In what will be the last of my Godzilla posts for a while I wanted to give a review of William Tsutsui’s book Godzilla on My Mind. However, the book is too painfully bad to give a detailed review. Discussing the contents in any detail would be too cruel a thing to do to this blog’s readers. The author has nothing worthwhile to add to any conversation of Godzilla. To borrow a line from Monty Python, this is not a book for reading. This is a book for laying down and avoiding.

Advertising poster from Godzilla's 28th and (so far) final movie. It bids Godzilla farewell and shows him walking away from the big screen.

Now that I’ve finally had the chance to watch all 28 Godzilla movies (and a few other classic Toho films) I can reflect on how the King of the Monsters and his career have effected me. Ever since childhood I watched Godzilla’s 70’s movies on television. I liked the movies but for years I didn’t really understand what Godzilla meant or anything about the context in which the monster’s stories were told.

I continued my interest in Japan and learned many things about the history, culture and mindset of the Land of the Rising Sun. I watched a lot of anime and read manga. It wasn’t until many years had passed that I finally decided to take another look at Godzilla and see if there was anything in those movies that would hold my attention. Watching the original cut of the first Godzilla movie (1954) with English subtitles blew my mind. I had no idea monster movies could have such depth. It appealed to me on many levels and set me on a quest to learn more about the radioactive reptile that had ruled the big screen for 50 years.

Most English speakers think all Godzilla movies are like the ones made in the 70’s. Godzilla vs. Megalon and one or two other movies from that period have been played repeatedly on American television for years. The bad dubbing, added to the fact that Godzilla vs. Megalon was the nadir of Godzilla’s film career lead many people to think Godzilla movies are nothing but junk. Godzilla movies are actually divided into three series. The original series ran from 1954 to 1975. This era, called the Showa Series (getting its name from Japan’s emperor) started out serious and slowly became more light-hearted. By the mid 70’s Godzilla movies were a lot like comic super hero stories. The Heisei Series lasted from 1984 to 1995 and was a return to serious storytelling. The Millennium Series was from 1999 to 2004. This most recent series was mostly unconnected stories that introduced modern special effects techniques.

I started collecting Godzilla’s movies, whether by purchase or rental, in their original form with subtitles so I could be sure I wasn’t missing anything. Books like A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series and Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters filled in gaps in my knowledge and helped me get a better picture of the films’ context. I was genuinely surprised by how much enjoyment I found in these movies. Even when the series reached the 70’s and started getting less serious and more goofy I had grown to like the elements of Godzilla movies so much that my enthusiasm didn’t diminish. In the 90’s when the Heisei Series began and the storytelling shifted into a more serious mode I was amazed again at what I found. I was relieved when the Millennium Series added the higher quality special effects to the movies that had been lacking for so long.

The Godzilla series is rich in not only action, thrills and fun but also engaging storytelling and deeper themes like the responsibilities of using our technology well and holding ourselves accountable for what our society does to the environment and its citizens. Even movies that at first seem like low spots in Godzilla’s career, like All Monsters Attack (1969), reveal mature themes such as the importance of father-son relationships and the affects of a nation’s industrialization on families.

After 28 movies what is the main lesson we can take away? Don’t mess with Godzilla. It may seem like a good idea at the time but it just never is. No scientist, no nation, no army, no alien civilization has ever succeeded in pushing Godzilla around. It’s best to just get out of this monster’s way.

What is the essence of Godzilla? What is his defining characteristic? Tenacity, determination, perseverance – Godzilla never quits, never gives up and never says die. The king of the monsters possesses a determination that is primal and impossible for mere humans to understand. Whether he’s menacing society or defending it, you can’t help but admire him.

It wasn’t easy gathering all the Godzilla movies. I had to purchase 18 of the 28 movies just to watch faithful versions. However, the time and the money I put into my project payed off handsomely. My two sons and I enjoyed the movies immensely and have spent a lot of time talking about them. The mature themes discussed in so many of the movies have given me pause for thought on many occasions. The heart and soul poured into these movies by so many Japanese people, people like Eiji Tsuburaya, Ishiro Honda, Koichi Kawakita and many others, shows through on many levels and has been rewarding viewers for fifty years. If you haven’t seen any Godzilla movies than you should at least sample a few. I recommend starting with the first, Godzilla from 1954.

