The Day the Earth Previewed

16-Sep-08 4:30 PM by kgagne, filed under Trailers.

More than a year ago, I blogged about the announcement of a pending remake of the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. Due for release on Dec 12, 2008, the Keanu Reeves film's first trailer was released this past July, but more telling is this seven-minute preview that aired just last Sunday.

This footage gives us a much better sense of the film, while still leaving some questions. The remake appears to have a dark, threatening tone — appropriate for today's world and a departure from the original. It's been awhile since I saw The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I remember the primary danger being merely the loss of power, not the disintegration of entire stadiums. The only threat to the civilizations of 1951 came from the implied capabilities of an out-of-control Gort, who I presume we've seen no hint of in the above trailer.

Oh, and Keanu Reeves' Klaatu is a terminatrix.

What are your thoughts on this remake: More unnecessary Hollywood regurgitation? Another mindless Keanu Reeves film? Or a modern and significantly original reimagining?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Email this entry. Print this entry. Respond to this entry. Trackback this entry. RSS: RSS 2.0.

7 Responses to “The Day the Earth Previewed”

  1. Alissa adds:
    16-Sep-08 7:04 PM

    I cannot wait to see this film. It will be dark, and fantastic, and terrifying, and thrilling. I think Keanu will bring a richness and depth to Klaatu that will reverberate all through the film, and it will become, like The Matrix, a film that people talk about and strive to emulate for years.

    Reply | Quote
  2. Alissa adds:
    16-Sep-08 8:12 PM

    Klaatu is a terminatrix? Female? I don't think so. Heh.

    Reply | Quote
  3. kgagne adds:
    16-Sep-08 9:45 PM

    Dayton Ward writes: "I also saw on The Digital Bits that a 2-disc special edition of the 1951 version is coming in December. Some interesting new extras on this one, including an audio presentation of Harry Bates's original 'Farewell to the Master.'"

    Look for this DVD on December 2nd.

    Reply | Quote
  4. peterw adds:
    17-Sep-08 9:26 AM

    Ken wrote:

    Gort, who I presume we've seen no hint of in the above trailer.

    I thought there was a glimpse of something Gort-like right near the end of the trailer, just before the boy asks "So what's going to happen to us?"

    Anyway, good or bad, I don't think I'll be able to resist seeing the movie. Even if so much of this type of movie revolves around human paranoia and stupidity! :-(

    Reply | Quote
  5. kgagne adds:
    17-Sep-08 9:47 AM

    Peter, you're right: it looks like Gort shows up at time index 7:23 (and possibly at 6:52). There goes my theory that Keanu has such control over machinery because he is Gort. Wouldn't that have been a twist!

    Sorry for the poor quality of the video. Fox has already had it struck from YouTube twice, so I have to settle for the third attempt, currently embedded above, until something better comes along.

    Reply | Quote
  6. Swan adds:
    17-Sep-08 11:35 AM

    I can't wait to see it either. BTW Reeves has never made a mindless film.

    Reply | Quote
  7. kgagne adds:
    30-Oct-08 12:07 PM

    A "new" trailer for TDTESS premiered this week. It's almost entirely footage we've seen before, but the last two minutes have some new scenes. This trailer especially makes Gort's presence unquestionable, as seen at time indices 3:31, 4:06, and 4:47:

    I'm still taken aback by the apparent malice behind Klaatu and his visitation. It's very different from what I remember the original being.

    Reply | Quote

Leave a Reply