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The Day the Earth Stood Still

Play trailer 1:46 Poster for The Day the Earth Stood Still PG-13 2008 1h 44m Sci-Fi Action Adventure Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 193 Reviews 27% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Klaatu, 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 and her stepson come to understand the chilling ramifications behind Klaatu's statement that he is a "friend to the Earth."
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The Day the Earth Stood Still

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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.

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Critics Reviews

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David Stratton The Australian Jan 8, 2009
3.5/5
Derrickson and his team take a much-loved sci-fi classic and, even if they can't improve on the original, at least rework it in intriguing ways. Go to Full Review
David Edelstein New York Magazine/Vulture Dec 15, 2008
The remake of that fine old fifties alien-invasion picture The Day the Earth Stood Still comes to a standstill about an hour before the Earth does in the wilds of New Jersey. Go to Full Review
Christopher Orr The New Republic Dec 12, 2008
One can only hope that in the future [Reeves] will devote himself to playing androids, less-self-aware species of undead, stylish pieces of contemporary furniture, and other roles that do not require the exhibition of any recognizably human traits. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Nov 28, 2020
3/10
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. Go to Full Review
Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 5, 2020
1.5/4.0
If you look past the fairly cool special effects you're going to see a film at war with itself. Go to Full Review
Ellie Lucas The Dispatch (Lexington, NC) Jun 6, 2019
2/4
Doesn't have a single practical reason for its existence. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Jovana M @J_loves_movies 2 days ago Keanu was so silly as an alien. The entire premise of the movie was executed poorly, while it had a chance to be a good one, it unfortunately turned out quite opposite. See more Clayton H @mrpopcorn Oct 7, 2026 I liked a decent amount of the journey of this film, but the destination ended up being a pit stop bathroom off the highway.. Child actor Jaden is absolutely terrible, but more just written to be so annoying. Worst written character drags the whole movie down several stars. Unnecessary to the movie in any way. The aliens reasoning for destroying And saving were both ridiculous. Outside of a few cool scenes, cool music, some interesting concepts, this really leads to nowhere. The payoff isn’t there. Needed More GORT!! And intensity. See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 27, 2026 This is a remake of a Popular Movie thus my 1 star rating... See more Robert S @bobcat1020 Sep 22, 2026 I hated this movie. The original was noted for being the first sci-fi movie where the aliens weren't the bad guys, and this version made them genocidal instead. Originally, Klaatu was here to warn us that while the universe didn't care what we did to each other here, we needed to change our warlike ways before we left the planet, because when we did, we would find that the universe was a peaceful place that would not tolerate our savagery nor hesitate to destroy us if we attempted to spread it. In this version the aliens ARE the bad guys who will exterminate humanity if we don't change our evil ways. I don't object to them making this movie (as bad as it is) but calling it a remake is an insult to the original. Not to mention that the title doesn't make sense because unlike the original the Earth never stands still. See more Frans B @FransB Sep 16, 2026 Not as bad as made out to be. Forget "original and remake" and some such. The movie has it's own intrigue and ambiance. Very capable cast all excels in character. Well written and directed. Very capable cast all excel in character. Great storyline and interesting communiqué. Fascinating and captivating. (Oh, and we {us earthlings} will most definitely NOT change 😜) See more Charles K @RT95048736 Sep 3, 2026 I would say that it's a bad film. And gets one star, because of the great cast it has, and I think Keanu and Jennifer and others are great. And jayden, but it's just such a weird film that really makes no sense, and really has no story that makes any sense at all. See more Read all reviews
The Day the Earth Stood Still

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Movie Info

Synopsis Klaatu, 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 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, Action, Adventure, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
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
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