SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

"THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL"
(2008) (Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	Heavy	Heavy	*Moderate	Extreme

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Minor	Moderate	Extreme	None	Minor

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	None	Moderate	Moderate	Heavy

QUICK TAKE:: Sci-Fi: An alien in human form, along with his enormous robot, arrive on Earth to wipe out humankind and thus save the planet, but must contend with a biologist who tries to change their minds.

PLOT:

Helen Benson (JENNIFER CONNELLY) is a professor of astrobiology at Princeton who's raising her young stepson, Jacob (JADEN SMITH), following the death of the boy's military father in the past year. Due to her credentials, but out of the blue, she's contacted and immediately picked up by the Feds and whisked away to New York City along with various other scientists and specialists. It seems a deep-space object is hurtling toward Earth and specifically Manhattan, but as everyone braces for the impact, the object slows and then lands in Central Park.

As Helen goes to meet the visitor who disembarks from the enormous sphere of a spaceship, someone in the military opens fire, downing the extraterrestrial. As a result, an enormous robot (later given the acronym G.O.R.T.) comes out and disarms the hostile forces, thus allowing Helen, her government friend Michael Granier (JON HAMM), and others to whisk the alien away for immediate medical care. And what's found under an epidermis that sloughs off is Klaatu (KEANU REEVES), the alien in human form, who quickly heals and regains both his strength and consciousness.

While the scientists are fascinated, Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson (KATHY BATES) is worried, not only because Klaatu's ship managed to avoid American military defenses, but also because he seems to have accessed most all data regarding the government and its people. Despite him wanting to address the United Nations, she's more intent on interrogating what she views as a national threat. He manages to escape, however, and having previously assessed that Helen is the only benevolent human he's encountered, he contacts her for help.

After learning that he's there to save the planet by ridding Earth of all humankind for their ecologically destructive ways, Helen, with Jacob in tow, tries to change his mind, including by taking him to visit the brilliant Professor Barnhardt (JOHN CLEESE). Yet, Regina and the rest of the government are still after him (while also attempting to dissect the impenetrable GORT), thus forcing Helen, Jacob and Klaatu to go on the run, all as she tries to convince Klaatu, before it's too late, that humans deserve a second chance.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: If they're fans of the original, sci-fi films in general, and/or anyone in the cast, they might be interested.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For some sci-fi disaster images and violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: KEANU REEVES plays an extraterrestrial in human form who arrives on Earth desiring to speak to the United Nations despite apparently already having made up his mind about wiping out humankind to save the planet from ecological disaster. He uses his supernatural powers to defend himself as well as destroy military equipment and personnel, and must decide whether Helen's plea for another chance is worth considering.
JENNIFER CONNELLY plays a professor of astrobiology at Princeton who's escorted by the feds to New York City regarding the pending space object impact that turns out to be Klaatu's spaceship. After interacting with the alien, she feels sorry for him in the face of Regina's interrogation, and thus tries to help him escape. When he later does, he requests her assistance despite his intent to wipe all humans from the Earth. She must contend with that, including trying to convince him to give people a second chance, all while also dealing with her bratty stepson.
KATHY BATES plays the steely Secretary of Defense who sees Klaatu as a national security threat and thus refuses to meet his demands, instead opting to interrogate him for intel and answers.
JADEN SMITH plays Helen's young stepson who's a brat, partially due to his military father dying within the past year.
JOHN CLEESE plays a brainy professor who Helen takes Klaatu to meet in hopes of something good coming out of that.; JENNIFER CONNELLY plays a professor of astrobiology at Princeton who's escorted by the feds to New York City regarding the pending space object impact that turns out to be Klaatu's spaceship. After interacting with the alien, she feels sorry for him in the face of Regina's interrogation, and thus tries to help him escape. When he later does, he requests her assistance despite his intent to wipe all humans from the Earth. She must contend with that, including trying to convince him to give people a second chance, all while also dealing with her bratty stepson.
KATHY BATES plays the steely Secretary of Defense who sees Klaatu as a national security threat and thus refuses to meet his demands, instead opting to interrogate him for intel and answers.
JADEN SMITH plays Helen's young stepson who's a brat, partially due to his military father dying within the past year.
JOHN CLEESE plays a brainy professor who Helen takes Klaatu to meet in hopes of something good coming out of that.; KATHY BATES plays the steely Secretary of Defense who sees Klaatu as a national security threat and thus refuses to meet his demands, instead opting to interrogate him for intel and answers.
JADEN SMITH plays Helen's young stepson who's a brat, partially due to his military father dying within the past year.
JOHN CLEESE plays a brainy professor who Helen takes Klaatu to meet in hopes of something good coming out of that.; JADEN SMITH plays Helen's young stepson who's a brat, partially due to his military father dying within the past year.
JOHN CLEESE plays a brainy professor who Helen takes Klaatu to meet in hopes of something good coming out of that.; JOHN CLEESE plays a brainy professor who Helen takes Klaatu to meet in hopes of something good coming out of that.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a brief summary of the content found in this science fiction flick that's been rated PG-13. A minor expletive and a handful of colorful phrases are uttered, while there's a side view of an alien's bare butt (in human form).

