DVD Review: The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)

Written by T. Michael Testi

 

The Day The Earth Stood Still three-disk edition is the latest release of the 2008 version of the classic 1951 movie of the same name. This version comes with a copy of the original black and white, a copy of the 2008 remake, and a version that can be loaded to personal players and computers.

The basic story line of the 2008 version is the same as the original. A humanoid alien visitor named Klaatu comes to earth with a warning that he must give to all of the earth's leaders. The warning is that if we don't change, it could result in the earth the human race being eliminated. Much of the situation that occurred in the original version occurs in the remake, including Klaatu being shot, taken into custody, and escaping to move among the earthlings.

Beyond this, the representations of the two stories are drastically different. In fact this could be called a tale of two movies. The original classic is well done, has a great cast including Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, and Lock Martin. The storyline is well thought out and there is the right balance of acting, tension, and realism to make it believable. The quality of the video and the sound are re-mastered very well for a film more than 55 years old.

The 2008 version, which stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, and Jaden Smith, is not so good. I can't quite decide if it is meant to be a political statement, to sell products, or a vehicle to show how many special effects can be done in a single movie. One thing I can say is that it is a mess

First, the acting was substandard. To me Reeves is an actor who, in the right role like Matrix, or Speed, can be very good. In a bad role such as here, he is flat and uninspiring. It was to the point of it being painful to watch. Connelly is good, but her role as a scientist/step mother to an even more annoying child (more on this in a minute) is nothing near as good as Neal's role in the original. This has more to do with the role itself than Connelly's acting abilities.

Jaden Smith's character was downright horrible. He plays Connelly's stepson, who is constantly complaining, whining, and rude. His father was killed in the war, and this is clearly a political statement about George Bush's wars. They even go on to make the point that he wasn't a soldier but only a builder. The child is constantly doing things that causes everyone trouble. It was one of those roles that made me want to scream at the screen. He is nothing like the endearing child in the original.
Another problem I had concerns product placement. It seems like every five minutes there was an advertisement for a product like Apple, Honda, Coke and all sorts of logos. There is even a five minute segment filmed in a McDonalds. It was ridiculous.

Then there is the whole global warming thing. In the original, the reason for the aliens' visit was because we had atomic technology which could threaten to kill off humanity if left unchecked. In this remake, they come because we have created global warming? They claim that there are few planets that can support life and we are ruining this one. Hello! Does anyone not think that wiping three billion humans off the planet won't have some consequences to the ecosystem?

The final problem was with the special effects. It is obvious that the producer and director did not understand the original. Beyond the great story and acting, the reason the original worked so well was the combination of limited the special effects and the power of the story itself. Yes, the effects they had available in 1951 were limited, but they used just enough to drive the story. Here the special effects take control at the expense of the story. While some were done quite well, there were just too many and without purpose.

There are a lot of bonus features that come with the DVD set, including "Klaatu's Unseen Artifacts," "Build Your Own GORT," "Deleted Scenes," "Re-Imagining the Day," "Unleashing GORT," "Watching the Skies—In Search of Extraterrestrial Life," "The Day the Earth was  Green," and, "Audio Commentary by Writer David Scarpa."

Bottom line is that The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008) is a movie that I could not wait to end. Even if there had been no original with which to compare it, this would have been a bad movie. I can accept a movie, even if it is political, as long as it is entertaining. I can't if it is annoying, preachy, and it tries to take on a classic. The one redeeming quality of this edition is that you do get a copy of the original. If you look at the rest of the disks as bonus features, it makes it an acceptable deal. I give it two stars.

 

Technorati Tags: Movie,DVD,Science Fiction

Audio Book Review: Rogue Angel - The Spider Stone by Alex Archer

by T. Michael Testi (Blogcritics.org , PhotographyToday, ATAEE)

Rogue Angel: The Spider Stone is the third installment of the Alex Archer series, Rogue Angel. This story revolves around the West African slave trade of the middle 1700's, a group of Hausa warriors who died in the 1860 Civil War era Kirktown Georgia, an ancient map that exists on the legendary Spider Stone, and the African warlord who will stop at nothing to get it.

Once again I was treated to a Graphic Audio performance that really brings the listener into the story. The combination of sound effects and artistic vocal performances creates what Graphic Audio calls a "Movie in your Mind," and that is truly what it is.



The story begins when Annja Creed, the reincarnation of Joan of Arc via Joan's legendary sword, is called to investigate a significant find by fellow archeologist, Professor Noel Hallinger. The bodies of sixteen slaves from the Civil War era were found in a warehouse that is scheduled to be torn down. What is unusual is that these slaves have warrior weapons, and have apparently been murdered 150 years ago.

We quickly find out that others know of the Spider Stone and will try anything to get their hands on it. Most notably, the Yoruban warlord, Tafari, will stop at nothing to grab the fortune for himself. It is said that the trickster spider God Anansi, bestowed the stone upon the Hausa and that the map leads to a great treasure, but will Annja survive long enough to find it?

I think that Rogue Angel: The Spider Stone may be the best so far. The author has found a solid voice in the character and it shows in both the voicing as well as the story progress. This, as with the previous two volumes, is a good blend of action, adventure, supernatural powers and history. The rich characters that populate the story truly make it worth listening to; whether it is Roux (who makes a cell call), Garin (who has a prominent role in this story), or some of the new characters such as the old wizened woman Janeiba, or the Homeland Security agent, McIntosh, that bring the story to life.

The quality of the story and performance are two of the reasons that I keep coming back. You can also check out some of their other series as well. If you want you can down load of MP3 excerpt, or purchase the GraphicAudio Book from their on-line Store. The story comes three ways; standard CD, MP3 CD (the version I reviewed), and downloadable WMA with digital rights management.