The Japanese DVD art for Godzilla: Final Wars

Video Daikaiju came to my rescue again and supplied a great subtitled copy of Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). This is the 28th and (so far) final Godzilla movie directed by Kitamura Ryuhei. Godzilla’s Millennium Series ended with a bang with this over-the-top, thrill-packed movie.

The North American DVD art for Godzilla: Final Wars

Toho decided that the 6th movie in the Millennium Series (1999 to 2004) would be their last – at least for a number of years. Since 2004 was Godzilla’s 50th anniversary they decided to give him a big farewell party in the form of a movie with everything. This time the big budget action would not just be for the monsters. The human characters, often consigned to watching from the sidelines as the monsters battle, have plenty of battles of their own in Final Wars. A large host of the most popular monsters from past Godzilla movies were rounded up to appear again and give the King of the Monsters a proper farewell. Final Wars doesn’t follow the serious storytelling of the Heisei (1984 to 1995) and most of the Millennium movies. As a tribute to the Godzilla movies the creators of this film no doubt grew up with, they decided to emulate the light-hearted, fun feel of many of the later Godzilla movies of the Showa Series (1954 to 1975). Although I prefer the serious storytelling mode used by the Heisei Series I also enjoyed many of the lighter movies from the 1970’s. Godzilla: Final Wars was just too much fun for me to resist.

Godzilla's new look for his 28th movie

Starting with the first of Godzilla’s attacks in 1954, Earth has been ravaged by many giant monsters. To deal with the threat Earth’s governments have cooperated to fund and operate the Earth Defense Force (EDF). When some humans were discovered to have unusual strength, endurance and agility research uncovered a unique genetic sequence dubbed M base. These people were called mutants and enlisted by the EDF to form Organization M. Organization M soldiers form the vanguard of the EDF’s efforts to fight monsters both as heavily armed infantry and as bridge crew on the EDF’s combat air ships.

Japanese movie posters that bid farewell to Godzilla

Organization M soldier Ozaki is assigned to protect genetic scientist Otonashi Miyuki as she begins to study a new monster unearthed in Hokkaido. Otonashi is beautiful but proud so sparks fly immediately between the two. When many giant monsters appear at the same time and attack several major cities the EDF is thrown into a panic. Just as all hope seems to be lost mysterious aliens from Planet X appear in the skies over the besieged cities and make the monsters vanish. The aliens announce their intentions are peaceful but many doubt the Earth’s new guests. Ozaki and Otonashi gather a small group to get some answers and Otonashi’s sister, a television news reporter, discovers that UN Secretary General Daigo is actually an alien imposter. When the aliens’ ruse is exposed the aliens’ leader is assassinated by his aide who now announces that all diplomacy with Earth is over. The X-ians have come to dominate the Earth and will brook no resistance. The giant monsters of the world have M base within them and are completely under the X-ians control. These monsters are quickly released to cause havoc in Earth’s cities to demoralize the human race and make them ready to submit to their alien masters.

Ozaki and his team resolve to revive the fragmented EDF and break the rebellious Colonel Gordon out of solitary confinement. Although locked up for insubordination, Colonel Gordon is a strong leader and the EDF’s last hope against the X-ians. Gordon wastes no time getting his crew aboard the airship Gotengo. He reveals a bold scheme to revive Godzilla, locked in ice at the South Pole, to battle the monsters terrorizing Earth’s cities while the Gotengo takes the fight to the X-ian mother ship. Godzilla sets to with a vengeance and makes short work of the monsters around the world. He even puts the beat down on Anguirus, King Caesar and Rodan when they all attack him at once. The Gotengo mounts an attack on the X-ian mother ship. After taking out the alien ship’s force field with an act of heroism the heroes are captured by X-ian soldiers and lead to the control room to confront their leader, the maniacal Controller.

