The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

- written May 21, 2009

Summary: A flying saucer circles the glob, eventually landing in Washington D.C.. A man and a seven foot tall robot emerge. The man, Klaatu, produces a gift for the President, but a trigger-happy soldier thinks it is a weapon and shoots Klaatu down. In retaliation, the robot melts all the tanks and weaponry with a ray from its visor. Klaatu is taken to hospital where he affects a remarkable recovery and announces that he wishes a meeting with all world leaders. But no one agrees. So he sneaks out and decides on his own to warn the world by arranging a demonstration of stopping all power on Earth for half-an-hour so that he can announce to the world that if humanity does not stop the nuclear arms race, his people will destroy the world.           Overall: The movie to me was pretty good to begin with. Sure it seems like it could be cheesy but it’s got a strong story, likeable characters and really focuses on the end-game. When you compare this to the 2009 remake, this film looks so much better. It captured the essence of the message without the effects but also stayed true to the story. The sequel just needed a title to compliment its computer effects. Watch this one.           Comparison: Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Starman

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