The Day the Earth Stood Still is the latest Hollywood production to hitch a ride on the "reinvention" bandwagon. With "remake" quickly becoming a four-letter word, studios are now trying to dodge criticisms by branding such pictures as reimaginings, rather than efforts to do the same story all over again. To its credit, The Day the Earth Stood Still does a decent job of distancing itself from Robert Wise's original picture, but when this new film references the sci-fi  classic, it calls its own existence into question.

Director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) takes the premise of the 1951 movie and gives it a 21st century twist. Professional brainiac Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is going about her business, clashing with feisty stepson Jacob (Jaden Smith), when the government arrives to whisk her away into the night. As it turns out, an unknown object is making a beeline straight for Earth, and Helen's help is needed to figure out what's happening. When the mass comes in for a landing, it reveals itself to be a spherical spaceship carrying two passengers: humanoid alien Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) and his sidekick, a hulking robot later named Gort. Klaatu has come with a grave warning for our world: change our destructive ways or face dire consequences. Unfortunately, the military seems more concerned with blasting Klaatu to kingdom come than with listening to his message, leaving Helen to try and convince the intergalactic visitor to spare the planet from a horrible fate.

The trouble with comparing a remake to its predecessor is that one risks coming across like a cranky old man complaining about how things ain't what they used to be. I admit being a big fan of The Day the Earth Stood Still's previous incarnation, one of the most wise and compelling sci-fi tales ever made. But I realize times have changed since then, and I appreciate Derrickson and company for trying something different in adapting the story for modern  audiences. Although Derrickson also claims to be a fan of the original, he appears less concerned about paying tribute than with aping random parts of that film. Perhaps it won't bother viewers who haven't seen the original movie, but there's a much too simplistic mentality at work here than the story needs. For the most part, the film comes across as an Independence Day clone with leftovers from An Inconvenient Truth mixed in. The idea of mankind's abuse of the environment leading to our potential destruction is used as a clothesline on which to hang a handful of underwhelming action sequences.

Unfortunately, The Day the Earth Stood Still isn't a very exciting film. The first act contains some fantastic build-up, all of which vanishes the moment the ghastly, computer-generated creation Gort has become steps out of the ship. After that, the story remains stuck in neutral, never really going anywhere until the ending comes along to demand that something happen. The film's visual sheen is top-notch, but the plot doesn't even come close to grabbing your attention. Part of the blame goes to cast members who are apparently hell-bent on not having a good time. Connelly can play sullen characters in her sleep, so her  performance doesn't suffer all that much. Reeves, on the other hand, appears even more emotionless than usual, with his Klaatu coming across as more constipated than threatening. Don't even get me started on Smith's irritating turn as Helen's stepson, though John Cleese brings an air of nobility to his quickie role as one of Helen's colleagues.

For more casual movie buffs, The Day the Earth Stood Still will probably be just another entry in the ever-expanding pantheon of films concerned primarily with blowing stuff up. But for those who've seen and admired the original, this movie stands out as a  missed opportunity to make a meaningful sci-fi parable for a modern generation. Instead, it beomes lost in a sea of stilted acting and futile pyrotechnics.

MY RATING: ** (out of ****)

(Released by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation and rated "PG-13" for some sci-fi disaster images and violence.)