The Day the Earth Stood Still

Rating:
Summary: Outrageously Good Movie and Restoration
Review: Ah, it doesn't get any better than this. The Audio, Video, and DVD "Extras", are a Five Star Restoration. The movie line has something for everyone. You are not overpowered by any one item. There is just enough special effects, firepower, intelligent bantering, and a reasonable ending. Other Reviewers have given you the story line, so I won't repeat it, other than to say that if this DVD isn't on your shelf, then you haven't seen the best that Science Fiction nostalgia has to offer. Learn that "catchy" little phrase- you never know when you may need it!

Rating:
Summary: Don't pay attention to the editorial...This Movie is Awesome
Review: So, by that I mean...the Robot doesn't level any cities...just causes a minor electricity shut down...That said...I am 33, an independent filmmaker and I am embarrassed to say, I just watched this film for the first time today. Holy Cow! Have I ever been missing out!?! This film is so poignant for the conditions of today's society that it's hardly noticeable as a classic movie. The topic transcends the Sci-Fi genre and digs right into the crux of the modern, technological, human nuclear experience. Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal give extraordinary performances that break down the Human/Alien barriers in a way that makes evident the overall message of the individual's responsibility for universal, peaceful, coexistence. Moreover, it is a stunning reminder of the technological monster we have become used to sleeping with, and think about less and less: Nuclear Weapons. Again, a remarkable film that is both believable and cinematically stunning. The lighting, cinematography, acting and simple (but believable) special effects are wonderful. I invite you to revisit this film, or, like me, discover it for the first time...you will not be sorry.

Rating:
Summary: One for the serious collector: a good DVD version.
Review: Robert Wise is **the** master director from the real Hollywood years - when a director was a real author and not - well, I make no secret of my distaste for the current Hollywood product.

Mr Wise has given the world such masterpieces as "The Set-Up", "Andromeda Strain", "Desert Rats", "Great Escape", "Run Silent, Run Deep", "The Haunting", "The Sound of Music", "West Side Story" and "The Day The Earth Stood Still". All of his films in some respect are templates for styles of storytelling which follow them and not a few are unique.

For those who haven't seen this flick yet, I can guarantee you will enjoy the story no matter how you want to take it - with your tongue in cheek, as something to get you thinking about social history, or more open-heartedly.
It is the kind of entertainment which comes out for a show at least once a year and it deserves a place in every movie lover's library.

For those who already love it and are wondering about this offering (the DVD produced by 20thCentury Fox) then I can confirm it is A1 quality for the vision and only a little lacking in the sound (some dead areas and artefacts which I guess are from the restoring process).

Definitely one for the basic collection.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific 1951 Sci-Fi Film Best of Genre!!!
Review: Take a good story, a great director Robert Wise, wonderful actors coupled with fantastic black/white cinematography = A+ Sci-Fi Classic. This restored version of Day the Earth Stood Still is a pure pleasure to watch again & again. A film with a timely message for all!!!

Rating:
Summary: ** CLASSIC OLD TIME SCI-FI **
Review: I just love The Day The Earth Stood Still. I first saw it in my teens during the mid 1990's ... my mother had rented it and asked me to sit down and watch it with her one afternoon. What great, classic sci-fi themes and sets! Can't beat this with a stick. Worth being in your collection!

Rating:
Summary: Alien from space forces earth to live in peace, ... or die!
Review: Great flick. Horrible extras.

Rating:
Summary: I like this one too
Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still, that's an intense title if you think about it. Very good sci-fi classic. I like the "serenity" of the the boarding house atmosphere including Aunt B. You have the 50's wholesomeness that is being threatened, with the thought of visitors from outer space. You have Gort, a giant and scarey robot, and a flying saucer that has no seam or crack around the door when it's shut. Worth seeing and owning. Later

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent sci-fi classic, but a little overrated
Review: I have been hearing about "The Day The Earth Stood Still" since I was a little kid. It has become one of the most popular and best-loved sci-fi films ever. Now, having watched it, I can say that while it is a very good movie, it doesn't live up to the hype.

The film stars Michael Rennie as the alien Klaatu, who comes to Earth with the message that its people must change our violent ways, or else our planet will be destroyed. He is shot as soon as he steps foot on the planet, and then treated badly by the government. He escapes from the hospital where he is imprisoned and befriends a widow (Patricia Neal) and her son (Billy Gray). Ignoring the hostility of Earth's people, Klaatu continuosly tries to find a way to give us peace.

"The Day The Earth Stood Still" won a Golden Globe for "Best Film Promoting International Understanding". The greatest part of the film, and the biggest reason that it is respected, is that it only uses the aliens and science-fiction as the plot. The movie's message is about peace, and it states that message loud and clear throughout the film.

The cast is great, especially Rennie as Klaatu - and who could forget Klaatu's assistant, the towering robot Gort, played by 7'7" Lock Martin? There's also a terrific score by Bernard Herrmann.

This is a film that I would recommend to anyone. While it is, truly, a very good, intelligent sci-fi classic, I'd have to say it is a little overrated.