# Keanu as Klaatu! The Day the Earth Officially Ended **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 24, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579 "2008-03-24T20:00:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/1 "2008-03-24T20:00:08Z")
It’s official. Hollywood has vowed to destroy all we hold dear by remaking the classic, _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ and putting [Keanu Reeves](http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/03/21/keanu-reeves-brings-different-message-with-him-in-day-the-earth-stood-still) in the lead! What’s next? Jim Carrey makes _Citizen Kane_? Bruce Willis in _Casablanca?_ This might not be a major pit-worth item but what in the name of Hitchcock’s hemorrhoids are they thinking? “Hey, we have a great classic movie, consistently ranked as one of the all time best. Let’s redo it! And let’s get someone with less emotional range than Gort the robot to take over the lead. How about Keaunu?” Please someone stop them before they remake _Gone With the Wind_ with Kathy Griffin and Pauly Shore. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/2 "2008-03-24T20:12:06Z")
You sound surprised. How this will in any way cause me to not adore the original? That’s like say that as long as my ex-wife is alive I can’t love someone else. Remember, it’s only a movie. However, I’m also a movie buff and even I was amazed as my friend, on set on the newest Star Trek feature, called me at around 11 pm (after I had gone to bed) to tell me that Leonard Nimoy was filming his last scene as Spock, that this was “a historic moment!” He called all his friends and encouraged them to “mark this down!” Uh, right, sure, historic, good night. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/3 "2008-03-24T20:17:11Z")
Horrors! They’re going to have each and every copy of the original version incinerated? Oh, wait … ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/4 "2008-03-24T20:17:48Z")
Those are all 3 fine actors - I don’t know what your problem is. Hell, what’s so special about _TDTESS_, anyway - it’s practically a B-movie. ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/5 "2008-03-24T20:27:19Z")
Keanu Reeves has the best agent in the history of the Universe. How he continues to get such awesome parts with so little talent is completely beyond me. Sorry if there’s some huge fans of the guy, I just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/6 "2008-03-24T20:28:53Z")
I posted a thread about this weeks ago, under the title **Klaatu Barada Nikto…Whoa!** : [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457359&highlight=Klaatu](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457359&highlight=Klaatu) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/7 "2008-03-24T20:32:01Z")
This is hardly [new](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=434724&highlight=Keanu+Gort) [news.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457359&highlight=Keanu+Gort) And the general concensus has been that Reeves would make a good Gort. As far as Follywood abortions go, this is about par for the course. We’ve got a few [movie deals coming](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457620) which look to be much worse, IMHO. (Oh yeah, they’re remaking _Attack of the Killer Tomatoes_ as well.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/8 "2008-03-24T20:36:28Z")
Klaatu is a creature from another planet, and their culture’s equivalent of a professional military officer/diplomat, who shows emotion, insofar as he experiences it at all, in a very restrained manner. How is this outside Reeves’ range as an actor? Especially considering Leonard Nimoy is too old for the part. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/9 "2008-03-24T20:50:36Z")
He’s not playing the robot? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/10 "2008-03-24T21:26:00Z")
Yeah, what **BrainGlutton** said. Michael Rennie in the original was, if not wooden, at least very understated. It was the reactions of those around him that drove the movie. Keanu has an emotional range that runs the gamut from A to B, but should be able to handle this one. I’m more apt to miss Sam Jaffe. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/11 "2008-03-24T21:29:26Z")
Y’know, I’m agreeing that this role is within Keanu’s limited range. “Dudes, unless you hu-mons get your shit together, we’re like gonna totally destroy your planet. So hey, your choice.” ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/12 "2008-03-24T21:47:06Z")
Keanu’s a fine actor when he’s not trying to over emote (and sometimes he does alright even then, like as the abusive boyfriend in The Gift). As restrained as Klaatu is, he’ll be fine. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a fine movie, but also very much a product of its times. It’s about due for a remake to reflect the current world situation. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/13 "2008-03-24T21:50:40Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio] The Day the Earth Stood Still is a fine movie, but also very much a product of its times. It’s about due for a remake to reflect the current world situation. [/QUOTE] Interesting to see what they’ll focus on. Has anything been leaked about that? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/14 "2008-03-24T22:09:40Z")
[QUOTE=Slypork] …Bruce Willis in _Casablanca?_ … [/QUOTE] That would actually work. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/15 "2008-03-24T22:21:10Z")
And in the true style of movie-making today, will Hollywood make another sci-fi movie where the whizz-bang, nonsense blast’em-all-to-Hell special effects usurp the quality plot line and witty dialogue of the original? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/16 "2008-03-24T22:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] And in the true style of movie-making today, will Hollywood make another sci-fi movie where the whizz-bang, nonsense blast’em-all-to-Hell special effects usurp the quality plot line and witty dialogue of the original? [/QUOTE] Powered systems shutting down all over the Earth at once is certainly a situation with a lot of disaster-movie-level FX potential. I’d be disappointed if they **didn’t** do more with it than the original did. ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/17 "2008-03-24T22:56:27Z")
[QUOTE=garygnu] That would actually work. [/QUOTE] I kind of agree. Bruce Willis does noir elements very well (Sin City), and Casablanca is at least noir-like. Hey but how about Edward Norton as Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk)? I’m pretty pumped for that. Also: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Starks (Iron Man). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/18 "2008-03-24T23:01:18Z")
[QUOTE=Slypork] Jim Carrey makes _Citizen Kane_? Bruce Willis in _Casablanca?_ [/QUOTE] No, no, you want Woody Allen and Pee-Wee Herman! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/19 "2008-03-24T23:05:16Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Y’know, I’m agreeing that this role is within Keanu’s limited range. “Dudes, unless you hu-mons get your shit together, we’re like gonna totally destroy your planet. So hey, your choice.” [/QUOTE] 😃😃 Bill and Ted Ride Again! or _Point Break_: \<\\> “You’re going down Bodie, that’s the way it’s gotta be!”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579/20 "2008-03-24T23:32:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] Michael Rennie in the original was, if not wooden, at least very understated. [/QUOTE] Probably because he was ill. But he told us where we stand! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keanu-as-klaatu-the-day-the-earth-officially-ended/442579.md?page=2)