A meteor sent to Earth by the X-ians finally makes impact and a fearsome new monster confronts Godzilla in a ruined Tokyo. When things seem at their darkest Mothra appears from her island hideaway and helps Godzilla narrowly escape a combined attack from Gigan and the new monster. Mothra takes out Gigan while Godzilla battles the new monster to a standstill. Rather than lose the fight the new monster throws away its disguise and transforms into King Ghidora. King Ghidora seizes Godzilla in a death grip and begins sucking out his life force.

Not to be outdone, the heroes aboard the X-ian mother ship resolve their battle with the Controller and his elite X-ian soldiers. Ozaki learns that he is more than an M Organization mutant. He is a rare kaiser, a being capable of controlling humans and mutants with more power than any mutant can muster. The Controller attempts to bend Ozaki to his will but Otonashi, using a relic left behind by Mothra’s tiny priestesses, snaps the mind control and releases Ozaki’s true potential as a kaiser. In a hand-to-hand battle with the Controller Ozaki reveals his power and gives the Controller a fatal blow. Colonel Gordon leads the evacuation as the mother ship self destructs and Ozaki just barely makes it on board as they flee.

Once outside, Ozaki uses his newfound powers to revive Godzilla. Shaking off King Ghidora’s fatal embrace Godzilla savagely defeats the alien dragon and sends it into orbit with a radioactive blast that shatters the monster’s body. Godzilla then turns his rage upon the damaged Gotengo and its crew and almost destroys them when Minira (from Son of Godzilla) pleads with him to stop. Godzilla and Minira head for the sea while the human characters resolve to rebuild their shattered world.

Godzilla: Final Wars was a lot of fun to watch. The movie is not only action packed but features every kind of action I can think of – kung fu fights, gun fights, sword fights, motorcycle battles, giant monster rumbles, aerial battles. It was great to see so many of Godzilla’s famous rivals rounded up in one movie. Mecha Godzilla was absent but since this monster was featured prominently in the previous two movies, this omission was forgiveable. The special effects were great but not as good as the previous two or three movies. Because this movie was a tribute to Godzilla’s long career it seems the director wanted to return to more traditional rubber suit acting. Although newer CG effects were used they weren’t used as often or as wells as they were in other Millennium Series movies.

Some aspects of the film did disappoint me, though. Colonel Gordon was a great character but the writers seemed to focus on his tough guy persona too much. He had plenty of attitude and tenacity but they gave him so many sarcastic lines and so few intelligent ones that he ended up looking like more of a fool than a capable leader. In a nod to films like Song of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack, Minira appeared in the movie in a few scenes before making his impassioned plea to Godzilla at the end. Minira’s scenese, although mercifully few, were annoying and should have been taken out altogether. Not everything from Godzilla’s illustrious past was illustrious, after all. Also, when the mutant Kazama makes his heroic sacrifice and crashes his fighter plane into the heart of the alien mother ship to take out the force field we’re treated to a Star Wars cliche that just shouldn’t have been there.

One great thing about this movie was the explanation scene at the beginning. The writers did a great job of helping the audience understand what world the movie is set in and how humanity and the monsters relate. When the action started I didn’t have to wonder what it meant.

As is fitting in a tribute to Godzilla’s career, the movie was full of references to earlier movies. The movie itself is almost a remake of Attack of the Marching Monsters (Destroy All Monsters in North America). When Attack of the Marching Monsters was made it was a rousing return to classic Godzilla themes and featured more action and more monsters than any movie that came before it. Old time Godzilla actors returned in supporting roles for Godzilla: Final Wars. Akira Takarada, who starred in the very first Godzilla movie, appeared as UN General Secretary Daigo. Godzilla’s encasement in ice was borrowed from the end of the second Godzilla movie (and the beginning of the third). In keeping with early Godzilla traditions, we have a scientist and a reporter among the band of heroes. We also have a soldier and some EDF officers. This combination of the older and newer types of Godzilla heroes was a good mixture of the old and the new.

Godzilla: Final Wars was a lot of fun to watch and I enthusiastically recommend it to everyone. I watched it a second time with my two boys and they’re asking when they can watch it again. Don’t cheat yourself by missing out on this movie.

