 5.0 out of 5 stars Still a classic; The Day The Earth Stood Still(1951) I first watched this excellent movie in the early 60's in black and white and it was a classic then as it is now.The remake is not exactly the same but is also good because of the special affects.About 11 years later I was 21 and went into the U.S. Secret Service and I got to see some of the actuallocations where that film was made. Especially since I worked at the White House and I could see theEllipse just south of the White House.Billy Gray is an excellent actor and played Jim Thorpe(later Burt Lancaster) when Thorpe was a young boy.Michael Rennie is the perfect Klaatu as is Patricia Neal as Mrs. Benson and all the others.Being former law enforcement I sometimes wondered what it would be like if we had a GORT too?I know there are Aliens here, but I don't think they woudl want to harm the Earth as it is a plethora of Life thatwe still know nothing about. Reviews with imagesTop reviews from the United StatesThere was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2017 FORMAT: Blu-Ray TITLE: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) • G • 1:32:11 The ORIGINAL thinking-man's science fiction movie. Those of you that have seen it KNOW what I'm talking about (and can skip my rather long-winded musings and go directly to the "VIDEO" and "AUDIO" portion of this review). For the rest of you: please, read on. If you are one of those people who was raised on the action-oriented, extremely loud, special-effects driven, "sci-fi" movies of the last twenty, or so, years (hey, I ain't hatin', I liked most of them too), AND you have yet to see this movie, then probably EVERYTHING that you see and hear ABOUT it will make it seem like another potentially huge waste of time — a waste of time, that the old-timers (like your mom and dad), for reasons known only to them, are always ranting and raving about how YOU should drop everything and watch it NOW, because of how great THEY think it is. Yes, it is a black-and-white movie from the fifties (the poodle skirt wearing, tail-finned car driving, pipe-smoking father-knows-best NINETEEN-FIFTIES(!!!), for heaven's sake). Yes, the special-effects are dated, and, in some cases, even kinda cheesy looking. And, yes, it does star a bunch of people that you have probably NEVER heard of. However, every "serious" science fiction aficionado (i.e.—someone who READS science fiction, as well as, WATCHES it) that I have EVER met LOVES this movie. Heck, every self-professed non-sci-fi person (young or old) that I've ever corralled into watching this movie, has — at the VERY least — liked it (and usually LOVED it). The main reasons being: that it is very well written, it is very well directed, it has very good acting, and (for its day) it has high production values (In fact, this movie (along with " I think, if you keep an open mind (and focus on the message of the film) while watching it, that you will be VERY pleasantly surprised at how much you actually like this movie — plus, you'll finally know what the old-timers are talking about when they say things like "Gort! Klaatu barada nicto!" around you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. See the other reviews for more detail and/or other opinions regarding the plot of the movie. VIDEO: 1.37:1 • B&W • 1080p • MPEG-4 AVC (35.3 Mbps) Fox Home Video is to be commended for its first-rate results in the re-mastering of this classic 1950's sci-fi gem. Because, this transfer exhibits very-good to frequently excellent picture quality — due, I'm sure, to its MUCH higher than average bit-rate (particularly for an "old", 4:3, B&W, movie). Another reason for the commendation is, that there were virtually NO artifacts such as black specks, white dots, hair-lines or dropped frames (though there was some weird fluttering for a few frames starting at approximately 1:10:50 into the movie, which is very likely because of the source elements used). In addition, sharpness and detail (except for some rather obvious stock footage, and some (probably) second-unit outdoor shots) are usually EXCELLENT throughout most of the film — with the textures of hair-styles, clothing and furnishings being readily apparent and natural looking. (In fact, the sharpness in this version is so good that, for the first time ever, in my 18 or 19 viewings of this movie, I could CLEARLY see black support wires holding Patricia Neal as Gort carried her into the spaceship!) Also, contrast and gray scale are VERY good overall, and in the outdoor daytime scenes, and in most of the well-lit indoor scenes, even excellent; however, there is almost NO shadow detail (and LOTS of black crush) in nearly all of the outdoor nighttime scenes (which, given the age of the film, is acceptable [at least, to me]). The only major issue that I find with this restoration and transfer of the film is that, it is SO GOOD that you see just how BAD and dated most of the special-effects are in the movie — which, all things considered, is a very nice "problem" to have. Overall, this movie's presentation on blu-ray has VERY good picture quality, and should satisfy all but the VERY pickiest of viewers. AUDIO: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) Fox Home Video has also done extensive clean-up work, and a 5.1 re-mix, on the film's soundtrack. First-off, the good news is that there are no loud bumps nor objectionably high levels of hiss to be found anywhere. In addition, the dialog is very clear and all voices are easily understood — however, dynamic range is quite limited, and there isn't very much bottom-end nor any top-end to speak of (which makes the few sound effects contained in the movie seem a little harsh and constrained). Finally, although the soundtrack has been redone as a "5.1" re-mix, it is still essentially a MONOPHONIC soundtrack; yes, there is music (surprisingly good sounding music, considering its age) in the surrounds — but there is VERY little else there (aside from VERY infrequent crowd-noises and RARE environmental street-sounds). Overall, considering the age of the source elements and the fact that this is (despite proclamations to the contrary) still a monophonic, dialog-driven, movie from the early 1950's, its soundtrack has more than acceptable sound quality. EXTRAS: Director's commentary None of the extras were reviewed.
