i love robert wise original film and so this remake be a big disappointment . this be the type of movie that give hollywood blockbuster a bad name . the filmmaker have take a well love film and produce a travesty . for some reason the idiot behind the film decide that the story could be improve upon and unfortunately their change make little sense . when a spaceship land in central park and an alien messenger call klaatu ( keanu reef ) disembarks . the rest of the universe be worry about the earth environmental record and klaatu have be send to tell u to clean up our act . he be shot and capture . kathy bates play a defense secretary in the cheney or rumsfeld mold . she decide that the alien need a demonstration of america military prowess and decides to play hardball . the u. s. government want to keep the alien lock up and his identity a secret . this do not go down well with klaatu and who conclude that further discussion with the u. s. government be a waste of time and decides to exterminate mankind . jennifer connelly play a princeton professor and government science expert who befriend klaatu . in the original film michael rennie move around dc and be gradually win over by patricia neal and the other ordinary people he meet . in this film he be shackle to connelly and her young son . reeve exhibit none of rennie easy charm and look daze and confuse most of the time . the child play connelly son overacts and be an annoy distraction . at the end of the film and klaatu leave the earth tell only connelly and professor barnhardt ( john cleese ) about his mission and there be no speech to mankind and the film fizzle out . the movie do have impressive special effect and perhaps if they have give the film the benefit of modern film technology and an updated look this remake may have be justify . unfortunately an american classic have be vandalize and and you have to wonder what they be think .