trifon

I read Bill Gibron's DVD review of The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=36590 and... I'm still not clear whether the standard edition available at retailers right now, the one with 2 discs, has the same extras as the 3 disc special edition. It seems that the 2-disc edition has been stripped of all the extras on disc 1. Also, is the second disc the new special edition version of the classic, or the previous release?

Trevor

Yeah, it's a little confusing. I usually like Bill's reviews but this seemed a bit off.

Anytime there are multiple releases of a title, I think our reviewers should do a few Google searches and be very thorough in describing the differences between versions.

tylergfoster

I informed him that he had the 3-Disc but he didn't alter his review. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I guess it might be a little confusing.

The two disc contains no bonus features. DVDTalk received one-disc DVDs, but since they have bonus features, they correspond to the 3-disc set. Same with the reviews of Marley & Me, which all correspond to the 2-disc "Bad Boy" Edition, as they include bonus features.

Kurt D

The fact that you say 'our reviewers' warms my heart.

Bill Gibron

Not to defend myself, but I will not comment on final product until I have final product IN MY HAND. As of today, 4/10, I still have a crappy FOX screener disc of the film. That's all I got, so that's all I will comment on, Google research be damned.

BILL

visitor Q

I think 4/10 relating to anything involving the remake (regardless of the intent) is a gift for this garbage. I'm almost beginning to think that other than Ian, Scott or Galbraith every other film reviewer on this site is seriously suspect, especially anyone backing this film. "Recommended"!!??? ..really? For who exactly?

Sorry - bold statement. But seriously - I'd love a real explanation as to why this film has any worth or quality.

Where is the horror behind the end of the world? Where is the tension behind the events preceding the end of the world ..the build up? What, a bunch of wooden soldiers and governmental spooks? A few shots of news footage of cities being cleared out? And the dramatic build up towards the end really leaves one hanging off a cliff in anticipation!! The kid, Connelly and Reeves all hanging out under the bridge escaping the brilliant idea of a alien swarm!!! Christ ...if the script could have been color coded it would have been more of a believable drive behind the scene (actually any scene) that supposedly saved all of humanity. Never mind the precluding cemetery scene. Shit, only a six year old girl may have been slightly moved by that one.

I don't know. I had no, none, zilch expectations heading into this one ..and all it reminded me of ..was a slightly generic version of The Day After Tomorrow with seriously "ominous" orbs. And a review had the nerve to mention something about having no expectations and just enjoying it for an action piece!!! Ha ha ..... that was awesome ...and probably the biggest sell out of a excuse for what is probably the poorest (although what should be intelligent and provocative) science fiction film from the last few decades. If I wanted a stupid mindless action piece I'd go watch the remake of Death Race 2000. Although at least that film knew where it was coming from ...this particular one should have but failed on every level.

At best I'd give this a 2/10 but honestly maybe I'll be kind and give it a 1. No entertainment or provocation can be found in this film ...none.

edit to correct film reference: The Day After Tomorrow - whoops.

Paul Mavis

Amen to that!

I think it's about time a reader finally called-out "seriously suspect" reviewers like Beierle, Tyner, Gibron, Orndorf, McCaughy Neilson (both of 'em), Cornelius, Walker, Houston, Erickson, Rizzo III, Rich (jesus), Bailey, Kauffman, Biltz, Mathews, Sinnott, Wallis, Felix, Dahlke, Zupan, Hartel, Bacharach, Jones, Miller III, Keefer, Spurlin, Douglass, Jr., Foster, and Mavis.


Wait....

Uh...never mind.

Daytripper

No kidding. This film was utter shit. There is zero reason to rent or sit through it. Horrible writing and special effects. And Jesus, Keanu Reeves can't even play an alien. I also nominate Kathy Bates to play Aunt Bee should "The Andy Griffith Show" ever get made into a big screen feature.

visitor Q

Ha ... and I thought I had a follow up lambasting of my over the top attack!

And yes, no offense Mavis or for any other reviewer ...generalizations often succeed at doing nothing ..if not kill. There are plenty of fine reviewers on DVDTalk. I love this place. But to think that The Day the Earth Stood Still remake got any recommendation leaves a hole in my stomach. It frankly wreaks of a ..well, we're a highly visited film site and this new Fox release needs to move to some degree. I don't know ...[cough] sell out [/cough]??

