The day the Earth stopped dead

I’ve been interested in the ads that are running on television regarding the DVD release of the newest version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

The movie, which stars Keanu Reeves as the alien who comes to Earth to warn humans about their erring ways, is available in several editions, including Blu-ray.

But the most intriguing aspect to the ad is that it emphasizes the version that includes a copy of the original 1951 film (which stars Michael Rennie).

When one of the main reasons to buy a remake is that you get the original, too, you have to wonder: Just how good is this remake, anyway?

Easy answer there. Scott Derrickson’s film is all about computer graphics, which gives it some semblance of suspense. But the CG is more impressive than scary.

The Gort of 1951 was a guy named Lock Martin. Standing 7-feet-7 and encased in his plastic and metal suit, he looked positively creepy.

Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!