Post by DTH on Dec 17, 2008 12:35:25 GMT -5
Someone wiser than me stated that this movie is one of the cornerstones of modern science fiction (I think it was me but beer make me less smurt).
That same person reviewed a recent remake of this movie, the gist of which was "New one ok, old one better". My problem is that said judgement is based on recollection and much wearing of rose-tinted spectacles. So to ease my own conscience, I rewatched the original movie to make a fair comparison.
I'm not going to wax lyrical about video games for a third of the review like that other guy did. I mean, who really cares whether he liked Mario Kart 902 or not?
The very basic answer to the question of whether the original 1951 version is better than the 2008 remake is this: new one ok, old one better.
But if you want some sauce on that sandwich, I'm happy to give you some ketchup (am I still drunk?).
BEWARE SPOILERS!
The original version of The Day The Earth Stood Still centres around the arrival of alien diplomat, Klaatu, on our fair planet. Before he can even say "Take me to your leader", he is shot for producing what looks like some space hair straighteners.
I must admit, there was a random thing here that heavily amused me for no apparent reason. And that was the complete redundancy of two soldiers (who are sat in the turret of a tank!) whipping out pistols with which to defend themselves. Worse, it is one of these brainiac's that shoots Klaatu... good job he couldn't figure out to work out how to make the tank shoot.
Klaatu is shot and then Gort, the 7ft tall silver robot of death comes out of the flying saucer and starts disintegrating all the military armament with his deathray eye beam. Let me stress, no humans were harmed in the making of this scene.
Wounded Klaatu basically tells Gort to stand down. Klaatu is then whisked off to the worst defended military base in the world and basically locked in a room. He tells the military (who are just keeping an eye on him for his own safety...) that he has an important message for the leaders of Earth. The military reply by saying "Well, about that...trying to get the leaders of Earth's nations together is like trying to get a bunch of nerds to agree on the Kirk-Picard debate". Klaatu tells Mr Military Guy that he doesn't really care about the idiotic squabbles of the stupid Earth people.
When Mr Military Guy locks him in his room, Klaatu just smiles to himself. And, joking aside, this is one of the main reasons why I prefer the original over the new version: Klaatu comes across as a man who has come along way to basically talk to a group of children. He's at once frustrated by what he encounters but also bemused by the silly behaviour of these Earthlings.
Keanu Reeves' Klaatu comes across as someone with a very specific job to do and that job is to decide whether humanity lives or dies. There's no time for any wacky hijinx along the way for this particular alien!
1951 Klaatu decides that these silly military humans aren't helping him, so he escapes them and goes for a look around. Another thing I prefer is that his escape isn't some complicated action scene with 'splosions and stuff, Klaatu decides to escape and just does. It never explains how he does it because, well, he's an alien with a flying saucer and robot that can disintegrate stuff with its deathray eye: its just a given that if Klaatu wants to escape, he can with no effort.
After borrowing someone's dry cleaning, Klaatu goes on a bit of wander around Washington DC. He eventually ends up at some house where people are staying (I'm sure there's a cultural reason for it but my knowledge of 1950s America precludes why there is a house with different families in it that people can stay at for free).
There, he befriends a young boy who shows him around Washington DC while his mum goes off on a picnic with her new boyfriend.
At this point, it becomes readily apparent why this film was remade: the differences between America in the 1950s and America in 2008 are so radical as to be virtually unrecognisable.
First, aside from the sheer lack of military involvement about the "protection" of Klaatu and his saucer (I mean, TWO soldiers standing guard of the saucer, really?), the boy's mum, whom has known Klaatu (AKA Mr Carpenter at this point) for all of 2 seconds, is quite happy for this virtual stranger to keep an eye on the boy. In 2008, a parent would not dream of letting a strange man babysit. The values of that time simply are inconceivable to us today.
Secondly, Klaatu is on the run, sure, but without the prevalence of television and our advanced media grid, the Government and Police simply don't have the ability to track down a spaceman who looks like Joe Average.
In this version, Klaatu gets to saunter round DC, checking out the movies and the various sights with his young friend.
I suppose this really highlights why there is such a big difference between the plot of the 51 and 08 versions: the 51 version is a simpler film for a simpler time, while the events of the later film are more like what we imagine would happen should a spaceman come a travelling (compare this to say John Carpenter's "Starman" in the 1980s and the recent TDTESS and you can see how the same story changes with each decade).
After visiting Abe Lincoln's statue, Klaatu realises that if he can't get his message out to Earth's governments, he's going to get it out to someone who can. He asks his young friend if he knows of any great people. The boy tells him there's a scientist guy who lives near where his mum works.
The two of them go visit him but he's not at home. Klaatu breaks in to the Professor's house simply by being awesome. Looking round the place, he spies a formula the Professor is working on. He finishes it for him and then leaves his calling card. Some housekeeper type woman catches Klaatu and the young boy in the house and I was most disturbed when she doesn't immediately call the cops or threaten to shoot them with a shotgun...
