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Massawyrm stands up for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL!!
Hola all. Massawyrm here.
Some great films are simply timeless. Other films we love moreso because they are a product of their time. So when someone sets out to remake a good or great film, it is always my hope that they choose to remake the latter rather than the former. And often times, the very best remakes are films that are adapted from one time into another. Not just updated. Adapted. I've written many times about my profound disappointment with the knee-jerk reaction of the film loving community every time a new remake is announced. Do I feel 4 out of 5 are probably unnecessary? Sure. But let me tell you, nothing says ORIGINAL THOUGHT like typing the phrase "Why can't Hollywood come up with anything original?"
I can only imagine what would have happened had the internet existed in the early 80's when a young director best known for making a slasher film dared to remake Howard Hawks. The absolute gall, right? We might not have The Thing. Or what kind of tizzy would fire up in the blogosphere if we caught wind that someone had the balls to remake a brilliant Akira Kurosawa film – just a year after he had made it? As a western for Chrissakes! We might not have The Magnificent Seven. So when I heard that The Day The Earth Stood Still was being remade at first I paused, but I looked into it a bit. TDTESS is a vintage classic, a 50's era classic upon which a thousand other close encounter of the 3rd kind movies have been based, inspired or blatantly ripped off from. Sadly, to many modern film geeks, it is best known as being the answer to the trivia question "Where did Sam Raimi get the phrase Klaatu Berada Nikto?"
And more people claim to have seen it than has actually have. Because it has so permeated the culture that they feel they don’t have to.
TDTESS is one of those great films of its era that is very representative of its era. It was born of the very dawn of a world ready and capable to blow itself up. People were scared shitless, and in a time of rampant fundamentalist conservatism when we saw red everywhere we looked, Robert Wise made a brilliant entry into his long career and did the unthinkable. He made a film that criticized America’s arrogant, warlike mentality in hopes of waking people up. He made sure never to criticize the specifics – but only to highlight the human condition in hopes that kneejerk, reactionary politics in a nuclear world could be brought to an end. But it's not the 50's anymore. The cold war is over and an entire generation has been born, lived and retired under the threat of total annihilation. Now we have new problems.
But the arrogance remains. The knee jerk, reactionary politics and cavalier (read cowboy) foreign policy remains. And now a new film maker has set out to highlight that human condition again, telling the same story with some different angles. If there's one thing that's had me excited about this film being made right, it was that it was put in the hands of Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derickson. Here's a guy that took a film that was on the surface horror, but at its heart a discussion about faith verson reason and religion versus law, and really delivered. It was a film that sent you into the lobby arguing with friends or going out for coffee. And that's EXACTLY what the original The Day The Earth Stood Still was made to do.
If there's any remake this film reminded me of it is Kaufman's 1979 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. A true remake of the original, Kaufman took all the vital elements and included them. But the product of the paranoid, distrusting 70's, he made a film that matched it on all counts and in many minds exceeded the original without invalidating it. And that's what Derrickson does here. There are many things in this story that are fundamentally different. This isn't a film about an Alien wandering around posing as a human to see what this Earth-thing is all about. While he came here with the same purpose and is met by the same obstinate national security measures, the result of what-comes-next is both wildly different and remarkably similar. He does many of the same things, and comes to many of the same conclusions, only this time for different reasons.
And then end? Well let's just say there's no admonishing speech before Klaatu flies away off into the stars. This is a darker film. A brooding film. But most importantly, it is still very much a film about ideas. The flashy sci-fi shots are just the gimmicks that get you in the seat, but the film is entirely about positing arguments and highlighting our failure as a species despite all of our advancements and enlightenment. But it is also about the capacity for us to love and our ability to change once we, as a person or as a people, have hit rock bottom. And ultimately that is what I find superior in this film rather than the original. The first time Klaatu came to us on film he ended up telling us we need to change – but the choice was ours. It was in our hands. This time he's here to tell us we have no other choice but to change.
The film is a profound, moody argument that is incredibly respectful of the original and even leaves a few things to the original to keep it its own picture. But many of the changes are often more of additions or deeper, original sci-fi ideas of their own. GORT is awesome in this. He remains the classic robot we know and love with his properties, look and intent preserved, but gets a few new cool toys that are just pretty damned inventive. Klaatu's mission is a bit different this time around and the tools at his disposal are a lot more complicated. And this time around the theme of science and rationality over self defense are even more deeply explored.