This movie was absolute shit ..in the realm of Speilberg's War of the World. That movie with its Hollywood slap happy ending is also absolute garbage. And this is coming from fan who eats Speilberg's shit whole heartedly. The only difference between that and DES is the fact that at least a few of the sequences from WOW are memorable. For instance the alien intro beginning from the backyard "storm" sequence up until the point where Cruise and his kids stole the caravan was magnificent in delivery! The sonics, set up and mood are all captured quite convincingly. DES is a joke in comparison. I will even go as far as to ask ...what scene or sequence from the entirety of The Day the Earth Stood Still is memorable or significant? Bueller ..Bueller?

Hey ..I'm an asshole for calling a spade a spade ...but DES is a terrible film all around. And I'd love hear why I am wrong on this particular account. Again, I was expecting nothing on this one ..and received just that, unfortunately. But I also feel as if other potential viewers should be steered towards an honest result. I'd at least go as far as to say that this film might be deserved of a rental - forgivably. But an outright recommendation even with a low rating could lead to a purchase ..which I would seriously consider a waste of money ..even for the easily pandered to generic Hollywood crowd. And I'd feel bad about selling them short ...really. I think.

Hey Daytripper ... I'd actually almost go as far as to say that Keanu was probably the perfectly cast part considering his less than wooden range of emotions. Then, I'd also almost equate a believable performance for an alien along the lines as the one Jeff Bridges portrayed in Starman ..and I couldn't even give Reeves that. I weep for contemporary society and their expectations considering what we are all left with.

John Sinnott

Now that's funny. If you do an advance search on just Fox releases, you'll see that DVDTalk is doing anything but kissing ass. Here are the ratings of Fox DVDs from the last two months:

Boston Legal: Season Five Highly Recommended
Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Rent It
S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale Skip It
Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Rent It
American Dad!, Vol. 4 Recommended
Taken: Two Disc Extended Edition Highly Recommended
Bride Wars Skip It
Taken - 2-Disc Unrated/Extended Cut Highly Recommended
Goosebumps: Return of the Mummy Rent It
Goosebumps: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight Rent It
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea S4 V1 Rent It
Notorious Rent It
Bride Wars Rent It
The Riches: Season 2 Rent It
The Robe Rent It
Nobel Son (Hollywood Video Exclusive) Skip It

Totals:

DVDTalk COllector's Series: 0
Highly Recommended 3
Recommended 1
Rent It 9
Skip It 3

If anything we're being way too harsh on the studio. Just because one reviewer didn't loath a movie that you did doesn't mean the whole system is corrupt.

Edit: Ack! The careful formatting I did wasn't preserved when I posted. Sorry about that.

tylergfoster

I'm pretty sure I answered these questions in the review you didn't seem to like. I thought the concept that we'd find out something was about to land in Central Park with less than an hour to go was interesting, and could have sustained the entire movie. If you might only have an hour to live, what would you do? I also admitted that I haven't seen the original, but it shouldn't matter: I'm judging the 2008 film, not any film that came before it. Not every movie needs to be "significant". What's significant about Die Hard?

All I know is I watched it with very low expectations -- I thought the trailer looked terrible and boring and I skipped it in theaters despite the option to see it for free whenever I wanted, as I worked at a movie theater at the time -- and I thought the movie was reasonably entertaining, and nothing more.

Certainly there are technical merits on which a movie could factually be considered "bad": the movie isn't in focus, the sound is unclear, the lighting fails, etc., but The Day the Earth Stood Still is certainly a technically capable movie, and has none of these problems. Anything you thought about it outside of that is opinion, and everyone's differ. You seem certain that the movie sucks, but I had a different experience, and no amount of certainty in the world will prove otherwise.

MovieBuff_Flea

Does Keanu Reeves just not fit the role he was selected for or is it just me?

Trevor

I think Keanu was absolutely perfect for this role, probably his best work to date. The movie however, stunk.

MovieBuff_Flea

Opinions do differ I suppose. Have you seen Street Kings with Keanu?

The O

I can only speak for the theatrical side of things, but if you only knew how horrible Fox treats the press. The last few years have been nothing but constant battles.

And I didn't like the "Stood Still" remake. Where's my parade?

Trevor

He wasn't too bad in that. But I think he is best suited for roles like TDTESS where absolutely no range is required.