A product of the early 1950's, a time of cheap and tacky monster movies, inspired by genuine cold-war paranoia; The Day the Earth Stood Still stands proud as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, relying on a brilliant story, a tight script and superb performances rather than cheesy effects and corny dialogue.

Michael Rennie excels as extra-terrestrial visitor Klaatu, despatched to Earth, with his gigantic robot sidekick Gort, to offer an ultimatum to the leaders of our world. However, upon arrival he is met with fear and hostility, and promptly shot by a US serviceman with a particularly itchy trigger-finger. With the military on his trail, Klaatu goes on the run, posing as a man named Carpenter, and gains the trust of a young boy (Billy Gray) and his, at first suspicious, mother (Patricia Neal).

Although his mission is ultimately peaceful, the alien fugitive is forced to demonstate the kind of power his own planet possesses by neutralising all the electricity on Earth for exactly thirty minutes (hence the film's title), causing fear, panic and unease across the globe.

Finally, with Klaatu mortally wounded, it falls to Patricia Neal to deliver a secret code to Gort, in an attempt to spare humanity from the robot's overwhelming destructive powers; and we are treated to one of the most memorable lines of dialogue in movie history, "Klaatu barada nikto". Pure magic.

Rich with honest performances and iconic imagery, not to mention faultless direction by Robert Wise, as well as an eerie musical score, which employs the cinema's most effective use of theremin (a most underused instrument, in my opinion), The Day the Earth Stood Still is a thrilling, thought-provoking classic, just as relevant today (if not more so, given the current political climate) as when it was first released more than fifty years ago. They certainly don't make 'em like this any more.

Rob Bagnall (August 2003).