Everyone is solid in this. Keanu is always at his best when he gets to play characters somehow uncomfortable in his own skin or surprised and awed by his surroundings – so playing the alien ambassador from another world is kind of up his alley. His Klaatu highlights the differences between this version and the original, notably the lack of wonder at the small things that the initial Klaatu expressed interest in. He’s been watching the Earth for some time, he knows about our eccentricities. Watching a baseball game with a 10-year-old isn’t exactly going to sway him. A simple housewife’s love and kindness isn’t enough to show him why such a destructive race should be saved.
Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith (son of Will and Jada) are both great as Klaatu’s contacts and foils – and Kathy Bates is her usual, intimidating self as the government official hellbent on keeping the information on the contact/invasion uniquely in American hands. But the best spot of casting was the small part played by John Cleese as Professor Barnhardt, who nails the hell out of the classic blackboard scene, making it a much more amusing, powerful and poignant scene.
The film is great, a wonderfully moody piece of speculative fiction that not only invites you to think about it, but often forces you to come to your own conclusions. This isn’t a film taking up its own political cause, it’s a film addressing the chief opponent to us finding solutions to our own problems - our arrogant nature. And sadly it’s a film that isn’t going to receive the reception that it deserves. People are walking into this with massive chips on their shoulders, looking to hate it. They WANT to be able to call it an unnecessary remake. But it isn’t. It’s a very thoughtful, well intentioned one that knows the original and sets out to truly make a BETTER film, not just a NEWER one.
I for one think they succeeded.
Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.
Massawyrm
Got something for the Wyrm? Mail it here.
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"He made a film that criticized America’s arrogant, warlike mentality" That is NOT what TDTESS was about, hating America. But it's what you think because your'e a charter member of the Hate America First club.
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This is a rental for me but I'm going to do myself a favor and not compare it to the original, much as I did with Spielberg's WOTW.
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it at least looks interesting
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am convinced and will be seeing this. Great review, though I think most people will give you shit (I see it has already started!). I'm willing now to give it a shot, which I don't think I was going to before reading your review.
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Just once I want them to land in...say...Lesotho. ANYWHERE that does not play on Judeo-Christian values. Canada would be another perfect example. Do French-Canadians believe in Jesus??
Grumpy...OUT!! -
Why is it that any time a person criticizes America we automatically hate our country? The desire to criticize in order to try to comment on an aspect of society to make a change isn't un-American, it's the most American thing you can do. Sitting there watching FOX news pretending like everything in America is great and we are the world's perfect country is only making things worse. I posit that YOU hate America, at least what America is supposed to be, and love what you want it to be. Hating America? Get a fucking grip. We love America, and there's nothing wrong with commenting on how to make it better. You're a downright fool, sir.
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Dec 12, 2008 9:22:20 AM CST
I think we just don't like the title being ripped
by grammaton cleric binks
off when this remake appears to have very little to do with the original. Plus I won't spoil the ending, but it was done a few years ago in another movie sequel.
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Without all those other annoying Watchmen.
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I'm being dragged to this movie tomorrow, so I'll be keeping your review in mind in an attempt to enjoy it. Thanks Massa.
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Arnold is 'sort of' in the movie. The naked guy picking up the gun in the trailer is actually pro bodybuilder Roland Kickinger. He was a regular on Howard Stern’s FX show from a few years back called Son of the Beach. Anyway, he was hired as a body double and they are CG'ing Arnold’s face over his because Arnie is not in that kind of shape anymore at 61. The Terminator (Arnold) attacks John in the factory. John is able to trick him into following him (John) into the Time Displacement equipment. John traps Arnold there and sends him back in time to be the Terminator from the original film. The salvation aspect has to do with John saving his own past so he'll grow up to be the savior he needs to be. So it seems that he doesn’t just send Reece, he also sends the Terminator. John knows that Skynet's creation and subsequent actions are inevitable. He decides to prepare the mother so she in turn can prepare him for the future.
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I too think its absurd how people shit on remakes as a rule. Give them a chance, look at them as a fresh concept.
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to kill her protector so he could 1) be born and 2) prepare her and 3) prepare her to prepare him? That's twisted and great.
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after seeing the preview on the bluray I am hooked. I have to see the rest and besides I love watching scifi on the big screen.
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I'm glad you took the approach you did on this review. I was prepared to avoid it on principle, but now I'm gonna check it out. Also, thats a cool and creepy logo you've got. You seem to chafe at Harry's limp touch. At least he isn't riding bare-back.
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by doing another nude scene. The horror would have driven them away from this planet permanently.
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Who fucking cares?
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"I too think its absurd how people shit on remakes as a rule. Give them a chance, look at them as a fresh concept."
Look Doctor...The fact that it's a REMAKE...eliminates the definition of a "FRESH CONCEPT". Could we please hit the dictionary BEFORE posting...
