It's Gort 2008 in 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' Trailer
They have definitely changed the story a bit...
Photo: 20th Century Fox
I only recently saw the original 1951 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and it has its charms, but I wasn't exactly blown away and the idea of a remake was interesting considering there was plenty of room to wiggle in. The original centers on an alien visitor, Klaatu, and his giant robot counterpart, Gort, who visit Earth in an attempt to tell humans to shape up and abandon the war stuff and if you humans ever try bringing it into space they will be destroyed. As I said in a piece back in March, "Heavy stuff."
Watching the trailer there is one thing that interests me, and that is the imagery of semi trucks and football stadiums being destroyed. It brings me back to a conversation had in the first film in which Klaatu is dicussing ways in which he could prove his power to the doubting humans. Suggestions made in the early film went as such, "Leveling New York City perhaps or sinking the Rock of Gibraltar?" Neither idea plays out as an option for a more peaceful and less harmful method is chosen. In my article I comment on the '51 version saying, "It opens up so many doors to destruction, and yet the film carefully chooses an alternative to violence and I really hope the new film has come up with an equally interesting option, assuming this conversation still exists."
Well, watch the trailer and tell me what you think as Reeves's Klaatu seems more like a hostile visitor rather than a messenger of peace.
I have added the trailer below in Flash, but you can check it out in QuickTime here and in QuickTime HD here.