After much waiting I finally received my copy of Godzilla 2000 (1999) subtitled this week. I’ve been waiting to see this movie for a long time. Although I enjoyed it, it was one of the weaker entries of the six movies in the Millenium Series.

In Godzilla 2000 Dr. Shinoda left a high profile position as a professor at a large university to create a small company that tracks and studies Godzilla. Dr. Shinoda hopes that his Godzilla warnings will help people avoid the worst consequences of the monster’s rampages. During his time in the field studying Godzilla Dr. Shinoda once again meets Mr. Katagiri, a government official in charge of Japan’s Crisis Control Institute (CCI). Katagiri is unsuccessful in his attempts to persuade Shinoda to join his team. Shinoda does not want to help the CCI destroy Godzilla.

Godzilla is back - with a whole new look.

While Godzilla is rampaging another team in the CCI accidentally awakens an alien artifact that has rested at the bottom of the sea for millions of years. Upon awakening, the artifact takes an interest in Godzilla and confronts the monster. After a brief battle Godzilla disappears and the artifact, now revealed to be a space craft, finds a place to rest and recover.

It isn’t long before the space craft pulls itself together and rests atop a skyscraper in Tokyo. As it sits silently atop the building Shinoda, temporarily cooperating with the CCI to gain access to their labs, works with his former university colleague Dr. Miyasaka (now with the CCI) to study a tissue sample from Godzilla. They learn Godzilla has amazing regenerative abilities. Meanwhile, members of the CCI discover the alien ship is sitting on the building so it can gain access to Japan’s best data store.

Godzilla faces off with Orga

Yukiko Ichinose, a photographer who has been tagging along with Dr. Shinoda, breaks into the building to try and discover just what information the aliens are after. Katagiri has his forces set bombs in the building to try and destroy the alien ship. Shinoda breaks into the building to rescue Ichinose and just barely makes it out alive as the bombs go off. When the CCI team sees the bombs had no effect on the aliens they are at a loss for what to do. Shinoda reveals the aliens plan to transform Earth’s atmosphere to their liking before they invade but first they want to take the secret of Godzilla’s regeneration directly from the monster himself.

The aliens use their new-found knowledge to make a monster called Orga to defeat and consume Godzilla to unlock the last secrets of the monster’s amazing ability. Godzilla, seeking revenge for the earlier confrontation, isn’t willing to cooperate with the aliens’ scheme. Godzilla wastes no time destroying the alien space craft and Orga in a climactic battle. After his victory, making a break with tradition, Godzilla immediately resumes his rampage across Tokyo.

The American DVD cover

I spent a large portion of the movie trying to figure out what was going on. The movie starts off with no information for the audience about the movie’s setting. Most movies in the Millenium Series create their own timeline that has no connection to the others. The audience needs some information at the start of the movie to help us know what came before in this timeline and where Godzilla stands in relation to mankind. Did Godzilla just appear? Has he been around for years? What does humanity think of the monster? Without answers to any of these questions the movie races on with a confused audience in tow.

The movie tried to show us two villains; the aliens and CCI head Katagiri. The aliens were certainly evil but Katagiri spent most of the movie being a competent, level-headed government official who worked hard to protect Japanese civilians. He wanted to destroy Godzilla but after the death and destruction the monster has caused this is certainly understandable. The writers suddenly remember their mistake towards the end of the movie and have Katagiri proceed with the building detonation even though he knows Shinoda may be inside. After that he has an odd breakdown and refuses to flee when Godzilla notices him atop a building. The breakdown makes no sense but allows the audience to care less when he dies.

In this movie Godzilla isn’t in search of radioactive energy on which to feed. Instead, the monster seems to be interested in destroying sources of energy. Electrical power stations, nuclear reactors – anything that powers mankind’s cities. Not only is this a break from the previous Godzilla movies but we’re never really told why Godzilla has this agenda.

Like some movies that came before, Godzilla 2000 has statements about how humanity’s science and technology are out of control. Unfortunately, this time the statements ring hollow. There are two scenes in the movies where Dr. Shinoda and his companions rail against the evils of science but the statements don’t make sense and certainly don’t pertain to anything going on in the movie. It’s traditional to have a moment for humility and reflection on behalf of mankind at the close of the movie and Godzilla 2000 retains this tradition. However, this time the statements are shallow and artificial. They are so out of place that they feel like they were poorly tacked on by writers who had a sense of Godzilla traditions but lacked any understanding for those traditions.