Audio Book Review: Infinite Crisis - Part I by Greg Cox and DC Comics Miniseries

by T. Michael Testi (Blogcritics.org , PhotographyToday, ATAEE)

Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics beginning in October 2005. It was written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez. The series storyline was based on the 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths, and it revisits characters and ideas that were from the earlier work.

Once again I was treated to a Graphic Audio performance that really brings you into the story. The combination of sound effects and artistic vocal performances creates what Graphic Audio calls a “Movie in your Mind,” and that is truly what it is.

We enter the story just as the Justice League of America's watchtower has been destroyed and the heroes of the world are facing a variety of menaces. Maxwell Lord, the head of the O.M.A.C. project — a super-spy satellite that has been gathering information on the super heroes — found out that the Blue Beetle discovered the project and shot him dead when he would not be enlisted to the cause. In fact he was going to expose it.

When Lord tried to use mind control to get Batman to kill Superman, Wonder Woman stepped in and killed Lord. Now the O.M.A.C project has taken on a life of its own and is broadcasting Wonder Woman's "Murder" of Maxwell Lord while in the process trying to rid the world of magic and the super heroes who use it.

Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman are all feuding: Wonder Woman for killing Lord, Batman for being paranoid and developing the out of control O.M.A.C project, and Superman for not being there when people need him most. On this Earth, Earth one, is a dark and cold place where people are distrusting. Is there something that has gone wrong?

The only problem that I had with this book was that being unfamiliar with the story and the fact that there are so many characters, it was hard to keep up with at first. This is more of a problem with translating this kind of story from a comic book, where you can read the names and descriptions over again. On audio, you have to rewind if you miss something. Once we got through the initial barrage of who's who, the rest of the story works well.

The quality of the story and performance are the reason that I will be coming back for the Part II of Infinite Crisis. You can also check out some of their other series as well. If you want you can download an MP3 excerpt, or purchase the GraphicAudio Book from their on-line store. The story comes three ways: standard CD, MP3 CD, and downloadable WMA with digital rights management (the version I reviewed).

Audio Book Review - Brother Odd by Dean Koontz – Read by David Aaron Baker

by T. Michael Testi (Blogcritics.org , PhotographyToday, ATAEE)

Odd Thomas returns! This time he is not in the desert town of Pico Mundo, rather he is high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this third installment of what has become the Odd Thomas series, we find him in reclusion at St. Bartholomew's Abbey where he has gone for solace and seclusion. While waiting for an oncoming snow storm – this is the first time that he has seen snow – he encounters bodachs. These are the dark entities that precede cataclysmic events and feed on the impending doom of others. The last time he encountered them, 19 people died. What are they doing at a monastery that caters to handicapped children?

“Loop me in, odd one” are the words spoken by a young girl who is in a deep sleep. These are word that Odd has not heard since the death of his girlfriend Stormy Llewellyn. It sends a chill down his spine.

By the time Brother Timothy is found to be missing, the snow is falling heavily and outside help is not available. The question is not about if something will happen, the question is when and how bad will it be this time. It will be up to Odd to solve the mystery and save the abbey. Odd is about to embark on a journey of mystery, wonder and sheer suspense that surpasses all that has come before.

For those who are unfamiliar with Odd Thomas, he sees dead people and other spirits known as bodachs. Normally, Odd lives in a little desert town known as Pico Mundo where he is employed as a fry cook, but has chosen to live at the abbey to help overcome the grief he has for his deceased girlfriend and the burden he set on himself that he could not save more people at mall.

The dead people that Odd Thomas sees are ones who can’t quite make it to the other side. One of the reoccurring ghosts is Elvis, who sometimes cries, sometimes tries to make Odd laugh but is always trying to resolve the sadness he has for disappointing his mother. Although Odd can see the ghosts, he can not hear them.

In the first book, Stormy died and Odd believed that after a lifetime of service to humanity, that he would one day be reunited in the after life with her. As in his prior books, Odd Thomas places his life danger to protect others. In this case it is to protect the young children housed abbey, most are handicapped and are incapable of living a normal life.

Brother Odd is more of a return to the first book, Odd Thomas which was published in 2003. Forever Odd, published in 2005 was a darker tale and much more introspective than this one. In Brother Odd, Koontz returns with a strong supporting cast including Brother Knuckles who was a mob enforcer, before finding his new calling. There is Sister Angela who has a “periwinkle blue stare” as well as Boo, a snow-colored hound who loves inclement weather.

This is Koontz at his finest. There is a wry sense of humor that runs like multiple threads throughout the story. As with his earlier books in the Odd Thomas series it is easy to find your self immersed in the development of the characters. They are loose, individual and really come alive with their rich dialog. The plot takes you along at an ever increasing pace moving faster and faster toward… Well, you wouldn’t want me to spoil it would you?

Odd Thomas has become one of the best serial fictional characters ever created. His calm demeanor and his dedication to his fellow souls in – both living and not - brings his personality to life. He is not pretentious and is always willing to undertake the challenges that life places in his path.

This unabridged audio version is performed by David Aaron Baker. An actor who has appeared on Broadway and on film, he has narrated all three audio versions of the Odd Thomas series. In this one Baker has slipped back in to the voice of Odd as smoothly as sliding into fuzzy slippers on a Christmas morning. His ability to weave in and out of the different characters makes this a wonder to listen to. I hope that he continues to bring Odd Thomas to life in the spoken word as Dean Koontz brings him to life on the page.

If I had one complaint with the story it is that it is too short. This is one of those rare moments that at the end, you don't want to be done. Even more, you can’t wait to go back. I hope that we will be going back soon!

I highly recommend Brother Odd. If you have never read (or listened to) an Odd Thomas story, get all three. You will not be disappointed.