Rating of
3/4
The Day the Earth Stood Still (the good one)
kcvidkid - wrote on 12/16/08
I don't remember ever seeing the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still", but of course I had to watch it before seeing the new version. (To learn how that worked out for me, read my review of it.)
One way I can summarize it is that it may be the most exciting movie I've ever seen where nothing really happens. I mean, think about the title, then think what it means in the context of the movie. The most drastic action the visiting alien takes is to literally stop everything from working: the earth stands still. Your normal 1950s alien invasion movie this ain't.
And although it is incredibly dated, you soon look past the cheesiness and become fully invested in the story. It is very effective in creating an atmosphere that is probably quite representative of the time.
If, like me, people don't remember seeing the movie, they most certainly remember a scene or a phrase. That is how iconic this movie remains. And it is far more worthy of your time than not only its remake, but almost anything else today.