One of the really strange things about Godzilla 2000 is the ending. Usually Godzilla is tired after his final fight and retreats to the ocean. This is the time when the human characters reflect on what they’ve been through. This time, however, Godzilla immediately resumes his destruction of the city. It sets a decidedly depressing tone for the end of the film.

The special effects and fight scenes were definitely cool. The Godzilla movies have needed effects this good for a long time. The movie’s pacing was too slow but when the action got started I was well entertained. Godzilla looks rough and bestial in this movie. The overall look is good but his spines are just too large and the look established in the Heisei Series suited Godzilla better.

Godzilla 2000 offered good action and interesting characters but it falls short when compared to many recent Godzilla movies. Although I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to Godzilla fans I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t already fans. There are much better movies in the series to introduce people to the iconic monster’s career.

I just had a blast watching the Buck Rogers serial from 1939. Divided up into twelve twenty minute segments, the serial originally played before the feature film that the audience had payed for. Full of guts, fists and action Buck Rogers didn’t disappoint.

Buck Rogers with his sidekick Buddy Wade. As always, ready for action.

Larry “Buster” Crabbe, the king of serials, took the lead role as Buck Rogers who was backed up by his sidekick Buddy Wade and Lt. Wilma Deering. In this version, Buck Rogers crashes a dirigible among snowy mountains in 1940 and is locked in suspended animation by a special gas until 2440. His copilot Buddy Wade revives with him. Brought back to the Hidden City, Buck meets Lt. Wilma Deering and Dr. Huer who tell him about how the Hidden City is the last pocket of resistance against the ruthless Killer Kane.

Buck Rogers and Buddy Wade stand on the surface of Saturn with comrade Prince Talon.

Killer Kane’s ships control the skies but Buck isn’t frightened for a minute. Joining the Hidden City’s forces, Buck breaks through Kane’s ships and reaches the High Council of Saturn. After putting an end to Kane’s trickery Buck enlists the aid of the Saturnians and infiltrates Kane’s stronghold to free the men who have been reduced to robots by Kane’s mind controlling helmets. After leading the charge against the tyrant Buck is made the leader of Earth’s new air force and his sidekick Buddy is promoted to serve beside him.

Larry "Buster" Crabbe came back to appear in the Buck Rogers TV show (1979) as a fighter pilot.

The serial had a shoestring budget so the special effects, sets and props look poor. But, just like Buck himself, Hollywood had a lot of guts back then. With paltry special effects we have a science-fiction story involving spaceship battles, visits to other planets and plenty of ray guns. Fifty years later very few studios wanted to make science-fiction stories over fears that their special effects wouldn’t be good enough.

A few failings were hard to overlook. Although I loved the buzzsaw sound of the rocket engines, the spaceships were awkward-looking and ugly. People were knocked unconscious often and too easily. Ray guns that would normally be used to kill opponents were often set to stun. The surface of Saturn not only looked a lot like southern California but had solid ground and a breathable atmosphere(!). But these shortcomings didn’t spoil the story. The action and optimism swept me along. I enjoyed the story and the attitudes that permeated each scene. These characters were never afraid of the opposition. They were never at a loss for ideas. They always assumed that they could either find the right idea or hang in until help arrived. I wish modern science-fiction movies could take some cues from the classics.

One really interesting thing about this film is the use of the word “robot.” The word had not yet been firmly established in the minds of the public in 1939. When Killer Kane’s men put mind controlling helmets on captives the captives lose all of their memories along with their free will. They become listless and follow orders. In this condition, they are called “robots” even though they have no mechanical parts at all. When the helmet is removed the captive returns to normal and is no longer a “robot.”

From the standpoint of a true science-fiction fan I wished that more attention to detail had been allowed to enter the story. The technology of 500 years in the future didn’t seem that different from 1939. The airplanes fly farther and faster, the parachutes are more portable and the radios work over greater differences but no revolutionary new technologies had transformed society. The breakneck pace doesn’t allow any time to look at Buck and Buddy adjusting to a world 500 years removed from their own. Buck is enlisted right away into the Hidden City’s military and no mention is made of training.

