Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still & Keanu Reeve’s acting

They don’t make movie posters like they used to, lol!

I went this Friday, opening night, to see Keanu Reeves star in The Day the Earth Stood Still and I can say that overall it was a decent movie. I didn’t see the original so I have nothing to compare it to, except my movie criteria as a 20 something. To sum up the movie:  there was some OK acting, some good special affects, a sub par plot, and Keanu Reeves. Keanu Reeves as Klaatu was remarkably unbelievable. The concept of Klaatu that I believe he was meant to portray was an alien who was sent to Earth to judge us. Klaatu needed to make the decision of whether humans deserved to be saved or was the earth better off without us. This character should have started off detached at first, but eventually recognize the duality of the human race which leads to the outcome. (I’m trying not to spoil too much here.) However, Keanu was just blah. There is one scene where he is speaking to a fellow alien who came to earth for the same task- he highlights the internal struggle of what it is to be of this world but not of this world. He speaks of the downfalls of the human race but the says he loves them, and he doesn’t want to leave. He captured the essence of what Klaatu needed. The best special affect: GORT. Super big, super strong.. super right..

Keanu was devoid of any depth and emotion in this role. I mean, I know it is probably hard to play a distant character but his lines weren’t even delivered well and delivery is everything. This is why you get paid millions of dollars each film right? To show us how much better at this you are than someone else. Keanu is forever stuck in the role of playing the person who doesn’t really have much of an idea of what is going on very well. He plays dumb all too well.

I think my favorite Keanu Reeves film would have to be A Scanner Darkly, probably because it was animated and I didn’t have to feel like I was watching one man be stupid all over the screen. I did enjoy watching  Speed every now and then, but that was because I loved Sandra Bullock. Watching them together in the LakeHouse was pure torture. I feel asleep on it-twice. I mean seriously, its hard for him to transition his stony face shots into a romance movie, which is all about dialog and drawing the viewer in. A romance movie is crap if I don’t feel for the characters. I need to feel their unrequited love so I can cry at the end. He cannot do that, therefore he isn’t one of the best cinematic actors of our time. And his voice.. it reeks of Can-a-duh!!!