Rent The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

A Cinematic Sci-Fi Classic - The Day the Earth Stood Still review by JE

And i for one think there shouldn't be any doubt about that.

It's a film with a big message that still resonates today, to look beyond division and set aside these differences to work for the common good. Some of the effects were a little suspect however, like the wires in one scene near the end which were horribly obvious, but aside from that the original 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' has stood the test of time to remain one of the great films leaning more towards the Science Fiction Genre.

I personally have no desire to see the remake released in 2008.

Excellent quality on Blu-ray too i might add.

a classic; the film that helped forge our modern idea of science fiction. a must see. - The Day the Earth Stood Still review by tm

not to be confused with the dreadful remake. this is a sharply observed and well executed masterpiece by Robert Wise (who also did the sand pebbles, the curse of the cat people, west side story and many other greats.)

Michael Rennie is excellent as the detached and somewhat bemused alien, Patricia Neal captures the complexity of a strong and sensitive woman torn between trusting her own judgement and following the mood of those around her. The supporting cast ar solid in depicting th evolatility of the public mood, fickle, paranoid, excitable, irrational and easily led.

the plot is simple and direct and explores mankind's propensity for violence and indifference to the world 8that nurtures him. many of the motifs anticipate so many later concerns with the environment, democracy and the abuse of the truth by the media and governments.

A must watch IF you like science fiction.

Classic SciFi - The Day the Earth Stood Still review by GI

One of the great classic science fiction films and ranked as an important and ground breaking film. It was made at a time when the fears of atomic war were rife and the arms race between the major powers was gaining momentum. The film is anti-military, they are seen here as trigger happy and bumbling and the film cleverly, and bravely for its time, challenges politics and such ideologies as potentially the real danger to the future of mankind. In that sense the film still resonates today. Considering this is a 1950s film the effects are clever and interesting and mostly shot in camera, with the inevitable use of back projection. Modern audiences drenched in CGI often criticise older films for their lack of authenticity but looking beyond this reveals an innovative science fiction story with strong themes and messages. The story is simple, much to the world's surprise a spaceship arrives and lands in Washington DC, its crew is one alien, Klaatu (Micheal Rennie) and his huge robot companion Gort (Lock Martin). Klaatu seeks a meeting with all the world's leaders but becomes frustrated that getting them together proves very difficult. So having received a hostile reception from the US military he slips their guards and hides amongst the population to try and understand how humans behave and think. He finds most of what he needs to know through the eyes of a young boy, the daughter of widow Helen (Patricia Neal). Ultimately it's by connecting with scientists that he gets to deliver his message that violent Earth is seen as a threat to the harmony of the Universe and that humanity needs to change its path of war and animosity towards one another.....or else! A key film, hugely entertaining and strongly recommended for film fans who've not seen it. (There was a pointless remake in 2008 that is no where as good as this original.)