The Professor then sends round one of his g-men to pick up Klaatu whom is taken to the Professor's house. Klaatu reveals that he is the "spaceman" the Police are after and that he's come to deliver a message to the people of Earth. The Professor, realising that only someone from an advanced civilisation could ever complete his formula, is instantly convinced and arranges to assemble a meeting of the greatest minds on Earth.
Klaatu is a happy little alien and he arranges to make a demonstration of power to prove that he's not kidding around.
Now, things go somewhat awry and I'm not going to go in to detail because I've exposited a lot of the plot already. Suffice to say that his young friend discovers Klaatu's true identity and tells his mum. His mum ignores her child at first but is convinced by her new beau.
She confronts Klaatu who reveals his secret believing he can trust her.
That's when his demonstration occurs: all non-critical electrical activity in the world is ceased. Everything save aeroplanes and hospitals are completely shutdown.
And this is pretty much where the film gets its title from and I found this much more effective than the 08 version. Even better, this version really manages to get you to consider the global consequences of these actions, from Klaatu's initial landing to his demonstration. Something which the 08 version neglects.
Klaatu and this woman head to his saucer to where he's going to meet the greatest minds of Earth. Only the Police have been tipped off and Klaatu is shot. He tells the woman that he must tell Gort these three words, "Klaatu Barada Nikto" otherwise Earth is in for a world of hurt...
She races over to the saucer where Gort has disintegrated the two(!) soldiers guarding the spacecraft and is about to unleash a full-on robot rampage. After some initial falling over (I mean, she is only a woman after all ...) and a bit of a scream, she gives Gort the command words whom then carries her inside the spaceship.
Gort then retrieves Klaatu's body, revives it (on a temporary basis) allowing Klaatu to meet with Earth's greatest minds.
Now, I realise I've pretty much told you the plot to the original TDTESS but I did that with a specific reason: the plot of the original is so much better than the remake!
I mean, if you set aside the fact that the film was made for and in a very different time to our faster paced, more cynical society, the film holds together much better and actually tells an interesting story.
The message of the 08 version is more relevant but I can't help thinking that if they'd tried to adapt the original script more faithfully, rather than having to show off CGI nanites disintegrating thing and having Keanu Reeves demonstrate that he's great a playing wooden characters, we might have come away with a better film overall.
Ultimately, the original version is a more interesting and more enjoyable film, even if it is showing its age somewhat. And its not even the effects which disappoint, because they do what they are supposed to, or even the acting, its just the fact that it is a film made in the 1950s, simple as that. Values were very different back then.
So there you have your answer in full: the 2008 version serves its purpose but really, the 1951 version is a better film. I'm still glad that we have an 08 version, specifically one with a very relevant message, I just wish that they could have made something closer to the superior plotted original version.
That same person reviewed a recent remake of this movie, the gist of which was "New one ok, old one better". My problem is that said judgement is based on recollection and much wearing of rose-tinted spectacles. So to ease my own conscience, I rewatched the original movie to make a fair comparison.
I'm not going to wax lyrical about video games for a third of the review like that other guy did. I mean, who really cares whether he liked Mario Kart 902 or not?
The very basic answer to the question of whether the original 1951 version is better than the 2008 remake is this: new one ok, old one better.
But if you want some sauce on that sandwich, I'm happy to give you some ketchup (am I still drunk?).
BEWARE SPOILERS!
The original version of The Day The Earth Stood Still centres around the arrival of alien diplomat, Klaatu, on our fair planet. Before he can even say "Take me to your leader", he is shot for producing what looks like some space hair straighteners.
I must admit, there was a random thing here that heavily amused me for no apparent reason. And that was the complete redundancy of two soldiers (who are sat in the turret of a tank!) whipping out pistols with which to defend themselves. Worse, it is one of these brainiac's that shoots Klaatu... good job he couldn't figure out to work out how to make the tank shoot.
Klaatu is shot and then Gort, the 7ft tall silver robot of death comes out of the flying saucer and starts disintegrating all the military armament with his deathray eye beam. Let me stress, no humans were harmed in the making of this scene.
Wounded Klaatu basically tells Gort to stand down. Klaatu is then whisked off to the worst defended military base in the world and basically locked in a room. He tells the military (who are just keeping an eye on him for his own safety...) that he has an important message for the leaders of Earth. The military reply by saying "Well, about that...trying to get the leaders of Earth's nations together is like trying to get a bunch of nerds to agree on the Kirk-Picard debate". Klaatu tells Mr Military Guy that he doesn't really care about the idiotic squabbles of the stupid Earth people.
When Mr Military Guy locks him in his room, Klaatu just smiles to himself. And, joking aside, this is one of the main reasons why I prefer the original over the new version: Klaatu comes across as a man who has come along way to basically talk to a group of children. He's at once frustrated by what he encounters but also bemused by the silly behaviour of these Earthlings.
Keanu Reeves' Klaatu comes across as someone with a very specific job to do and that job is to decide whether humanity lives or dies. There's no time for any wacky hijinx along the way for this particular alien!
