Product Details

• Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese
• Directors: Scott Derrickson
• Writers: David Scarpa, Edmund H. North
• Producers: Erwin Stoff, Gregory Goodman, Marvin Towns Jr., Paul Harris Boardman
• Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Full Screen, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby TrueHD), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: April 7, 2009
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (429 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001SMC9IK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,789 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "The Day the Earth Stood Still (Three-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Impressive special effects are the key selling point for this big-budget remake of Robert Wise's classic 1951 science fiction parable about an alien visitor who delivers a chilling ultimatum to the leaders of the world. Keanu Reeves, who seemed ideal at first blush but ultimately turns into another case of miscasting, steps in for Michael Rennie as intergalactic watchdog Klaatu, who with his robot Gort (now super-sized), promises global destruction unless the powers that be unless drastic measures are undertaken regarding the Earth's environmental issues (or so one assumes). Jennifer Connelly is largely wasted in the Patricia Neal role of scientist/single mom assigned to study Klaatu, who offers a somewhat chilly father figure to her son (a grating Jaden Smith). Connelly isn't the only fine actor in the cast left standing idle while director Scott Derrickson's effects team constructs eye-popping scenes of wholesale mayhem; Mad Men's Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, John Cleese and Rob Knepper are all adrift in the aimless script by David Scarpa, which never even fully explains why Klaatu is so bent on blowing us to smithereens. That lack of focus, as well as the B-movie quality of the dialogue (say what you will about the effects in the Wise version, but the film was polished from top to bottom), all help to cement what science fiction fans have been muttering about the film since its inception; the original film needed no high-tech updating --Paul Gaita

Stills from The Day the Earth Stood Still (Click for larger image)

Product Description

A renowned scientist (Jennifer Connelly) finds herself face to face with an alien called Klaatu (Keanu Reeves), who has traveled across the universe to warn of an impending global crisis. She quickly discovers the deadly ramifications of Klaatu's claim that he is - a friend to the Earth. Now she must find a way to convince the entity who was sent to destroy us that mankind is worth saving - but it may be too late.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 106 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, preachy, and way too much "cute kid" April 11, 2009

By Thucydides 1

Format:DVD

I've been beaten to the punch by a lot of really fine, insightful reviews. I'll only add that, like so many movies we seem to see today, this is one that could have been so much better.

It is poorly paced, and miserably directed, with such an imbalance of emphasis between Klaatu's heavy-hearted, planet-wide mission, and the irritating, recurrent focus on the "cute kid" character (Jaden Smith) who becomes as welcome in the story as an insect at a picnic.

Jennifer Connelly is wholly unbelievable as a "world class" super-scientist, but at least the director resisted the temptation to create some smarmy love-affair concoction between she and Klaatu. Given how uninteresting the rest of the story was, I was afraid that he might resort to such a technique to breathe life into this otherwise prosaic rendering of the original science fiction classic.

The special effects... well, yes, they were good. It's 2009. The special effects always ought to be good. But as we've all known for a long time, good special effects do not necessarily make a good movie.

37 of 49 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars One of the WORST Scifi movies EVER made March 4, 2009

By W Johnston

Format:Blu-ray

I saw this on opening day and most people including myself actually laughed OUT LOUD at the end of this movie at its utter absurdity. The ORIGINAL did NOT need a 21st century remake anyway! This story was mediocre at best and got really preachy about how humans were basically a pestilence on the earth that needed to be wiped out because they were damaging the environment. In the end only Dr Helen Benson's (Jennifer Connely) compassion shows to Klatu (Keanu Reeves) that humans can change their ways and be more "Green" and he decides to save human kind, but at a price; ALL the technology in the world is rendered useless. Yup! That EVIL technology of ours is wiped out in one instant by some kind of GLOBAL E.M.P. Cars and all mechanized transportation stop instantly. Cell Phones, iPods, and computers are useless. Even wrist watches don't work. Unfortunately, they don't show how many patients that are on life support or under surgery DIE because of this, or how many jets and helicopters crash, submarines sink, mechanized farming stops, water filtration and sewage management plants cease, etc... we're not supposed to think about all the GOOD that comes from technology in THIS movie, just that "Technology BAD". The world is in one instant sent back to the industrial revolution days ~ what GREAT times THOSE were = Terrible pollution, child labor, people living in filth, frequent viral epidemics/ plagues... I'm all for being a good steward of the environment, but I mean, who wrote this movie, the Earth Liberation Front? Al Gore? Its an eco-terrorist's dream come true. COME ON!!! This was by far one of the most one sided, absurd, and politically motivated sci-fi movies EVER made! I'm suprised that it didn't come with a coupon for 50% off a BIDET and a book about composting (made with recycled paper of course). LOL!!! At least "The Day After Tomorrow" had decent computer graphics. The computer graphics were no better than they were in movies made 10 years ago and were actually comparitively disappointing. Don't waste your money buying this on DVD. If you still HAVE to see it RENT IT. Better yet, wait a year and this will surely be available to watch on the SciFi channel for FREE (after you pay your cable or satellite bill that is).

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars bad humans, bad, bad!! June 8, 2009

By S. Skidmore

Format:DVD

I have only wanted my money back for one movie in my life and that was jurassic park 2 and that was because there was a junior high school class in the theatre chucking ice and popcorn. I even sat thru tank girl. This movie is preachy crap. Notice that the little sterilizing nanites that gort becomes only get close-ups when they eat big bad polluting semis, oil refineries, rednecks and football stadiums. When klaatu and the kid are hitching a ride in the back of a big 4x4, who's driving but beer swilling white trash? All you people who liked this movie need a refund for your lobotomys. I get preached at every day for being the big bad white destroyer of the world in the news and in the markets where I am forced to go green whether I want to or not. I definitely don't need to hear it here. I'm going to use this movie for a coaster. Watch the classic folks.