It's important to keep in mind that the story this film is based on, like much other "Golden Age" science fiction, is deservedly forgotten. What survives from that era of science fiction are a few names--Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein--and a slew of stories by other authors that can genuinely be appreciated for their vision and storytelling. "The Day The Earth Stood Still" however seems more rooted in the insipid science fiction of the era, the type that was guaranteed to be forgotten fairly soon. Everything about this film is banal and hokey--surely gripping at the time, but quite silly and laughable by today's standards. It isn't even on par with the best episodes of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, and the message strikes one as obvious and heavy handed. It's a wonder how adults can continue to find merit in a film with such a puerile center.
Review of The Day the Earth Stood Still