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022 Good SciFi movies in the 1950s were a very rare commodity and this is one of the good ones, but of course not by today's standards and computer generated special effects, but it's still very entertaining and served as a basis for many other scifi movies and tv shows that followed. And this film had more "message" than "special effects". It's a direct message than can and should be repeated today, right now, before we blow ourselves into the next galaxy!! Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022 There is a new movie by the same name and stars some of the same characters, but this one is much, much better! Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2022 If you are into old sci-fi movies this movie is well done and a classic. Keith Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2022 Watched it the first night. Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2007 When I look back over my life, I remember not hearing the name of Michael Rennie until the Rocky Horror Picture show that came out in the 1970's. His name was used in the opening lyrics of the opening song of that movie. Even back then I had wondered what ever happened to the old film "The Day The Earth Stood Still". The story line of this movie is simple: Klatu comes from a far away Galaxy to bring a message to this world to abandone all violence and pursue the pathway of peace and love or be destoyed by its neighboring worlds forming a galactic community of peace. He is first greeted by being shot by a U.S. soilder after exiting his space craft. He then escapes the military hospital, where he is kept under close guard; only to mingle with the earthlings and learn of their ways before reporting back to those who sent him for a judgement over this earth. He finally meets the world's top scientist, Professor Bernhardt, where he is asked by Bernhardt to perform a demonstration to the world that will convince everyone we must either stop our violence or be utterly destroyed by the community of planets Klatu represents. Klatu comes complete with his own military power in a single robot named "Gort" which has the power to selectively destroy objects while sparing human flesh of total disintegration. Gort also has the power to destroy the entire planet if need be, we learn. The property work done to create the space ship seen in this film is very well done, but what really carries this film is not the limited special effects, but the story. Even though the film is in black and white, the lighting and cinematography in this work is marvelous to say the least. The only orchestral sound effect used that adds a "creepiness" to the feel of the film is the use of a bow on a saw blade. This was before synthesizers and digital sound were created; so given the limitations of what was available, allot had to be done to focus on a good story to drive home the product. I remember seeing a fellow demonstrate the use of a bow on a sawblade when I was much younger which is how I can tell the sound was created in the opening music of the film as the picture starts from outer space, while slowly focusing in on the earth, as a suggestion we are following Klatu's journey toward the earth while the opening credits being. While I was born 11 years after the end of World War II, This film is literally a post World War II peace keeping tool with a powerful message behind it, although it certainly doesn't use a Gandi type approach to solving world peace. This film is great for the whole family however, including little children: It is also a good topic parents can use for discussion to help their children think when it comes to dealing with the violence and evil this world is subject to. The only real violent scenes are when two military gaurds are totally disintegrated by Gort's light beem and when the military shoot down Klatu while running from the military police to reach a meeting of scientists to give his message. Even this violent act is redeemed when Gort comes for Klatu's body, takes him to the space ship and restores full life to Klatu's body as a form of resurrection. While we all dream for either God or a messenger from space coming to knock some sense into this violent ridden planet of ours, so as to teach us we are one fragile small world, the truth is, the burden of making this world work is our own, which this film teaches in its final message. This story teaches without being preachy, while asking the viewer in the end "what outcome will you choose for your world?". The only controversy for discussion with the story premise is that violence is being offered by the worlds Klatu represents, if this world does not turn from its own violence: Kind of like "There is always a greater bully to bully the bully" concept. On one side of the argument, you get a post Nazi dictatorial approach to solving world peace, which the world had just come out of in 1951 with the story line of this film. This would suggest the Universe is as violent as George Lucus's Star Wars. However, on the other side, you can't help but wonder if the report Klatu will make to his superiors, in the end, will avert the use of destructive force on the earth to get it to depart from its own violent ways. It is an interesting paradox for study and would have made for a good sequel to this original film. Regardless, it's great now to have this old 1951 classic gracing my library these days in DVD format. It never gets old to watch, nor the message of peace it tries to deliver to a post WWII generation, which is my generation. Disk quality and cover were excellent! No complaints. Good purchase price for the quality. Thanks for offering it on Amazon! Top reviews from other countries5.0 out of 5 stars They're Real... We Are Not Alone! Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2020 I first saw this with my dad in 1951 age 6 years. Before movies were graded X or PG. Loved it then, love it still. Its my all time favourite film. Seen UFOs lifelong. Dad was an aeroplane technician, he spent six years 1939-1945 (2nd WW) working on plane engines, keeping them up in the skies, to fight Hitler. He said the three UFOs we saw together in 1949 were not man made, not from earth, and he yearned to get his hands on their engines, that were silent, hovered overhead for half hour plus, and scared the entire street. Except him, and me. I inherited his unflappable nature. 