I have ZERO issue with "remakes". I just want a fresh take...that does NOT involve politically correct clap-trap. We are destroying the planet...WAAH!! We hate anyone not white...WAAH!!! We are the seeds of our own destruction...WAAH!!
Off topic...but Ted Turner was just on 60 Minutes. He said he NEVER thought of the SIX MILLION who died as a result of the US pulling out of Vietnam. Really? WAAH!!
I want my $%#@& Sci-Fi WITHOUT the dunder-headed political correctness. Is that too much to ask?? Grumpy...OUT!! -
Massawyrm's and Capone's reviews are total opposites. I have a feeling that Massa is right, and too many people are predisposed to hating on it simply because it remakes this "revered" sci-fi classic. It reminds me of people who love a band that hasn't hit the mainstream yet. Once that band hits mainstream, the fans turn on them and say they sold out. Not QUITE the same thing, but I think you can catch my drift. TDTESS (original) is NOT a widely-seen film. Most people have never seen it, though they've certainly heard of it. I know even fewer people that know what it's about, even if they have heard of it. I'm not against bashing a remake that just doesn't really need to happen (let's face it, Romancing the Stone 2.0 is not going to change the world), but I'm open to good things coming out of remakes. It's only a downer when the remake just doesn't "get it" and turns into some shit-fest that wastes our time. The Hitcher, anyone? Anyways... after the holidays, when I actually have two pennies to rub together, I'll check this out.
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This looks like shit. Mechanical, underdeveloped shit.
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Haw haw..
I'm REALLY skeptical, but I may now see this, as I have ended up agreeing with more of Massa's reviews than anybody else on this site. -
On was on the fence about this one because I hate stories that include some little brat tagging along for the ride but you've sold me! Just tell me nobody goes back to rescue a dog.
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and I'm not 100% convineced, but I'm willing to be surprised, then they are marketing this film totally wrong. I can understand why they are marketing it this way (i.e. Alien invasiion, look at the explosions, etc) but if it really is what you say it is, then like I said, they are marketing it totally wrong
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And drop your formalistic bullshit argument. Obviously the terms "remake" and "fresh concept" can be set at odds. However, if you think about it a little bit, what I'm saying is that there is no reason to write off a remake simply because it does not follow the original. A remake can have a fresh concept, if it is adapted to be relevant for the time of its production. You're clearly a neo-con nutjob who doesn't like "political correctness", yet you forget the original TDTESS was a POLITICAL MOVIE. It was about nuclear proliferation, you fucking dunce. How about instead of telling others to "get a dictionary" (BTW, let me know what dictionary has an entry for "fresh concept"), you stop and think before firing off stupid posts, you fat fuck.
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It's a movie. Something to be entertained by. I loved the original, and even watched it recently, but let the new blood have their fun.
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But that is Keanu Reeves MOTTO! This will be his epitaph!
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Almost pulled a Harry there. And no, not because he enjoyed it.
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Just tell me that the reason the aliens want to wipe out the Earth ISN'T because we're "destroying our environment" and killing all the squirrels and fish. The effects look awesome and the original is a great film. But, I won't sit through another liberal Hollywood preaching.
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I watched that shit and it was cheesy but served its purpose for that time period. I'm sick of everyone here all of a sudden screaming "it's a classic" It's not
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I've seen the original film about 20 times, have it on DVD, and recently watched it again in preparation for the remake. Dude....it's not even close. Keanu's best moment was probably "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K"; this new movie won't change that. He's a block of wood that makes monotone sounds that MIGHT be dialogue on occasion, but that's it.
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pushing the single-mother trope.
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Dec 12, 2008 10:26:20 AM CST
Sure, people are going to line up in droves to see a film...
by excaliburffolkes
...whose central theme is that mankind is too evil to allow to live. (And at the holidays, too!) Not everyone is as self-loathing as Hollywood-types. I suspect that is why the marketing has strived so hard to avoid mentioning what the film is actually about.
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Seriously. And watch more 'Fox News'. Oh, forgot - you HATE THAT. Enjoy that hate of yours, I know you think it makes you better than other people because you 'care more'.
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Its a 90 minute sermon co-authored by Al Gore warning us that if we dont stop building carbon fueled cars, aliens are going to dissolve our whole race.
Meanwhile, Gore's cronies are all about handing over billions of dollars to the very companies responsible for global warming (according to them, anyway). Grats, Massa - you're political heroes are grifting hypocrites.
Also this movie sucks bad. Do you have ANY clue - ANY CLUE AT ALL, why the phrase "can't Hollywood think of something new?" is so over-used and so frequently typed? BECAUSE THE WHOLE PLANET EARTH SEEMS TO HAVE THAT SAME OPINION!
