The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
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An alien messenger arrives on Earth to confront humanity regarding its environmental impact.
The story
In the present day, a rapidly moving object detected beyond Jupiter's orbit is predicted to collide with Earth, threatening to destroy all life. The U.S. government assembles a team of scientists to develop a survival plan. When the object descends in Manhattan, it reveals itself as a large spherical spaceship. An alien emerges, and while the military responds with force, a high-pitched disabling signal from a humanoid robot, GORT, halts the conflict. The scientists and the military must then navigate the complexities of interacting with the extraterrestrial being, who has come to Earth to discuss the survival of the planet from ecocide.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story begins in 1928 with a mountaineer in India who encounters a glowing sphere. In the present, a massive object heading for Earth is intercepted by the U.S. government. The object lands in Manhattan as a spherical ship. An alien, Klaatu, emerges and is shot, triggering a defensive response from a massive robot, GORT. The scientists and military take Klaatu to a lab where he is revealed to be a being in a bioengineered suit. Klaatu explains he is here to address the issue of ecocide. He meets with Mr. Wu, an alien who has lived on Earth for years. To change Klaatu's view of humanity, Helen takes him to Professor Barnhardt. Meanwhile, GORT transforms into a swarm of nanomachines that consumes a military facility. During a journey to a grave, Klaatu observes the bond between Helen and her stepson, Jacob. This interaction, combined with the realization of human behavior, leads Klaatu to decide to stop the swarm. He enters the central sphere, deactivating the swarm and saving humanity, but causing all electronics on Earth to shut down as the ship departs.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Scott Derrickson
- Writers
- David Scarpa · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Keanu Reeves · Klaatu; Jennifer Connelly · Helen Benson; Jaden Smith · Jacob Benson; John Cleese · Professor Karl Barnhardt; Jon Hamm · Michael Granier; Kathy Bates · Regina Jackson; James Hong · Mr. Wu
- Genres
- science fiction
- Themes
- environmental degradation; first contact
- Tone and mood
- serious
- Premise and plot tags
- alien invasion; robot; environmental issues
- Source material / true-story basis
- Farewell to the Master
- Franchise connections
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- Reception
- The film was met with mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 21% · scale: percentage · review count: 194; Metacritic · score: 40 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Satellite Award · Best Visual Effects · 2008 · Nominated; Satellite Award · Best Sound · 2008 · Nominated; Razzie Award · Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel · Nominated; VES Award · Best Single Visual Effect of the Year · 2008 · Nominated; Saturn Award · Best Science Fiction Film · 2008 · Nominated; Saturn Award · Best Performance by a Younger Actor · 2008 · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was originally scheduled for release on May 9, 2008.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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