Still, all points considered, Buck Rogers was a lot of fun to watch. If you have the time and the inclination, I’d give this serial a try. It fits on to just one DVD.

The blog AltJapan has reported on a momentous find for mecha fans. Anime fan Roger Harkavy has discovered a box that belonged to Imai Company that contains artwork from Artmic Studio. The box contained black and white production drawings for Genesis Climber Mospeada and Super Dimensions Cavalry Southern Cross.  He has made the file available to mecha fans everywhere.  AltJapan has the full report. You will certainly want to download the PDF and take a look at the designs that almost made it into Mospeada. I was fascinated by the rare look into the show Southern Cross was originally meant to be.

After seeing the original movie I decided to see how the classic was updated for a more recent audience.  In 2008 The Day The Earth Stood Still was remade with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly.  Did the remake stand up to the original?  In one sense it did and in another sense it didn’t.  Let me explain.

In this new telling of The Day The Earth Stood Still Klaatu comes to Earth to deliver a message to a gathering of world leaders.  He intends to tell them that humanity should change its ways and take better care of the Earth’s natural environment.  At the first sign of trouble Klaatu scratches his plans and, after briefly exchanging notes with another of his race that has been stationed on Earth for years, decides to wipe out all human life and signs of civilization.  After spending a day with a handful of people and seeing their “softer side” he changes his mind again and decides to call off mankind’s destruction and just go home.

First, a little about the updated look of things.  This remake allowed a second attempt at special effects and an opportunity to update the look of alien technology.  Gort, Klaatu’s guardian robot, looks much nicer this time around while staying true to the original design.  Hats off to the design team.  Unfortunately, instead of updating Klaatu’s flying saucer they decided to make his craft look like a big, green, glowing ball.  It ended up looking more magical than high-tech.

A number of changes were made this time.  Mrs. Benson is now a microbiologist that was asked by the government to help investigate.  Klaatu lands in New York City’s Central Park instead of Washington DC.  Interestingly, this time Klaatu is a truly alien creature that obtains a human body after landing.  The scene where he tries to adapt to his new body was a great one.

The alien Klaatu was more friendly and personable in 1951.  The 2008 Klaatu, played by Keanu Reeves, says little and has no interest in engaging in anything emotional.  The 1951 Klaatu wanted to let Earth know that it could be a part of a larger political unit if it behaved.  The 2008 Klaatu had no interest in allowing Earth into a League of Planets. Many viewers complained about Keanu Reeves’ acting in this movie but I think the script placed him in a difficult situation.  In order to carry out his role, he had to be stiff and wooden.  However, most movie goers don’t like seeing that kind of performance.  Perhaps a genuis actor like Dustin Hoffman could have added more depth to the role but it certainly isn’t fair to expect every actor to be a genius.

Another big difference is Klaatu’s robot Gort.  In the first movie he was a guardian that could get out of control if his charge was harmed.  Although still a guardian in the remake, Gort is also the doomsday weapon.  Gort can dissolve into a cloud of nanomachines that can kill people and destroy anything made of metal on the surface of the Earth.

The major difference between the two version’s is the intent of the aliens that sent Klaatu to Earth.  In the first movie he came to deliver a message: Don’t think about attacking other planets or Earth is finished.  The aliens didn’t care about Earth’s natural environment or whether or not humans wanted to kill each other.  In keeping with the times, in the remake the aliens are concerned about Earth’s natural environment.  Klaatu claims that there are very few life-bearing worlds and each one must be protected even at the cost of wiping out sentient races.  The problem with this argument is humans are taking better care the Earth’s environment now than in the past.  In recent decades we’ve shown much improvement in reducing polution and consumption of natural resources – plus demonstrate a desire to do even better in the future.  However, the writers of the movie, like far too many people, choose to ignore these facts and instead prejudge the Earth to be doomed by evil human society.