Well, except for you I suppose. You're the one guy who thinks it's okay to make a really really lousy remake of a really really great movie, as long as the message has a strong post-seventies hippie vibe to it.
Great news for you - I hear that the squid in Watchmen has been replaced by a giant 30 legged DEA agent, and when the world sees it, they all realize that the war on drugs is destroying our planet and we all need to be doped up on narcotics if we ever want to accomplish anything as a society.
moron. -
.....Hang on? You have emotions? Holy shit! Don't Panic. Byeeeeeeeeeeeee!
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Tell me what do, single mother.
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Good point.
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One thing not mentioned above, Star Trek is going to be showing in IMAX. The preview on the IMAX screen looked great and the space stuff looked alot better on IMAX
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90% of movies are 'remakes' in a sense. just because the classic stories will always be remade with different seetings. 'boy tries to win girls heart, man fights against the odds the defeat bad guys, etc... then the details of the stories are narrowed down and it's still been done before.. but that doesnt mean it isnt enjoyable if it's done well. by the way, people that bitch that "there are no original ideas in movies right now!" are the same people that bitch that "there is no good music out right now!"sure there is, you just have to hunt it out. if you dont like what the mainstream has to offer (and there will always be a mainstream.. entertainment is still a business) then its your own fault if you dont dig and find what you do enjoy.
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I saw some scenes and long promo clips for this on cable in the last week, and it looks very interesting. A few months ago I thought it would end up being crap. I do, however, think that the cell phone commercial which makes it look like a cheap Cloverfield knockoff, is harmful to it's image. That ad sucks!
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Turd or treasure?
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...I've read. I'm still very sceptical and I'll probably won't be going to the cinema to see this. If it's as good and relevant as the original it won't suffer from being watched at home. I just remember watching the TDTESS on BBC2 when I was quite young. They'd run a season of classic SciFi films, including War of the Worlds and Invaders from Mars. When they showed TDTESS it smacked me in my baby-face and it's been a benchmark for me ever since. I'll watch this new version, but for a lot of ppl like me this was always going to be a losing battle.
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Seriously, a movie this scale, and they can't make Gort look real. And thus, the movie derails and all suspension of disbelief is shattered.
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For shame.
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For shame.
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So for him to be dead wrong on this is hardly a surprise. Better than the original, dear God... This is the only film I feel compelled to post on in talkback, cos it actually made me angry with its ineptitude. Not because I was against the idea of the remake in the first place, but because they completely blew the chance to actually make this worth while. Avoid like the plague.
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...pretty cool new illustration you have at the bottom of your posting, there Massa. (Hey, it's the damned Xmas season... tryin' to keep it a little more "positive", ya know?)
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Look...not fat...definitely NOT a neo-con. I am against the political correctness that WILL destroy our planet...or at least our society.
And to get back to MOVIES...think about the first 15 minutes of The Matrix...Wanted...Indiana Jones...Star Wars...Blade Runner...The Lord of the Rings...Brazil...Pitch Black and Riddick...Metropolis...just to name a few. EVERY ONE of these let you know that this was DIFFERENT...and not a "fresh concept" of an old movie.
When Trinity jumps in the air...when the boulder rolls in the temple...when Darth makes his appearance...you KNOW it is something you have NEVER seen before. It's NOT a re-imagining...it's NOTHING you have seen before...nor will you again.
If you want to argue that these movies will be recreated with "fresh concepts" in the future...then YOU sir, are the nutjob.
So suck it!
P.S. I looked up fresh AND concept in the dictionary. Using my superior brain power...I was able to combine the following:
1. Original AND unused
2. Something imagined in the mind
It equals: Something original imagined in the mind.
This is what separates us from the chimpanzees...except for you, obviously, whom cannot make that stellar leap...
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and yet he says nothing. Very typical lately. You used to be a good writer Wyrm, now you're just a PR hack.
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It has nothing to do with it being a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. I hate it because it's a non-sensical (aliens are here to kill us because we're not recycling enough) political screed that's masking as a science fiction movie. What's even more outrageous is that the most polluting, environmentally unfriendly place on Earth is...wait for it--China. Yet the aliens land in the U.S. Further, why the frack do advanced alien civilizations give two craps if we pollute the Earth? This movie makes no sense. Pass!
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Dec 12, 2008 12:16:07 PM CST
A simple housewife’s love and kindness isn’t enough to show him
by volllllume3
What the fuck are you talking about. This is EXACTLY how this movie ends. Some scenes are great (GORT, Army, Klaatu, bugs) but they are mostly covered between thick layers of preachy shit, don't watch it.
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Does Klaatu say "Whoaa..."?
