Saturday, January 3, 2009

Garbage Rots: Just Like The Day The Earth Stood Still


After three weeks, the city of Kent has NOT been collecting the neighborhood garbage (due to holiday and snow activity). So, with refuge now spilling over the top of garbage cans and with additional overstuffed Hefty bags lining the street, long after snow and ice have disappeared, the garbage collectors finally arrived, yesterday, but there remain bags and bags of recycle material still laying alongside my driveway.

I am now feeling acutely aware of how much garbage we as human beings generate (with all that packaging material we throw away or recycle as we consume groceries wrapped in Styrofoam, plastic, cardboard, aluminum, glass, paper and other various materials).

It looks as though my neighborhood is continuing to experience some dramatic scene from the newly released movie: "The Day the Earth Stood Still."

In fact, I went to see that attractive/big-budget film by Scott Derrickson with my sister, grand-nephew Peri, son & daughter-in-law and Doug, yesterday. (I would not recommend it).

The story line suggests that planets capable of sustaining life are so rare that the aliens are going to save Mother Earth by killing off the human species – since we prey upon Her like some sort of deadly ebola virus.

This year’s movie deviates quite a bit from the 1951 version. Especially noticeable is how much child-rearing has changed. In the classic film, adults dismiss whatever the young boy has to say (as “children are to be seen and not so often heard”). Meanwhile, in today’s version, the young boy “Jacob” is a constantly misbehaving. Instead of his step-mom parenting him, like a grownup should, she tries to be his very best friend as he continues to run rampant, reminding me of all the modern-day screaming brats who howl and throw temper-tantrums inside public malls and grocery stores.

The new film had very good graphics yet it was missing depth in plot (much more so than from the earlier version). My son Greg and I both agreed the new ending would have been so much better if the alien species would merely have continued sending its plague to consume all the pathetic humans depicted. After all, SOMEONE needs to save Earth and the movie created no opportunity to feel sorry for any character.

Long story short: the ending had no compelling message. It hinted that human beings would “make change” to save the Earth but no example of such change ever came about and no evidence for what kind of change might happen was even alluded upon.

It would have been so much better if "The Day The Earth Stood Still" had actually educated people and inspired them on how to "make change." Since it did NOT do that -- and the ending left viewers feeling deflated instead of energized -- I give it a big thumbs down.

6 comments:

LearningLifelong said...

A better movie might be the family movie, Wall-E. That one left me with tears in my eyes!

SunTiger said...

I did watch Wall-E. It was very moving (the artists did an amazing job of making viewers fall in love with the animated cast). Every time I watch a Wall-E commercial I feel all fuzzy inside now.

{Good choice in movies Pandemona!}

becomingkate said...

How disappointing. I like a movie to make you FEEL something, other than disdain for it's characters!

jadedj said...

I was going to mention Wall-E as a better take on the subject...even though it's basically a kiddie film, it does get one to thinking about the subject. Methinks, the money-mongers, who produced the RE-MAKE, and butchering of a classic film, left themselves wiggle room for a sequel$$$$$$$$$.

Labetine said...

I haven't been to a movie since Titanic was new. I need to get out more. I'm missing lots of good movies. :(

SunTiger said...

BecomingKate ~ Most of the characters in the movie wanted to shoot first and ask questions later. That just seemed very neanderthal to me (that's what I did NOT like about the characters as they were depicted).

JadedJ ~ A sequel to "The Day the Earth Stood Still?" {Gasping at the thought.}

Labetine ~ Yes you ARE missing some really good movies. The next Harry Potter film comes out in July. (Maybe you can plan to go see that one?)

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