When his first attempt at delivering a message to Earth’s leaders is unsuccessful, Klaatu quickly switches to plan B: wipe out all human life.  This movie is the fantasy of every true environmentalist.  Someone has finally come to kill all humans so that the dolphins are free to frolic in the waves.  Alas, this plan is thwarted too.  After hearing some classical music and watching people be nice to each other, Klaatu changes his mind again and decides that humanity shouldn’t be wiped out.  It probably helped that people pleaded with Klaatu.  “We can change!” they said with much emotion.  I was reminded of badly written children’s shows of the 1990’s.  If the aliens had been monitoring humans for so many years, how can a few days among humans change Klaatu’s thinking so much?

So back to the question on many people’s minds: Was the remake a worth successor to the orginal?  Because it encapsulates the poorly conceived ideas of the twits of its time, the remake lives up to the original quite well.  In terms of communicating its message clearly and showing dealings with an advanced alien race, the remake doesn’t live up to the original.  I just can’t recommend the 2008 remake to science-fiction fans.  If you want a good way to spend an evening, you’ll have to keep looking.

For years I’ve been hearing about the 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still and when I learned it was remade in 2008 I became even more curious.  I rented it this weekend and can now share my thoughts on what is one of the most influential science-fiction films for English speakers.

At first I thought it was an original story but it was actually lifted from a short story titled Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates. Since the movie is 59 years old I don’t have to worry about spoilers.  The special effects look very poor by today’s standards but in the words of the screenplay’s author (interviewed in the DVD’s extras) the point of the movie wasn’t to offer audiences a special effects extravaganza.  Rather, the point was to deliver a stirring and thought-provoking message about the state of the world at that time.  Very well, I won’t worry about the special effects and instead focus on an examination of this important message.

The movie opens with people around the world becoming aware of an unidentified flying object entering Earth’s atmosphere and finally coming to rest on a lawn in the heart of Washington DC.  A man in a space suit emerges and, when offering a strange gift from the stars, is minunderstood and wounded by a soldier’s gun.  After recovering in an army hospital Klaatu, the star man, tells the U.S. president’s secretary to call a meeting of all the leaders of the world – he has a message for the people of Earth.  After learning that the world’s leaders refuse to gather together Klaatu disappears from the hospital in order to spend time with Earth people and gain insight into how they came to be so difficult.  Taking the name of Mr. Carpenter, Klaatu gets a snappy suit and blends in with Earth people.  After initial frustration, Klaatu comes up with Plan B – convince an influential scientist to gather the leading scientists of the world by the spaceship to hear Klaatu’s message.  After a tussle with some soldiers and holding his robot Gort back from destroying the world, Klaatu delivers his message and ascends once again to the stars.

Although long heralded as an important and thought-provoking film, I was disappointed to find that the thoughts provoked were mostly reactions against the simple-mindedness of the writer’s viewpoint and message.  The Day The Earth Stood Still has the dubious honor of being years ahead of its time pushing a simplistic and immature agenda on science-fiction movie goers.

The core of the plot, that an interstellar government sent an envoy to Earth to inform it that if it uses its new atomic weapons to threaten other planets it would be quickly destroyed, is quite an interesting one.  However, the core idea is handled so poorly that the movie is mostly wasted.  No leaders or scientists of Earth sit up and pay attention to the fact that human technology has finally reached a point where distant and advanced alien races are getting worried.  Despite the actions of their envoy, the aliens are never recognized for being heavy-handed, short-sighted reactionaries.

If these advanced and noble aliens had really been monitoring Earth’s communications for years why do they insist on treating all nations as if they were at the same point of readyness to hear their message?  Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom in 1951 were at very different levels of technology and treatment of their fellow human beings, to use just one example.  Klaatu has a childish inflexibility and insistance on getting his way when talking to the U.S. president’s secretary.  Why wasn’t he more willing to work with the situation as he found it?  Wouldn’t such an advanced race take a more long-term view of their goal to open relations with Earth and help it see their point of view?  Why must Klaatu’s message be given to all world leaders at the same time?  Why can’t he be more pragmatic and address the ones that are willing to listen and then speak to the other leaders on their own terms?  By anyone’s standards, Klaatu is an uncommonly inept ambassador.  He was openly insulting to the president’s secretary when he said he wasn’t willing to tolerate stupidity.