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My problem is not that it is a remake of a classic movie. I have watched some bad remakes of true classic movies. I have no desire to watch this movie because the trailer bores the shit out of me. There is nothing that grabs me at all. I am tired of global climate cautionary tales. I am tired of boring special effects. I am tired of slow moving sci-fi movies. That is why I don't want to see this.
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But I can't, for the life of me, parse your batshit-insane ranting. I can only surmise that:
1. You are British.
2. You are, in fact, fat
Please, please, please, calm down. Remember, if you have a heart attack, you will have to wait a long time for your free medical care. -
If you disagree with the message in State of Fear, I understand, but you got to admit it would be something original that has yet to be done in Hollywood.
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Everyone wants to wine about this. Keanu. remake. Effects. But these are the people that love Ironman, which is , im sorry to say. Total shit.
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but I kinda miss the old Bond villains like Blofeld, Drax, SPECTRE, etc. who tried to take over or destroy the world simply for the heck of it, thirst for power, whatever. This whole theme of environmental consciousness as motive for world domination or destruction is...well it's just dumb. Implausible, thin, shaky, however you want to say it, it's poor plotting. Now, if you want to read a semi-plausible story about eco-terrorists, read Clancy's Rainbow Six or Crichton's State of Fear. No aliens or meglomanical archnemeses, just misguided people. Much more plausible, especially in light of the sheep mentality that dominates the media.
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I have seen neither the original or this remake, but I'm curious. Why would aliens care about what we do? I guess I can understand if their fear is rooted in the supposition that after we blow each other up/trash our world, we'll take it to space and blow up/trash other worlds. But, if that's not the case, are they just soooo altruistic that they can't even let us hurt the planet. Because dirt and air and broccoli and sea slugs are just as valuable as humans? (And I'm not saying they're not. In fact, my respect for all living things is exactly why I'm not a vegetarian. Why should cows be saved but not carrots. Just because they have no mouths does not mean the turnip doesn't scream. Also, I like how meat tastes. It's good. But I semi-sarcastically digress.) So, what's the deal with their concern?
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Dec 12, 2008 1:17:44 PM CST
Massawyrm: revealing his bad taste in films with every review
by awepittance
will not be seeing the Day the earth based a) how awful the trailer looks and b) this review...
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"I watched that shit and it was cheesy but served its purpose for that time period. I'm sick of everyone here all of a sudden screaming "it's a classic" It's not"
nobody is screaming 'its a classic' 'all of the sudden' you moron. They were screaming it before you were born. -
I never saw the original so I had low expectations. It has good pace and does not have lots of needless scenes. It keeps the story rolling and there are some weird plot points such as the ending...klatu does something that does not make sense given the circumstances. The whole movie is this rush to get back to central park but it was a quick ending. My only problem was the ending, think war of the worlds (remake). Very similar but still fun if you liked that movie.
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I need some fappin material... 2girls1cup just don't do it for me anymore.
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It was in ABOUT SCHMIDT. Boy are you gonna fap.
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if any movie cried to be remade, it was hawk's film....which strayed so far from the original story as to be laughable...oh ya, we are all afraid of the carrot monster...and kurosawa's classic has been remade umpteen times, but at least people put it in different contexts...btw, there was an uproar when body snatchers was remade...and how about invaders from mars? you neglect one thing...during the 80s and 90s we got maybe one or two remakes a year...now it seems a remake opens at least once a month....and most have worse than the original...what does this new movie tell us....that we had better be good to the earth?? gosh, we havent heard that before...jeez, why couldnt the film makers have done something innovative...use the original story...make gort the real master...make this more of a movie about prejudice and american exceptionalism....now that is an interesting concept
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that there are very few planets in the universe that can sustain life...that these aliens are uber enviromentalists....tree huggers with cool weapons...they see the humans as a virus that needs to be wiped out in order to save this ecosystem....the original concept is still better....the human race is a threat to the universe because of their violent nature...which will ultimately lead them to attempt to conquer space...see, in that context, it makes more sense for klaatu to land and at first attempt to reason with them....in this film, klaatu shoulda just nuked the earth from space....movie over
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Damn You Michael Bay
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original...which was "what would people do if jesus really returned" and the answer...shoot him
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"Be excellent to each other, and party on, dude!" That would turned everyone around.
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... is whether you respect Massawyrm's opinion about films, or not. I'll probably see it because of my love for the genre, and then form my own opinion - partially based upon my appreciation of the original, but not entirely.
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While I totally fucking doubt this will be anywhere near as beautiful as the original, I have been looking forward to it as I sci-fi/Keanu/End of the World fan. I'm excited. Even if I'm the only one. But yeah, Massa does have fucking awful taste, so who knows. Haha. I'm going to see it.