1951 Klaatu decides that these silly military humans aren't helping him, so he escapes them and goes for a look around. Another thing I prefer is that his escape isn't some complicated action scene with 'splosions and stuff, Klaatu decides to escape and just does. It never explains how he does it because, well, he's an alien with a flying saucer and robot that can disintegrate stuff with its deathray eye: its just a given that if Klaatu wants to escape, he can with no effort.
After borrowing someone's dry cleaning, Klaatu goes on a bit of wander around Washington DC. He eventually ends up at some house where people are staying (I'm sure there's a cultural reason for it but my knowledge of 1950s America precludes why there is a house with different families in it that people can stay at for free).
There, he befriends a young boy who shows him around Washington DC while his mum goes off on a picnic with her new boyfriend.
At this point, it becomes readily apparent why this film was remade: the differences between America in the 1950s and America in 2008 are so radical as to be virtually unrecognisable.
First, aside from the sheer lack of military involvement about the "protection" of Klaatu and his saucer (I mean, TWO soldiers standing guard of the saucer, really?), the boy's mum, whom has known Klaatu (AKA Mr Carpenter at this point) for all of 2 seconds, is quite happy for this virtual stranger to keep an eye on the boy. In 2008, a parent would not dream of letting a strange man babysit. The values of that time simply are inconceivable to us today.
Secondly, Klaatu is on the run, sure, but without the prevalence of television and our advanced media grid, the Government and Police simply don't have the ability to track down a spaceman who looks like Joe Average.
In this version, Klaatu gets to saunter round DC, checking out the movies and the various sights with his young friend.
I suppose this really highlights why there is such a big difference between the plot of the 51 and 08 versions: the 51 version is a simpler film for a simpler time, while the events of the later film are more like what we imagine would happen should a spaceman come a travelling (compare this to say John Carpenter's "Starman" in the 1980s and the recent TDTESS and you can see how the same story changes with each decade).
After visiting Abe Lincoln's statue, Klaatu realises that if he can't get his message out to Earth's governments, he's going to get it out to someone who can. He asks his young friend if he knows of any great people. The boy tells him there's a scientist guy who lives near where his mum works.
The two of them go visit him but he's not at home. Klaatu breaks in to the Professor's house simply by being awesome. Looking round the place, he spies a formula the Professor is working on. He finishes it for him and then leaves his calling card. Some housekeeper type woman catches Klaatu and the young boy in the house and I was most disturbed when she doesn't immediately call the cops or threaten to shoot them with a shotgun...
The Professor then sends round one of his g-men to pick up Klaatu whom is taken to the Professor's house. Klaatu reveals that he is the "spaceman" the Police are after and that he's come to deliver a message to the people of Earth. The Professor, realising that only someone from an advanced civilisation could ever complete his formula, is instantly convinced and arranges to assemble a meeting of the greatest minds on Earth.
Klaatu is a happy little alien and he arranges to make a demonstration of power to prove that he's not kidding around.
Now, things go somewhat awry and I'm not going to go in to detail because I've exposited a lot of the plot already. Suffice to say that his young friend discovers Klaatu's true identity and tells his mum. His mum ignores her child at first but is convinced by her new beau.
She confronts Klaatu who reveals his secret believing he can trust her.
That's when his demonstration occurs: all non-critical electrical activity in the world is ceased. Everything save aeroplanes and hospitals are completely shutdown.
And this is pretty much where the film gets its title from and I found this much more effective than the 08 version. Even better, this version really manages to get you to consider the global consequences of these actions, from Klaatu's initial landing to his demonstration. Something which the 08 version neglects.
Klaatu and this woman head to his saucer to where he's going to meet the greatest minds of Earth. Only the Police have been tipped off and Klaatu is shot. He tells the woman that he must tell Gort these three words, "Klaatu Barada Nikto" otherwise Earth is in for a world of hurt...
She races over to the saucer where Gort has disintegrated the two(!) soldiers guarding the spacecraft and is about to unleash a full-on robot rampage. After some initial falling over (I mean, she is only a woman after all ...) and a bit of a scream, she gives Gort the command words whom then carries her inside the spaceship.
Gort then retrieves Klaatu's body, revives it (on a temporary basis) allowing Klaatu to meet with Earth's greatest minds.
Now, I realise I've pretty much told you the plot to the original TDTESS but I did that with a specific reason: the plot of the original is so much better than the remake!
I mean, if you set aside the fact that the film was made for and in a very different time to our faster paced, more cynical society, the film holds together much better and actually tells an interesting story.
The message of the 08 version is more relevant but I can't help thinking that if they'd tried to adapt the original script more faithfully, rather than having to show off CGI nanites disintegrating thing and having Keanu Reeves demonstrate that he's great a playing wooden characters, we might have come away with a better film overall.
Ultimately, the original version is a more interesting and more enjoyable film, even if it is showing its age somewhat. And its not even the effects which disappoint, because they do what they are supposed to, or even the acting, its just the fact that it is a film made in the 1950s, simple as that. Values were very different back then.
So there you have your answer in full: the 2008 version serves its purpose but really, the 1951 version is a better film. I'm still glad that we have an 08 version, specifically one with a very relevant message, I just wish that they could have made something closer to the superior plotted original version.