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The Day the Earth Stood Still

1951

Robert Wise

Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe ...

7.0

17,964

Sci-Fi. Drama A space craft lands in Washington D.C. and an alien named Klaatu appears with a robot, Gort. He's come to speak to the leaders of the world in the hope that he can convince them of the danger that Earth is in. Finally he is forced to show his true powers to teach mankind a lesson.

	Media	Author	Review
		Angie Errigo Empire	"This is a superbly crafted, landmark film which invested a much-derided -- and frequently ludicrous -- genre with a welcome degree of dignity and respectability."
		Bill Weber Slant	"Iconic from the get-go."
		Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune	"Like most of Robert Wise's work, this slickly constructed 1951 science fiction film settles squarely in the middle of its genre, better than some and worse than others."
		Cindy White IGN	"Despite the fantastic basis of the story, the movie isn't dominated by its effects, or even the eight-foot-tall robot Gort"
		Keith Phipps AV Club	"Working from a script by Edmund North ('Patton'), taken from a story by Harry Bates, Robert Wise directs the movie with a minimum of spectacle."
		Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times	"Robert Wise directed what turned out to be one of his best-liked movies and a personal favorite of his"
		Almar Haflidason BBC	"A true sci-fi classic."
		Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"It is comforting, of course, to have it made plain that our planetary neighbors are much wiser and more peaceful than are we, but this makes for a tepid entertainment"
		TV Guide	"Superb performances by all involved, restrained direction by Wise, and a magnificent and innovative score by Bernard Herrmann help keep this 35-year-old film just as relevant today as it was the day it was released."
		Nigel Floyd Time Out	"Edmund H North's intelligent script and Wise's smooth direction are serious without being solemn, while Bernard Herrmann's effectively alien-sounding score reinforces the atmosphere of strangeness and potential menace."
		The Hollywood Reporter	"Today, wistful viewers might ask: Where are Klaatu and Gort when we need them most?"

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