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...getting into a hot tub with Jack Nicholson. The movie itself is excellent and very underrated. The Bates character is in the movie about 10 whole minutes.
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any moron could tell this way going to be a remake more in name only, but those marketing cunts at Fox just cant help themselves..
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please fuck off you fucking retarded cunts..
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so I'll see this with no money from my pocket. I understand Wyrm's take on remakes being revised to reflect current political/social conditions. I just don't see the valid comparison between our early '50s nuclear capability and our current impact on the environment to hang the plot on.
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Don't get too upset. The only citizens of Earth in 3008 will be fire breathing cockroaches and styrofoam.
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Honestly i was underwhelmed and those I saw it with were far less kind. Some of the dialogue is awful, the characters don't deal with situations particularly realstically and for a film about the end of the world, there's not a lot of excitement.
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This steamy pile of a movie was the worst I've seen this year. I can't believe that anyone with half a brain could actually like it. Oh well. Takes all sorts.
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this year's I Am Legend. The audience walked out of that in a stunned silence.
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the remake would not have got the green light.
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i mean, how fucking arrogant can you be?
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997251.html?cate goryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562 -
Thank you. My wife and I just watched this. She's and artist and I am a scientist and we loved it. I wish there were 10 films a year like this instead of once per decade. I give it a B+. I gave Contact an A+.
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You can tell hes a conservative because he shoots guns sometimes, I guess.
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I think Massawyrm made a really good point, but I think I'll still rent this regardless
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... Tomato-Meter = 81%
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Different strokes, different folks...
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Wyrm, thank you for giving the answer to a question I've been pondering for some time - why are some classic films less "remakable" than others? You provide the key with the "timeless" films (Godfather, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca) vs the "of its time" films (TDTESS, The Thing, etc).
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Wyrm, what are you smoking? OK a film that criticizes "America" isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the alien is criticizing humanity as a whole, and no one seems willing to put up a good argument to the contrary. Moreover, this is simply a dumb ass application of the story. You are liking the film for the message, but its the wrong messenger. This isn't some Shamylan fable here - its a true science fiction tale, and as such should make at least a lick of scientific sense. Why would an alien give a shit about pandas? Why didn't these aliens try to stop the 5 or 6 major mass extinctions in Earth's history, or the countless smaller ones? Has Klatuu checked the solar system for us an cleared away any good sized asteroids heading our way in the next billion years? And does he have a plan to stop Earth from beig consumed by the sun some 2 billion years hence? And why the hell would he come to Earth to teach us a lesson NOW, when much of humanity has ALREADY caught on to conservation? Wouldn't it make more sense for him to say "look, I know the science is kind of hard, so HERE's the proof of global warming, now go do something?" At least the original made some small amount of sense - the aliens didn't want humans in their neighborhood because we'd bring down their peaceful groove. But this is just grade school econonsense. "Earth dies, you die. You die, Earth survives." Fuck you Klatuu-go buy a science text book and learn something that didn't come from some eco-aware twelve year old.
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Not to be needlessly rude, but do you know why I trust that site so much more than this one? Their writers and reviewers not only love movies, but they know about movies. They know what makes movies works, they know the craft, and they could cross-reference their arguments until their fingers bled. And they don't allow the illiterate hoi polloi to be staff writers, filling bandwidth with inane review after inane review. I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I am trying to express my continued disappointment this site's content. With a purported aim of delivering insightful analysis of cinema, the knowledge and articulation of the collective staff here (sans McWeeny) is analogous to asking the morbidly obese their opinion on gourmet cuisine; how can one expect someone with indiscriminate tastes to even comprehend, let alone quantify, measures of quality?
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You win a prize for trying to be different.
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A pretty nice review, imho.
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IAL in the sense that a strong solid build up [which does work well] is kind of just frittered away. Overall, I'd call it a must watch, even for fans of original.
yeah, it does do a really good job of bringing original to these times and it fits. And that's where MATRIX comes in.
Klatu in this one is no less or more preachy than Smith in the first MATRIX when he gives that "...you are the virus" talk to Morpheus. That's EXACTLY what Klatu is saying here... you're the virus of the planet, and we're the cure.
Key flaw, original's reasoning of WHY they come to warn is more credible. In this, the "one of the few planets that supports life" argument is presented in a rather offhand way. I think they missed a chance over there to give a backstory to Klatu -
People are hating it really for stupid and childish reasons. It's a very well done Science Fiction movie.
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MARRY AND REPRODUCE
just remember - it's a COOKBOOK!! -
but, surprisingly, Keanu isn't that bad.
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hahaha
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I wonder what one would call the willingness to kill six billion people for not toing the enviromentalist line?
