Why is Klaatu here? What are his intentions? These are the questions Benson and her colleagues want answered, but of course, the government, represented by Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson (Kathy Bates), already have their assumptions. Clearly, Klaatu is a potential hostile, a representative from an advanced civilization, and Jackson reminds them all of the lessons in history when an advanced civilization contacts a simple one. The giant robot still stands sentinel in Central Park, and Klaatu isn't forthcoming with his motivation, requesting to speak in front of the UN so all leaders of the world can hear what he has to say.

The debate is unfortunately short-lived, and soon Benson helps Klaatu escape and ends up taking him around to other spheres that have landed around the world and determine what's to be done with those pesky humans. There's a lot of potential here to develop this initial conflict between what each group sees as good for humanity, but David Scarpa's script instead lets these early scenes serve as a mysterious, threatening buildup. It's less intellectually involving, but it gets the job done for what's to follow. What does follow are cryptic remarks (There's a play on semantics with the phrase, "I'm a friend to the Earth") and behavior from Klaatu, while the military plays around with their new robotic friend.

At times, it feels like there are two different movies here. There's the creepy speculation about Klaatu and the more special-effects oriented action with the robot (drone fighters attack it, giant walls are positioned around it, and an entire military base falls victim to its secondary, microscopic form). The material with Klaatu accomplishes what it must, and surprisingly it works in large part because of Keanu Reeves' performance. Completely emotionless, with a face that gives away absolutely nothing (Nothing too farfetched for Reeves, but it works this time around.), Reeves' Klaatu is a blank slate for us to fill in the gaps until his plan becomes clear.

The stuff with the robot, on the other hand, is clearly less important to the movie, and Scarpa seems reassert the point, giving us some fairly anticlimactic action sequences throughout. Even the large-scale destruction in the final act, which follows the rule in a movie about potential global destruction that even though the Earth itself is saved you'd better be sure to get some massive mayhem in, isn't too impressive. Also lacking is the development of Klaatu's change of perception of humanity, but, like the original, it certain preaches its final point nonetheless.

It might sound as though I'm not too enthused about The Day the Earth Stood Still, and that's right. While it's definitely lacking in certain, important areas of development, the overall atmosphere of dreadful foreboding compensates enough. The film works for what it is, and I can't necessarily fault the film too much because of it.