
to hand over all cell phones and cameras. They are told that an object that
could be a meteorite is apparently on a collision course with the Earth and
that, because of the speed at which it is approaching, there will be no time
to evacuate the area.
With the Crisis Response Team on full alert, a glowing sphere slows and lands
in New York's Central Park (my, doesn't it get busy there!). The light gets
brighter and a shadowy figure emerges. Helen cautiously approaches it, but a
shot rings out and the alien falls to the ground. As she cradles him in her
arms, a giant and ominous robot — Gort — steps forward threateningly...
The alien, Klaatu (Keanu Reeves: The Matrix; Speed) is rushed to hospital
where a surgeon removes the bullet — and much more besides — to discover
that the 'alien' has a human form. The Defense Systems satellite has been taken
out and smaller spheres are landing across the globe. It soon becomes obvious
that Klaatu's people know everything about us but we know nothing about them.
Klaatu has mastered the English language and is questioned by Secretary of Defense
Regina Jackson (Oscar-winner Kathy Bates: Misery; Revolutionary Road),
who refuses to let the alien speak to the United Nations, falsely accussing
Klaatu's robot of attacking the American troops. The automaton, he replies,
will only act in the face of violence to protect him.
When asked if he is like us, Klaatu says he is different: "It would only frighten
you," he says. When asked if he is human, he says his body is; and when asked
if he is a friend to us, he replies that he is 'a friend to the Earth' —
and it is becoming increasingly obvious that Klaatu's people do not necessarily
think that Mankind is good for the Earth.
Helen and Jacob help Klaatu escape, but who is the mysterious Mr Wu (James Hong)
and his grandson (Edward Fong), whom Klaatu meets in — of all places! —
McDonald's? And will Klaatu, Helen and her now rebellious and frightened stepson
be able to evade the authorities who are chasing them? The clock is ticking
and mankind has only a short time to demonstrate that humans are worth saving
and will start respecting the Earth.
The future of mankind hangs in the balance. Will Klaatu be the harbinger of
death or will he prove to be an ally as Dr Helen Benson and Jacob struggle to
protect the human race? The Day The Earth Stood Still is a magnificent
blockbuster that sets the scene beautifully, quickly upping the pace to turn
a terrific story into a hearty sci-fi thriller with all the trimmings.
The Day The Earth Stood Still also features an exceptional supporting
cast, including: John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda) as Professor Bernhardt;
Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Michael Granier; Kyle Chandler as John Driscol;
Robert Knepper as The Colonel; John Rothman as Dr Myron and Brandon T Jackson
as the Target Tech. Music is by Tyler Bates; Director of Photography is David
Tattersall BSc; Produced by Erwin Stoff, Gregory Goodman and Paul Harris Boardman;
Screenplay by David Scarpa (Based on the screenplay by Edmund H North); and
Directed by Scott Derrickson.
Taking special effects to another dimension, The Day The Earth Stood Still
comes courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and explodes onto
Blu-ray and DVD on 20 April, 2009 — looking set to be the biggest action
sci-fi film release this year.
• The Day The Earth Stood Still. Running
Time: 104 Minutes | Certificate: 12 | DVD RRP: £19.99 | Blu-ray RRP: £24.99.
Special Features
DVD
Deleted Scenes — your chance to view three scenes that did not make the
final cut of the film (Equipment is issued to the scientists; Helen and Granier
discuss the shot; Extended version of Klaatu being wheeled down hallway) | Re-Imagining
'The Day' — a look at the making of this re-imagined version of the film
| Unleashing Gort — take a peek at the process involved in creating Gort's
new look | Watching the Skies: In Search of Extraterrestrial Life — scientists
talk about possible real world scenarios for first contact with aliens | The
Day the Earth Was 'Green' — Fox's first green production; details from
this environmentally conscious set | Audio Commentary with Screenwriter David
Scarpa.
Blu-ray
Build Your Own Gort — interactive feature for viewers to create their own
unique Gort using elements from early Gort designs | Picture-in-Picture Bonus
View — allows a special insider's look into the alien invasion! | In-Movie
Features — access commentaries, picture-in-picture track and storyboards
at any time during the film | Deleted Scenes — your chance to view three
scenes that did not make the final cut of the film (Equipment is issued to the
scientists; Helen and Granier discuss the shot; Extended version of Klaatu being
wheeled down hallway) | Re-Imagining 'The Day' — a look at the making of
this re-imagined version of the film | Unleashing Gort — take a peek at
the process involved in creating Gort's new look | Watching the Skies: In Search
of Extraterrestrial Life — scientists talk about possible real world scenarios
for first contact with aliens | The Day the Earth Was 'Green' — Fox's first
green production; details from this environmentally conscious set | Audio Commentary
with Screenwriter David Scarpa.
"They came 250 million miles out of space to hold the world spellbound with
new and startling powers from another planet" — Original 1951 movie
tag line
"The Day The Earth Stood Still is a magnificent blockbuster that
sets the scene beautifully, quickly upping the pace to turn a terrific story
into a hearty sci-fi thriller with all the trimmings" — Maggie Woods,
MotorBar
