In 1940, Harry Bates published a short story called "Farewell to the Master." It tells the story of an alien visitor to Earth who is seriously wounded through an unfortunate misunderstanding. The story follows attempts by the visitor's guardian to bring the alien back. It is an interesting story that does not play out in the expected fashion. It is such an interesting tale that it became the seed for what would become The Day the Earth Stood Still, a feature film directed by Robert Wise and released in 1951. That film has stood the test of time. It keys in on the fears of nuclear war during the Cold War, yet still remains relevant today. We are now face to face with a new take on the classic tale and the big question is whether or not it stands up to the original. The short answer — no, it does not, not by a long shot.
I have long been someone who never writes off a remake out of hand. Why should I? Sure, lately they seem to have been, more or less, studio cash grabs banking on name recognition or trading on cult status. There have also been some which are Americanized versions of foreign language titles, and those very rarely are made for the sake of art or out of any need for an update. Wow, saying it that way sort of puts it in a different perspective. Still, you never know when you may get another Thing, The Ring, The Departed, or The Maltese Falcon.
Despite my usual stance, when this was announced I was a little apprehensive, but still hopeful. The story seems open enough to allow an update to be relevant in today's world. So off I went, into the cold darkness of the theater hoping for the best while expecting, well, something less than the best. It appears that during the update process, screenwriter David Scarpa (The Last Castle) forgot to inject any real meaning into the script. Yes, there is an attempt made to lecture the audience on being better people, but it is not put into context within the film in any way that holds water. On top of that, this tale takes itself so seriously that the plot seems to tread water — change the word "Earth" in the title to "Plot" and you may have had a better description of the film. There is no sense of wonder or joy in this movie. The original had the child character looking at the world with fresh eyes, helping give Klaatu some perspective on the world. This time around it is more sermonizing without any type of wonder or forward motion (and no, I do not count all the running as forward motion).
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