I don’t want to dwell on minor details of the story.  Details sometimes have to be sacrificed to keep the story moving.  However, one problem was impossible to ignore.  At the end of the movie when Mrs. Benson approaches the spaceship she has no trouble reaching it.  Are we expected to believe that it was guarded by only 2 soldiers!?

The soundtrack for this movie was very well done.  The eerie, foreign sounds of the opening title music set the scene very well for a movie about strange aliens.

The writer’s narrow minded views were always being thrust upon the viewer.  It was especially disappointing for me to see his open contempt for common people – a view also present in Isaac Asimov’s fiction.  Only 4 people in the movie attain the writer’s notion of enlightenment -  and one of them only because he’s a young boy!

It’s at the end of the movie that Klaatu tells us about the advanced civilization that sent him and, not surprisingly, about the screenplay author’s world view.  We see a naive faith in the idea that the United Nations is the best agency on Earth and that it should be given more power.  When Klaatu says, “The test of any such higher authority is, of course, the police force that supports it” it’s easy to see that a plea is being made to heighten the United Nation’s power.  This blogger is thankful that the people of Earth had more wisdom than Klaatu.

Klaatu talks about a political system of the aliens that places all faith and all power in a robotic police force.  This blind faith in a system of rules or technology is all too familiar for many of us and it’s disappointing that it persists to this day.

The statement most remembered from the movie is Klaatu’s moving words, “There must be security for all or no one is secure.”  Although blatantly false, I can see how many people would want the statement to be true.  It would have been nicer to see the statement framed more intelligently.  “There must be security for all or there is no justice,” for example.  The idea that the groups of people who get the short end of the stick will rise up and attack their oppressors is popular in some circles but not always true.  The Christians were persecuted horribly for many years by the Roman emperors but they never formed any armies to attack Rome.  And besides, sometimes the people who get screwed were screwed as a result of their own decisions -  not the decisions of the people they decide to blame!

I couldn’t help but notice Klaatu’s acknowledgement of an “almight spirit” right after his machine restores him at the end of the movie.  I’m willing to bet the 2008 remake makes no mention of this almighty spirit.

All things considered, I don’t consider The Day The Earth Stood Still to be a very good movie but I still recommend it to all science-fiction fans.  It’s important to see the early sources of the wishy-washy, poorly-thought-out attempts at philosophy that get pushed on us so often in today’s sci-fi films.

Anime fans line up to get their badges for Ikkicon IV.

Around half of the people in attendance were cosplaying with many impressive results. It made me wish I’d set aside some time and money to join in. The dealers room was pretty well-stocked with lots of fun T-shirts and shoulder bags. Many Gundam model kits were on sale and loads of manga in English. Most of the booths were selling anime DVD’s and cosplaying supplies.

The registration line gave a great preview of the costumes.

My complaints about the con were I couldn’t find any anime art books for sale in the dealers room and Ikkicon’s practice of selling “upgrades” to their badges.  Most cons sell a badge and treat all fans equal.  In a shameful grab for cash the heads of Ikkicon devised an extra badge called an “upgrade.”  For twice the price of your ticket, you get two badges that allow you to visit the Maid Cafe, get into the dealers room an hour early each day and get into every panel before the “common rabble.”  I hope fans can talk Ikkicon out of this practice for next year.

A peek into the dealers room the night before the con started.

I was in tears over having to miss the What Giant Robots Can Teach Us panel on the 2nd day.  Perhaps they’ll repeat it next year.

The dealers room on the first day. Lots of cool stuff to see.

If you’re in Austin, TX for New Year’s next year then stop by Ikkicon and join the fun.

When I was younger the dealers room was always my favorite part of the convention.

Really cool T-shirts and shoulder bags are much easier to find these days at cons.

For a small convention, there were a good number of plastic models for sale.

This fan worked real hard on his Zeta Gundam helmet. He's from Hong Kong and watched Z Gundam on TV there when he was young. He was a cool guy to talk to.

The maid cafe. I must admit, I wouldn't mind being served a cup of tea by one of these charming young women.