The Day the Earth Stood Still

Play trailer

1:46

The Day the Earth Stood Still

PG-13

Released Dec 12, 2008

1h 44m

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

21%

Tomatometer

194 Reviews

27%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), an extraterrestrial visitor to planet Earth, becomes the herald of upheaval on a global scale. As the world's governments and scientists race to understand what is happening and how to stop it, Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) and her stepson come to understand the chilling ramifications behind Klaatu's statement that he is a "friend to the Earth."

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Heavy on special effects, but without a coherent story at its base, The Day the Earth Stood Still is subpar re-imagining of the 1951 science-fiction classic.

Read Critics Reviews

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Christine Champ

Film.com

Rated: C-

May 6, 2011

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Rated: 1/4

Feb 3, 2011

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The computer animation and picture quality is significantly cleaner and more impressive than the low-budget, man-in-a-foam-suit costuming of the 1951 classic.

Rated: 3/10

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

If you look past the fairly cool special effects you're going to see a film at war with itself.

Rated: 1.5/4.0

Sep 5, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

Doesn't have a single practical reason for its existence.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 6, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Ashley C

Great cast but lacking in substance. Writing was terrible.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/25/24

Full Review

Lucas t

It would get 4 stars if the effects weren't bad.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

Full Review

David W

The original is an all time classic of sci-fi cinema. This remake, taken in isolation, is far from terrible but it lacks the impact of the original despite it doing may things in an original way. This is mainly, in no small part, certainly in my case, to being so familiar with the concept of the original that it lacks that sense of surprise and wonder. It's uneven in terms of its acting though. I know what Keanu was aiming for in his performance but its a miscalculation that comes off as too lifeless, detached and flat to be interesting and Jayden Smith is so cringingly annoying that he almost single handedly ruins the entire movie. On the other hand Connelly anchors things well, Cleese delivers a good turn and the supporting cast are good. The special effects are effective although the decision to change Gort was a design misfire in my opinion. The story tweaks certainly contemporise matters with a global warming message - for better or worse. A frustratingly near miss in too many areas but certainly still worth a watch despite its flaws.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/09/24

Full Review

Regina P

I just think the theme for this is overplayed: destroy the humans before they destroy the planet. We've seen enough of this same message. If there is some entity out there that is threatening to destroy mankind, then Hollywood just needs to spit it out. Humans will not get the message through a bunch of picture shows. It's just entertainment. And only the rich have the ability to destroy the planet, anyhow. Send the elites a direct message.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/05/24

Full Review

alan g

Pale immitation of the original. Watch the Michael Rennie version.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

Full Review

Calvin T

No idea why there's low ratings......all around great movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Scott Derrickson

Director

Keanu Reeves

Klaatu

Jennifer Connelly

Dr. Helen Benson

Kathy Bates

Regina Jackson

Jaden Smith

Jacob Benson

John Cleese

Professor Barnhardt

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

A Sound of Thunder

6%

18%

A Sound of Thunder

Watchlist

Sleep Dealer

73%

50%

Sleep Dealer

Watchlist

Red Planet

14%

28%

Red Planet

Watchlist

The 6th Day

40%

33%

The 6th Day

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The 6th Day

Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace

18%

12%

Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Box Office Wrapup: Klaatu Stands Still at #1

Exclusive: Milton’s Paradise Lost Movie in 3D?

UK Critics Consensus: The Day The Earth Stood Still, Still Stinks

The Day the Earth Stood Still: Trailer 1

1:46

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), an extraterrestrial visitor to planet Earth, becomes the herald of upheaval on a global scale. As the world's governments and scientists race to understand what is happening and how to stop it, Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) and her stepson come to understand the chilling ramifications behind Klaatu's statement that he is a "friend to the Earth."

Director: Scott Derrickson
Producer: Gregory Goodman, Paul Harris Boardman, Erwin Stoff
Screenwriter: David Scarpa
Production Co: 3 Arts Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Some Sci-Fi Disaster Images)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 2008, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $79.4M
Runtime: 1h 44m

Most Popular at Home Now