The Day the Earth Stood Still

Global warming replaces the Cold War in this remake of the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still, which amounts to a tedious time at the movies. A not-too-sprightly Keanu Reeves steps into the role of Klaatu, an alien ambassador in human form who has come to tell Earthlings that their days of screwing up the planet are over. Their refusal to recycle isn’t appreciated by legions of aliens who’ve been observing with disdain. It’s time for the apocalypse … KEANU STYLE! For a film that is supposed to be effects driven, this one is actually quite dull. The movie boasts a few alien carnage scenes—Giants Stadium and a big truck get eaten by swarming metallic bugs—but most of the film is spent in cars, apartments and hospital settings. Worst of all, it requires Reeves to be at his most boring. I often like Reeves, but when he bombs, he really bombs.