5.0 out of 5 stars A B&W lesson in human nature Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 12, 2020 Although this is quite dated now I personally like this version of the film over the updated version, my personal opinion rates this movie a classic and a great story and I think it shines a light on the reaction that the Human race would (even now) take if the situation that is depicted in the film played out in real life, a shame really. It is a great film and one that I think is well worth the money and time to watch it. 2.0 out of 5 stars Great film... but not a "steelbook" edition Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2019 My reason for two stars has nothing to do with the contents on the actual discs - the film is as brilliant as it ever was, all the extras are fantastic, excellent value for money. No, my beef lies with the fact this product was sold as a "Steelbook" edition, which, as the name suggests, should be in a metal case, not a plastic one with a cardboard sleeve. My reason for purchasing this version of the film (I already have it on dvd - twice) was because of the steelbook element, giving it a special, more classy feel - sadly, I was disappointed. 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Classic of Sci-Fi. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2016 Okay, this film produced post WWII sparked other Sci-fi films down this road, despite it's age the underlying story remains good, and if you like black & white film with all it's shades of colour, and great angle shots, this will make your evening viewing worth it... and leads you on, to an interesting plot, that today may seem stinted or under played; however the acting is truly good and in character too, not overly played if you understand the political situation of it's time 1951. Gort the robot is in a rubber suite, but all-in-all works well for this NO CGI film, however the UFO landing is a true art-form of the production house, the animation is amazing for it's day; my only niggle is the crowd seen, by cranking-up the speed it spoils this shot; but costs to produce or re-shot was not an option... by-the-way, the remake of this classic was a disaster ? in my option; re-makes NEVER give the same sense of adventure once your hooked on the original; otherwise take a viewing of this film, I be surprised if you don't like it, that is unless your not a Science Fiction fan. 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Classic of Sci-Fi. Okay, this film produced post WWII sparked other Sci-fi films down this road, despite it's age the underlying story remains good, and if you like black & white film with all it's shades of colour, and great angle shots, this will make your evening viewing worth it... and leads you on, to an interesting plot, that today may seem stinted or under played; however the acting is truly good and in character too, not overly played if you understand the political situation of it's time 1951. Gort the robot is in a rubber suite, but all-in-all works well for this NO CGI film, however the UFO landing is a true art-form of the production house, the animation is amazing for it's day; my only niggle is the crowd seen, by cranking-up the speed it spoils this shot; but costs to produce or re-shot was not an option... by-the-way, the remake of this classic was a disaster ? in my option; re-makes NEVER give the same sense of adventure once your hooked on the original; otherwise take a viewing of this film, I be surprised if you don't like it, that is unless your not a Science Fiction fan. Images in this review
5.0 out of 5 stars The narrative is a relatively simple one, but the message is powerful. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2016 As an alien spaceship lands on Earth, for if the people of the earth do not change their preponderance for war and conflict then their Galactic neighbours will intercede on the Planets’ affairs. This is the message Klaatu (Michael Rennie) brings to the peoples of the earth. However, he is thwarted in his efforts and soon realises that other methodologies may be needed to convince the powers that be. To add maybe a touch of melodrama to the piece, and a little bit help for Klaatu comes in the form of Patricia Neal as women disposed to love and her son Billy Gray as a clean-cut American youngster with an enquiring mind and no father figure. The character of Klaatu aka Michael Rennie plays the visiting alien with a genteel meticulous fashion while coming over as being charmingly suave and cosmopolitan to those he meets. This is a film that had good special effects, for a movie made in 1951; and come over as being very believable. While some say, Gort was a man in a rubber suit, his impact along with “other worldly OST” ads to the projected power of the robot. The narrative is a relatively simple one, but the message is powerful. When this film was made, World War II had finished some six years earlier. This is where the Cold War looked as if it was going to heat up. There was the ever-prevalent paranoia of the West/Americans against the communists/red menace. This is an iconic piece of 1950s science fiction, which is a necessary film to see for those fans of the genre. Who was the boy in The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951?I thought it sounded good." Billy Gray, who played Bobby Benson in the film, said he believed the message was coming from Klaatu and that "Barada Nikto must mean ... save Earth."
Who played the robot in when the Earth Stood Still?Gort (The Day the Earth Stood Still). What was the message to the robot in The Day the Earth Stood Still?Benson's suitor, he is fatally shot by the U.S. Army; whereupon Mrs. Benson, at his behest, delivers the message "Klaatu barada nikto!" barely in time to save her own life. Gort retrieves Klaatu's body, and revives him from death.
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Billy gray the day the earth stood still
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