"Klaatu barada nikto" returns...

[Rabelais]

Yup, they've gone and done it. They are doing a politically correct Day the Earth Stood Still re-make.

Sci-Fi Classic Goes Green: Klaatu Returns to Warn Us About Global Warming
Photo of Noel Sheppard.
By Noel Sheppard | March 22, 2008 - 14:50 ET

Hollywood is about to release a remake of the science fiction classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

This time, rather than coming to earth to warn us about our dangerous foray into the nuclear age, Klaatu and Gort have returned to caution us about -- wait for it -- global warming!

Honestly, you can't possibly make this stuff up!

As marvelously reported Friday by Vic Holtreman of Screen Rant (his delicious picture to the right, emphasis added):

I don't know how familiar you are with the original (and classic) version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, but it was borne out of fears of the Atomic Age and the initial stirrings of the Cold War. Today it may seem quaint and dated but at the time it was a very relevant theme to be tackled from a sci-fi angle.

Over at MTV.com they've quoted Keanu Reeves in an interview and while he admits that yes, there is a huge threat posed by the staggering number of international conflicts...

"The version [of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'] I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it’s more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I’m a friend to the earth." [...]

[W]ith all the conflict and outright genocide going on in the world today, an alien is going to come from outer space and try to get us to buy carbon credits? [...]

_http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/03/22/saturday-funnies-klaatu-returns-warn-us-about-global-warming

_http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/03/21/keanu-reeves-brings-different-message-with-him-in-day-the-earth-stood-still/

I guess Klaatu and Gort are now OK with man's inhumanity to man, or maybe they just gave up on that angle.

 

[dant]

Seems that the Hollywood people have run out of original ideas
- always seems to be looking back to the past movies for a remake.
Must be the writer's strike, or perhaps due to budgetary reasons?
Whatever.

I personally loved the original - b/w, soft tones, "orchestra" scores,
and the characters - esp. with Micheal Renee, 6.5' which is tall for
that time-period - towering over most people on the scene. What
is also nice are the 'scary' scenes - very tame by today's standards.

I loved the 'Bobby' character - sweet and innocent interacting with
Klaatu in the cemetery, Lincoln, the Physics Lesson', and the visit
to the professor's office correcting the "algebra".

I also liked the scene with the "snitch" that turned Klaatu over to
the authorities, it was very revealing how that sniveling 'snitch'
acted and for personal gain.

The 'nuclear war' theme was very apt for the times, and the
"benevolence of the visitor" but of course it was very STS,
given the threat of 'turning Earth into a burnt out cinder!'

BTW: the original story in the book was quite different and more
ominous - with fascist overtones - very interesting - but "toned
down" for the movie.

Ah, as for the 'twist' in corrupting the original message - I
think I will stick to the "50s themes" and not waste a single
penny on the remake.

FWIW,
Dan