Rating: 
Summary: One of the best for the time period
Review: It's been some time since I've seen it but this is one of the better 50's sci-fi movies. Some of the science may be weak( movies still do that) and some of the dialogue as well (Frances Bavier talking about THEM, meaning the Soviets is an example) but this is a generally well thought out and developed movie. I liked the way people responded to Klaatu's appearance on Earth and the warning he gave about our atomic weapons programs. The demonstration of power by stopping just about everything on Earth but Hospitals and aircraft in flight (the Earth stood still)was quite a way to get everyone's attention, that and correcting the mistake in the Professor's formula were nice touches. Considering what was probably a low budget those guys did very well indeed, where are they when we need them now?
Rating: 
Summary: One of the First really Great Science Fiction Movies
Review: Michael Rennie and Patrica Neal star in this movie about a peaceful humanoid from another planet who comes to warn Mankind about the dangers of nuclear testing and the consequences that will result if they do not heed the friendly warning. First movie ever to portray beings from other planets as friends and not foes. A "prequel" of sorts to later movies like Close Encounters of the Thrid Kind and ET; The Extra-Tresstrial."Directed by Robert Wise. Screenplay by Edmund H. North. Based on a story by Harry Bates.Music Composed and Conducted by Bernard Herrmann.
Rating: 
Summary: Arrogant Hypocrisy
Review: This movie is unbelievably pretentious and arrogant and for the life of me, I will never understand why a lot of critics can't get it through their heads that Klatuu, the supposedly noble figure from an intelligent "superior" race, is actually prepared to murder five billion men, women, and children if the people of Earth don't get down on bended knee and obey his "superior" race's dictates. To me, that isn't a well-thought message about peace and tolerance, that's a chilling tale of a master race that is willing to commit the ultimate form of barbarism for the sake of preserving their precious racial purity in space. And the arrogance of this film is that it expects us to accept that as good while taking us to task for the far lesser "barbarism" of fighting wars in the name of freedom and justice, as World War II and the Cold War struggle was. While to be certain the film boasts some interesting visual effects and performances and a fine Bernard Herrmann score, I'd rather watch "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers" any day over this work of arrogant hypocrisy ever again.
Rating:
Summary: Great 50's Sci Fi
Review: Wayyyy ahead of its time. Unfortunately, this is not in DVD format as of 03/2001. Will wait until that time to purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Fifty years later, still great.
Review: Naturally, there are some flaws; I believe the radio announcer says the radar target (Klaatu's spaceship) is travelling "at the incredible speed of twelve hundred miles per hour" or something like that. I think test pilots had already cracked Mach 2 by that time, so 1,200 MPH was hardly incredible. And later, Klaatu gives the location of his planet as being something like 30 or 50 million miles away -- that could only be Venus or Mars, not a likely origin. But those are minor quibbles. Rennie's performance is great; I especially like the wry smiles when he observes what is, to him, the childlike or childish behavior of earthlings. But my favorite part of the movie is the scene of the spacecraft landing in Washington. Outstanding special effects! Everyone gets hung up on the Cold War overtones of the movie. Forget that and just enjoy a great science fiction yarn.
Rating:
Summary: UFO and Alien Encounters of the 1950s
Review: Man, I love these old Sci-Fi classics. I am a fan of the old Outer Limits series and other sci-fi films of the 50s and 60s. Especially this movie. It has such a strong nastalgia to it which makes it enjoyable to watch. Eventhough the movie doesn't have violence, explosions, profanity, and the likes; it's very interesting to watch. For those of you who are UFO believers, like myself, this film is eerily similar to such well known alien encounters such as Valient Thor "Stranger In The Pentagon", the 1952 UFO fly-by over the White House and other UFO cases around that time. This movie was probably based on an actual event (who knows?) - it's something to think about.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Sci-Fi Movie of All Time
Review: The movie that all future science fiction directors looked up to. Its meaning was so creative yet basic. It wasn't afraid to point out humanity's many stupiditys. "Blade Runner" might be sci-fi's most famous hit, but "The Day The Earth Stood Still" will always be its classic.
Rating:
Summary: SF drama at its best!
Review: This classic movie has aged very well -- even after 50 years it's still highly watchable and completely relevant. Some of the dialogue -- such as the discussion about how difficult it would be to get all of Earth's heads of state together in the same room -- could be taken from today's headlines. Also like today, the scientists find it easier to meet on common ground than the politicians! (Watch out for the cigarette smoking, though --- even the doctors light up in the hospital hallways! Oh well, that's really how it was back in the 50s. At the same time, it's neat to see all those "classic" cars and other props.) This film goes to show that special effects (of which this movie has relatively few) are not necessary for effective science fiction. With good actors performing an excellent script, it doesn't really matter that the robot is a man in a rubber costume or the flying saucer looks a bit fakey when it first comes down to earth. You soon get so caught up in the story, that it's easy to suspend disbelief and let it be real. (I'm very glad they didn't colorize this, because the B&W lighting effects are a big part of the illusion. Adding color would ruin it.) Precisely because the script doesn't go into much detail about how the spaceship works, it doesn't seem as dated as many other 1950s films. The minimalist interior of the UFO simply suggests technology so far advanced, that you can fill in explanations with your own imagination. (Frankly, I like this approach much better than the constant technobabble in recent Star Trek episodes.) Michael Rennie plays a highly intelligent alien who could be a forerunner of Spock (minus the pointed ears), and Sam Jaffe is just wonderful as the Einstein-like scientist whose unbridled curiousity and openess toward the unknown is a fine role model for us all. This movie is true drama at its best!
Rating:
Summary: Still Standing Alone. . .
Review: This is the science fiction film for people who don't like science fiction. Because of its reliance on an intriguing plot and superb screenwriting rather than sham special effects, the sci-fi aspects of the film seem to blend in seamlessly with other scenes. Of course, special effects were limited in the year of its creation and that may not be a bad thing. The effects that are present in the movie are still first-class in that they appear real. We all know Gort is a man in a rubber suit, but he still seems real! Rather than the usual dark cave for the spaceship interior, full of twinkling little lights, the interior of this ship is a model of Deco minimalism bathed in soft light!
I'm no real fan of science fiction, either in books or movies. I've cherished this movie, though, for many years because of its combination of social moral and science fiction. I recently showed this movie to my eleven year old niece and she was as captivated by it as I was at her age. I eagerly await the issue of this film on DVD, let's hope it's soon!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, a must have for your sci-fi library
Review: I have enjoyed this film since childhood..the acting is wonderful and it shows humankind as it is..I have the VHS tape but where is the DVD? A classic...
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