The remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves as Klaatu has more than its fair share of "stars" in a galactic, sci-fi thriller. Joining Reeves are Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, and a host of others. But with all that star power, I expected the film to be better, to invoke certain feelings or opinions or more thought-provoking insight than it did. What was missing?

Klaatu (Reeves) comes to Earth in a cinematic fanfare of special effects, and possibly the coolest part of the movie. The rest of the special effects are for the most part not so special, and the plot moves forward with the expected destruction of the Earth: humans are wrecking everything and the more advanced societies of the galaxy are cleansing the Earth of humankind to save it from destruction.

Counterbalancing the alien situation, Connelly's Dr. Benson tries to raise her stepson (Smith) while serving as the most knowledgeable scientist when the government comes calling with questions about extraterrestrials. While she's in a sticky situation raising a son that's not really hers (but who she cares about deeply), Benson didn't seem to fit in the context of the government's greatest need. While she's trying to understand Klaatu (and comes across like the victim of Stockholm Syndrome), the rest of the known world is trying to blow everything pertaining to the aliens up.

And that's really the point we're supposed to get (I think). This is like M. Night Shymalan's The Happening: We humans are abusing everything and someone or something needs to step in and stop us. But the truth is, while Benson (as Abraham pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah, or Moses for the people of Israel) begs Klaatu to find another alternative, we rarely if ever prove worthy of saving.

Except, of course, for Jaden's young boy. Playing a character that comes across as annoying (compared to the heartwarming role he played in The Pursuit of Happyness), he's the one who gets Klaatu to see the best of humankind (similar to the foreshadowing conversation that occurs in the diner early on between Klaatu and one of his "spies"). But this played out like a bad variation of The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which was pretty bad in itself. (I loved it.) And yes, Marvel stole the Klaatu idea from The Day The Earth Stood Still 1.0. But somehow, we're never made to care about these people or this Earth; we have no connection with them.

So watch the remake, learn to conserve and enjoy a few special effects. But if you really want to enjoy Reeves, check out Bill & Ted's, Speed, The Matrix, or maybe,Point Break. He's saving the world from "total annihilation, man" and at least there, he's doing it with style.