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Jaden Smith MUST be stopped now!This is a marginally talented annoying kid that should not be in the movies! I can just see Jada sitting on her Blofeld throne dictating to Wil: "Our beautiful, talented boy must be a movie star! Make it so!". ..And Wil cowers, brings his powers to bear and makes it happen! There were a lot of problems with this movie and Jaden was one of them!
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So much for a non interference directive in this civilization!
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also known as Weather. Stop the weather! It's killing Mother Gaia!
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I would of wish they killed the kid...such an annoying little fuck in the movie and not needed...why put it in there anyway..and why does it have to be a black kid of all things...GAWD...its just like Jurassic Park 4 i think..lets stick a little black kid in the movie to please the masses...AND that REALLY BAD army dude barking orders...pAWLEASE!!!
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I just saw the movie, and it was an average film. It was not profound or exciting or that much of anything. I nearly fell off my chair when you implied that it was better than the first one. A HELL no on that point. In the original movie, Klaatu comes to Earth to save it from atomic war. In this version, he comes to Earth to save "it" from the Greenhouse Effect. I think that it could have been a profound and moving movie with a good message about saving the Earth from an environmental apocalypse. It did show us just how destructive human beings were, and also how they can love each other. The world is worth saving, but at a price. The only problem is that the movie was not well made. It has some good special effects, some good emotional and funny moments, but overall it just fell flat. This movie will not make a lot of money, because the word of mouth will not be good. I will not pay $6.50 to see it again. I will not rent it when the Director's Cut comes out on DVD. I have learned to read Massawyrm's movie reviews after I see the movie, just to see how wrong they are. This time, I think Jennifer Connelly must have promised him a blowjob for a good review.
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Awfully tough to fuck up Gort and this subject matter, but this movie is a snoooooze fest. Keanu is as wooden as he's ever been, and the writing/directing is just plain amateurish. No suspense, no fear, no great anything. An avg. film at best if watching for free w/ a hangover on a Sunday morning.
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all the smiths are whores...and jaden smith needs a fucking haircut...and i dont believe that will is his real dad...that kid looks half asian...and no, the movie was not good...
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... on CHUD?! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ...
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in fact that's where movie falters, and falters in big way.. why would the aliens give a fuck? dunno if this sounds stupid, but I kept thinking [later on] wha tif Klatu was like a Silver Surfer, only one meant to save planets... harbinger of a race who have seen their home planets go to waste and decided not to let others do the same mistake... instead of using human nature as the deciding factor, would have been better to make it based on alien nature... dunno if am making sense, been up 30 hours non-stop now [fallout3]
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I don't think the original is a masterpiece but at least it's interesting and fun. This movie is just basically boring, screamingly politically-correct, filled with bad performances and stupid casting. It's really, truly, awful, a huge waste of time. "High-concept" bullshit. Save your time and money. And who he fuck keeps casting Jennifer Connelly? She's awful in everything. If you think otherwise, you are wrong.
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Dec 14, 2008 10:06:21 AM CST
Jennifer Connelly lost 100 pounds and had 5 breast reductions.
by leafar the lost
She used to be the hottest woman on the planet. I kept looking at her breasts in "Career Opportunities" and I was in awe of her body in "The Rocketeer". Then it all went to hell. It looks like she lost 100 pounds and had a 5 breast reductions. Now she looks like a stick with a head on it. It doesn't help that she keeps being cast in shitty movies. On a side note, I think that Keanu was trying to imitate Rod Sterling's voice in the movie. It was like watching a "Twilight Zone" episode, but not one of the good ones.
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...that came up with this one?
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Saw the new film first then the old one. I thought both were good films. Keanu's monotone acting was good for this role. The only thing I wanted to see was if we listened to them at the end to see if we fixed the planet. Probably not knowing us.
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bunch of stuck up babies here
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Because actually Liberals are the real "Climate "Change Deniers/'Skeptics- and its funny to anyone who has more than a 10th grade education combined with a > 80 IQ.
You 10 minutes of historical knowledge “geniuses” all seem to think Global warming climate/change (or whatever the fuck you call it this week) has never happened before....note to you hippies…go read a book.
NEWSFLASH!!!: The climate has NEVER STOPPED CHANGING- and never will. How many ice ages and warm periods do you think we have had...one? (Probably since you guys seem to get your history lessons from that CG cartoon movie). Maybe the last bout of global warming (during the middle ages which is about equivalent to the current period) was caused by all the SUVs the knights drove around in too….yeahh yeahhhh….
Funny how no one mentions that the first half of the industrial age was marked by a period of SIGNIFICANT global COOLING….speaking of which wasn’t it this same group of hippies who screamed about how our use of cars was throwing the earth into another ice age 25 years ago or so…funny how that one went away (though its sure to be back someday….take a note).