Violence consists of some scenes of massive alien-based, sci-fi destruction, while various deaths are heavily suggested, but most are not seen outright (the result of sci-fi action and explosions, etc.), and some characters are injured. Some of that has bloody results, while one scene shows a gross/gory removal of fatty skin. Those scenes and some moments of peril (as well as the thought of humankind about to be wiped out) might be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to some younger viewers.

Two miscellaneous characters hold beers as they get back in their truck and drive off. Bad attitudes are present, as is tense family material (regarding a past death in the family).

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that in the film.

For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of handheld camerawork in the film.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: A man and woman hold beer in a truck as the man drives away after dropping off others

BLOOD/GORE: A gunshot suddenly blasts out and blood splatters onto Helen's face shield.
We see a scalpel incision into the alien, and while skin is seen being cut open, there's no blood. However, globs of fat and then skin are removed from the body, with them being identified as some sort of protective epidermis coating the main body.
We see a little bit of blood soaked through Klaatu's shirt and he collapses to the floor, landing hard. Later, he applies some of his now shed epidermis to that open wound in his chest, causing it to heal instantly.
A cop has some blood from his mouth after being crushed between two cars.
A lab worker's face is bloody after he's attacked by microscopic metal-type insect robots.
Michael's face is bloody following an explosion that overturns the truck he's driving.
Jacob's nose and cheek are bloody and Helen then gets a bloody nose (wiped on her hand), with Klaatu stating that the microscopic metal-type insect robots are inside them. Klaatu then has those things transfer from the boy's body to his, and we see the movement of them under and then out of Jacob's skin and then onto and under Klaatu's.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Regina and the American military/government are presented as the bad guys, attacking and capturing Klaatu and interrogating him.
Klaatu has arrived on Earth to destroy all of humankind (to save the planet).
A man tries to steal another man's train ticket, resulting in some brief shoving. The victim then falls to the floor from an apparent heart attack, while the first man grabs his ticket and runs off.
We briefly see some rioting, with windows smashed, etc.
For most of the film, Jacob acts like a brat toward his stepmom, often not listening to her or following her rules/commands.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material.
Federal officials call and then immediately arrive to escort Helen off to another location (the fact that we initially don't know what's occurring might make that suspenseful to some viewers).
Helen and others are informed of a deep space object heading toward Earth, that it will likely hit Manhattan, and will do so in 78 minutes. She and others (in a helicopter) then brace for the impact, but it doesn't occur.
As the huge orb lands in Central Park, it sends a thick dust cloud toward the masses who then panic and flee in the opposite direction.
Armed soldiers slowly approach the just-landed and enormous orb.
Rather than give Klaatu a sedative shot as ordered, Helen secretly just gives him a saline one (running the risk of being caught doing so) and then whispers to him to run, but he doesn't.
When asked by a polygraph operator if there's a pending attack on Earth, Klaatu tells the man he should let him go (implying something bad is going to happen if he doesn't).
As helicopters fly overhead, Helen, Klaatu and Jacob run through the woods, trying to elude them. A military figure then suddenly rappels down behind Helen, grabs, and then zips her back up into the sky.
Klaatu catches Jacob just as some old wood on a low bridge gives way and the boy nearly falls off.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Handguns/Machine guns/Missiles/Tanks/Jets & drones: Used to try to attack Klaatu and/or GORT and/or destroy their orb. See "Violence" for details.
Jacob plays a fantasy-based video game where there's briefly seen sword violence (just blade to blade contact, nothing graphic).
Soldiers carry weapons in various scenes.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "What the hell is that thing?" "This body will take some getting used to" and "God no."
A man and woman hold beer in a truck as the man drives away after dropping off others.

