an alien spacecraft land in central park and and an alien emerges . after be wound in an attack by the u. s. military and the human like klaatu ( keanu reef ) appear when be nurse back to health and hint at the potential destruction of earth . he manage to escape government officer and and end up in the care of scientist helen benson ( jennifer connelly ) . along with her adopted son jacob ( jaden smith ) and the group attempt to try and stop the impending destruction and while the government chase after them . bury very deep into the core of the day the earth stand still be some semblance of a great movie . but it outer shell be anything but . the plot may sound interesting and but after klaatu make it clear what his purpose be and the movie become a downgraded half assed chase movie that be more boring than it be thrill . and by the time the end come around and the film and everything about it be utterly forgettable . humanity appear to be at stake and but none of the character seem to really care about their survival . it just seem so standard to them and so tactic . character be do away with like they be nothing ( whether by die or just not appear again ) and and other character appear with not even the slight hint of motivation . how be we suppose to leach on to anyone when no one be even remotely likable . the close we get to a three dimensional character be reeves klaatu and and he speak in such riddle and convoluted language that he may as well not be speak english . do not get me wrong represent the day the earth stand still be load with a goldmine of idea . but they be all treat a mere inconvenience to the big plot the film struggle with . the filmmaker seem to have very little idea of what they want to do with the picture . it seem to want to send a message and but it do not know how to . it jump from idea to idea ( and even though to think ) and hop to grip onto something that stick . but nothing do . it be merely write over and wait for the next idea to spark and be do away with . even the special effect showpiece be carelessly do . sure and there be some great effect and but ultimately and there be nothing too spectacular on display here . it be not clear where the fault for this silly and ultimately unneeded film lie . do we blame screenwriter david scarpa for not know whether he should homage the original work and steal from multiple film that have come since and or create his own original idea . or do we look to director scott derrickson and the creative team for have cull together the shot and sequence for the film and and then not know how to make some sort of good movie out of it . if they do not care and then why should we . the acting be poor across the board . connelly and an oscar winner and should have know good than to touch this film . she look stunted and confuse in every one of her scene . i imagine she try to make something of this awful role and but you would never even guess with the footage that exist in the film . smith and while play to his age and seem to be ape his father a little too much . he want to be spunky and but he want to try to act method at the same time . with a little more work and he could probably match will best work from the mid 1990s and but if he keep this up and he be destine to become a laughing stock that will annoy audience . jon hamm and kyle chandler be give such a small amount of work to do that one must wonder why the filmmaker go with recognizable face in their role and while john cleese and james hong have such short scene that you may blink and miss them altogether . kathy bates genuinely try to make something of her juicy role and but it be downplay far too much . reeve however and deliver another classic reeve performance . this role be practically tailor for him to play . he spend most of his time on screen give baffle and bizarre look at the camera and or deliver the stilted dialogue we have come to know him for . he get no real time to emote in the role and and get even less time to explain himself . but reeve be a master of this stone out technique and and be on his own playing field against the rest of the cast . he have do far great work ( the matrix trilogy obviously and and my personal guilty pleasure and speed ) and but because this role do not ask much of him by way of actual emotion and he soar through a the single best thing about the movie . and yes and i be quite terrified allude to that idea . call the day the earth stand still disappointing be a bit of a stretch . call it awful be a lot good of a description . while the plot sound like it could make for some interesting science fiction ( especially base off it legendary source material ) and the film falter and fails too many time to really make anything of itself . there be some great idea sprinkle throughout the movie and but nothing be ever do with them . they be either brush away and or outright ignore . whether it be the boring storyline and the bad acting and the horrendous dialogue and the erratic tonal shift and or the very inconsistent cgi and the film just have no chance to even attempt to work . and a a movie with a message and it fizzle more often than it sizzle . it have the idea to go the distance and but lack the motivation . negative .