We don’t know near enough about what causes the earth to warm and cool- critical factors such as changes in the suns output is still in the early stages of study….you guys want to recycle and encourage new technologies….yippee….we’re with you….but when you look to the Cartoonishly hypocritical Al “I use 20 times the energy as the average American, but its OK because I buy carbon credits from the company I own…and I need to tax and direct you worthless plebs” Gore as your prophet and sheepishly follow these clowns is where we depart from you.
Oh and based on the stupidity of this being yet another “message movie” wherein one of the absolute dumbest segments of the American populace (Modern Hollywood) trying to press more of their Animal Farm style education onto people generally much smarter than they are….PASS.
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It´s kinda crappy, Keanu is not bad Conelly and Smith aren´t either, but the ending is WoTW crappy an the effects look really undone. the build up is cool but once Klaatu scapes it´s all downhill from there. Im against the remake craze but i was looking forward to this one, i´m a fan of the original and this film does NOT "add" nothing worth talking about, and WHY did the make GORT so goddamm tall??? y looks REALLY fake
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was he T-bag from prison break?
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a movie that came out in the 70s and talks about global warming...not cooling...yes, all the way back in the 70s the issue was about global warming...but you keep listening to hannity and keep frying your puny mind...god, i hate wingnuts
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Please read a book, about actual climatology.
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ZOMG, are you kidding me? I want the kid in this movie to die in a fire and then I want the time I just wasted refunded back to my life. Worse. Movie. In a long time!
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Cover of Time Magazine: The Coming Ice Age! It was global cooling that was the hot (no pun intended) topic of the day. And if you didn't believe it then you were some foolish republican idiot. Oh yes, we're all going to freeze and die. Man! I hate revisionist wingnuts. Go take some classes so that when you read a book about climatology. THEN go read a book about politics and money, greed and power and you'll understand what is REALLY going on!
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There was some media hype in the '70s about "global cooling". However, in the peer-reviewed scientific publications (e.g., http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-02-20-global-cooling_N.htm ), there was no such "hype". The "Time Magazine" you referred to isn't exactly that. IF, in contrast, you look at the peer-reviewed scientific literature from the '70s, you might find stuff like this: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/189/4201/460. Not exactly "global cooling hype".
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Dec 15, 2008 4:51:38 AM CST
"He made a film that criticized America’s arrogant, warlike ment
by eveelcapitalist
Somehow I sincerely doubt this. The movie was not a condemnation of the Korean War and this argument was never used until at least Vietnam.
And the rest of your review was bullshit cause everyone I know hated it and cause of the 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That and it sounds like a talking points memo. How much were you paid for the postive review? -
I think people judged it before really watching the movie. The only thing that really sucked was Smith's kid. The movie would have been so much better without that annoying ass brat. "Personality" does not equal acting Will. Anyways, the pacing of the movie had to change due to the use of technology now(cell phones, internet) so Klaatu slumming around would not work this time like it did in the original. Keanu's performance was fine. He was playing an alien judging humanity for fuck's sake. He's going to be a little stiff most of the time seeing how he's not human.
That's just being realistic. Should we have had Will Smith instead? "Your planet? AWW HELL NAW!!!" As far as the people bitching about the environmental message, they're full of shit. The original happened after we had atomic energy and it was a big threat on everyone's minds because it was so new. We have obviously gotten past that now so what is the most present threat humans can wreck on each other? Trashing the planet. The argument that there are only a few planets that can sustain such life are few so that others would have to act actually makes more sense than the original with humans discovering atomic energy. There were also a few styling nods that paid homage to old sci-fi films that could have easily been thrown out for instance, making "GORT" a giant Transformer. It was a movie that touched on things happening today but still felt purposely like a black and white sci-fi film. The only thing that still bothers me is that fucking kid. They should have got someone who could act and played down his role more and increased Helen's interaction with Klaatu. -
Dec 15, 2008 12:07:19 PM CST
About Schmidt? How 'bout AT PLAY IN THE FIELDS OF THE LORD.
by filmcans
Kathy Bates is WAY more naked in that movie (and insane to boot!)
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The Day the Audience Stood Up and Left. Or The Day The Audience Died of Boredom. My guess is that a bunch of retarded Screenwriting 101 students churned this weak-ass shit out during the Writer's Guild strike a while back. This wasn't the kind of "bad" on par with a given Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay film, nor was it an insulting letdown like "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Who Gives a Fuck". But it was nonetheless derivative, lazy, unsophisticated, and a complete waste of time. At least I didn't pay to see it. I snuck into it after seeing "Milk".
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