If the earth dies, you(humans) die, if you die the earth survives’ – is a line from director Scott Derrickson’s 2008 remake of the 1951 sci-fi thriller ‘The day the earth stood still’ which pretty much sums up the entire film. The film clearly sends across a strong message to humans about conserving earth and its natural resources before it’s too late, sort of what Shyamalan tried in ‘The Happening’. The only difference being Derrickson uses aliens to axe the defiant human race while Shyamalan used Nature and its elements to get back at humans who take no precaution to conserve earth.
Getting to the story, Keanu Reeves plays an alien(Klaatu) who lands on earth to warn humans of an impending attack on their planet. After being detained and kept under medical supervision initially for interrogation, Klaatu escapes from the clutches of the US military and government to make sure his mission of saving earth gains fruition. Dr Helen Benson(Jennifer Connelly) misconstrues his motive and thinks he intends to save humans by saving earth, however little does she know that human destruction can only enable earth’s survival. Will she and her son be able to talk Klaatu out of his plan?
TDTESS, being a sci-fi 2008 film, splendid special effects as predicted do manage to give a rocking beginning to the film. Keanu Reeves’ arrival holds your interest and it is his commendable understated performance which makes the film decently likeable. However performances alone cannot help a film excel. After a while the story fails to progress, the special effects get too little and too less, the UFO and its giant robot seem too lazy to show their strength, the alien starts seeing the emotional side of humans. everything then culminating into a predictable plain climax. The sphere shaped UFO and the magnanimous robot fail to overwhelm or even intrigue you later on.
The dialogues seem too long and too unnecessary for a sci-fi film of this stature. It is also the unending conversations between characters which take away the psychological tension, intensity and suspense that gets build up in the beginning. The director also seems confused in terms of the genre he wishes to explore here. Initially, he tries to stick to the sci-fi pattern, then adds an emotional drama episode to it, then tries to evoke few laughs by making Keanu speak in(I beg your pardon) either Chinese or Japanese and then also tries to provide entertainment. ending up making a wishy-washy climax.
The message is excellent but a film of this magnitude I’d shamelessly say needs to showcase more explosions, more earth shattering sound effects, more attacks, more larger than life UFO’s and more destruction instead of focusing on brat son-widow mother relationship. War of the Worlds too had a disappointing climax but the film showed the beginning of a global crisis impeccably.
The film fails to make the alien world look surreal and larger than life as we’d normally expect of it. Barring Keanu Reeves’ impeccable performance, the film slows down to nothingness instead of stillness.