Review of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) by Jim H — 29 Sep 2013
An interplanetary traveler visits Earth to dissuade humans' violence and paranoia.
As science fiction classics go, this one is up there among the best. Yes, it's moralistic, and its main character gets a little preachy at the end, but most good science fiction uses an extraordinary event to comment upon the ordinary, and The Day the Earth Stood Still's comment resonates today.
The performances are a little choppy and over-rehearsed. Michael Rennie sounds like he's reading his lines out of a phone book, and Patricia Neal went to damsel school and graduated with high honors. But all of it is tempered by that classic movie pace and a strong story.
Overall, science fiction when done well looks like this.
This review of The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) was written by Jim H on 29 Sep 2013.
The Day the Earth Stood Still has generally received very positive reviews.
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