JUMP SCENES: There's sudden pounding on a bathroom stall door.
A gunshot suddenly rings out and blood splatters onto Helen's face shield.
Klaatu's hand suddenly hits some canvas, startling others.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 1 hell and 1 use each of "God," "My God" and "Oh God."

SEX/NUDITY: After a protective outer layer of dermis is removed from Klaatu, we see him lying on his side, pale and in the fetal position, with an overhead view of the side of his bare butt.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: We hear that Jacob's dad (Helen's husband) died in the past year. Helen sees that the boy found his father's razor, and the boy says he's keeping it.
Knowing of the pending destruction of Manhattan (that ultimately doesn't occur), Helen worries about Jacob who's located in a different place.
We hear that Jacob's mother died when he was very young.
For most of the film, Jacob acts like a brat toward his stepmom, often not listening to her or following her rules/commands.
Arriving at the military cemetery where Jacob's father is buried, the boy wants Klaatu to bring his father back to life, but the alien says he can't. Jacob then cries over that, and when Helen arrives, he asks if she misses he dad, and she says she does.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The comment that less advanced civilizations end up destroyed or enslaved by more advanced ones.
The comment that humans lack the will to change, and that species only evolve when on the brink of doom.
The comment that nothing ever truly dies, that the universe wastes nothing, and that things are simply transformed from one state to another.
The film's ecological warning as compared to the original film's nuclear warning.
Whether life (particularly intelligent) exists elsewhere in the universe.

VIOLENCE: Jacob plays a fantasy-based video game where there's briefly seen sword violence (just blade to blade contact, nothing graphic).
A backlit figure exits the orb and heads toward the scientists and soldiers, with the latter being apprehensive, while Helen approaches the figure, both with hands outreached. Just then, however, a lone shot hits the extraterrestrial, with blood splattering onto Helen's face shield. GORT then comes out, deactivates all powered equipment and sends out a piercing frequency that downs everyone.
A medical technician is blown backwards when he tries to use a defibrillator on Klaatu.
Klaatu causes a polygraph operator to be shocked by the testing device (but the man lives).
Klaatu sends out some sort of signal that causes severe pain for anyone wearing government earpieces, sending them all to the floor.
A man tries to steal another man's train ticket, resulting in some brief shoving. The victim then falls to the floor from an apparent heart attack, while the first man grabs his ticket and runs off.
Military drones fire missiles at the orb, but GORT destroys them with laser beams, and then uses the same to grab and control the drones, sending them crashing to the ground and into two military vehicles, causing both to explode.
A cop pulls up and aims his handgun at Klaatu, Helen and Jacob, telling the latter two to step away. They do, but Klaatu then uses telekinesis to send Helen's car back into the cop and then into the police car, crushing the man (all to disarm him). Klaatu then touches the man and his car, using the latter to jumpstart the cop back to life.
We briefly see some rioting, with windows smashed, etc.
Military choppers prepare to fire their machine guns at Klaatu, but he uses his telekinetic powers to cause the choppers to collide and then crash to the ground where they explode.
Nearly microscopic metal-type insect robots quickly multiple and then start eating away at a government worker's lab coat, causing him to panic. We then see him with a bloody face from the same, while the chamber he's in (along with GORT) is then engulfed in flames to destroy the robot and those mini ones, but none of the alien devices are harmed. GORT then dissolves into a swarm of such little devices that blast through an observation window into the control room, presumably killing everyone there. The military then opens fire on that swarm outside the compound (missiles, machine guns, etc.), but can't harm it. That swarm then engulfs all of the military weaponry and people associated with that, presumably killing them as well.
The swarm catches a tractor trailer, shredding it from the back forward, presumably killing the driver in the process.
The swarm engulfs and destroys an empty Giants Stadium.
Michael (with Helen, Jacob and Klaatu with him) races toward and then blasts through a military checkpoint. The military begins to pursue them, but quickly give up and back off. Explosions near the giant sphere, however, go off around the truck, causing it to roll, apparently killing Michael. The other three take cover from the swarm in a short park tunnel, where Jacob's nose and cheek are bloody. Helen then gets a bloody nose, with Klaatu stating that the microscopic metal-type insect robots are inside them (but he manages to save them from being eaten alive from the inside out).
Klaatu walks out into a massive swarm and dissolves away, but we don't know his ultimate fate.

Reviewed December 9, 2008 / Posted December 12, 2008

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