Spoiler
I'm not even sure I get what Klaatu was trying to do. Sure, Earth is a habitable planet and human beings haven't been exactly good about it, but dissolving the planet's biosphere with Nanite Swarms is DEFINITELY going to make the world uninhabitable. The original Klaatu gave everyone a warning that they had to cut the shit out with nuclear weapons and violence, but there was a genuine desire for peace there. It wasn't "Well, you are all completely irredeemable... oh wait, I've listened to Bach, did a physics problem with John Cleese, and seen a mother's love, guess I can unilaterally call off the plan of extermination of everything."
Likewise, the US government seemed one-sidely stupid as well. I'm sure the actual US Government has plans for actual first contact situations with aliens and they don't involve treating an alien whose ship came to a stop in Central Park from 3x10^7 m/s (that's 10% the speed of light) like shit. As stupid and belligerent as the government can be, I'm certain they know that when aliens step off the Glowing Space Orb in Manhattan, all their power counts for exactly jack. And then, after it was clear that no amount of firepower would work and that Klaatu wasn't going to be bullied, they kept shooting! The first time was an accident caused by a nervous soldier, that's unfortunate but understandable.
But really... FUBAARing things more and more by keeping sending shit at it... for no apparent reason? Denying anyone but the government contact with the alien everyone knows they have? I know the point was the make humanity seem in the worst possible light, but at that point, it stretches credibility not only because some people, even in the government, might have a genuine interest in peaceful contact with beings not of the Earth but self-interest in not pissing off beings of this Earth. The defense secretary laid out the Outside Context Problem reasonably well and then systematically did everything possible to make sure that it wasn't a survivable Outside Context Problem.
All plot aside, somehow the movie managed to not have a dramatic climax. Things just sort of happened, the government acted stupid, the ugliness of human nature, Klaatu deciding not to NanoPlague Apocalypse the planet because of a mother's love, blah blah blah... It was all very tepid. The characters were boring and that kid desperately was in need of going over Jennifer Connelly's knee. It was not terrible, but it managed to make first contact with an alien race, well, boring. That's a trick.
Besides, aren't Sidewinder missiles short range air-to-air missiles?
Likewise, the US government seemed one-sidely stupid as well. I'm sure the actual US Government has plans for actual first contact situations with aliens and they don't involve treating an alien whose ship came to a stop in Central Park from 3x10^7 m/s (that's 10% the speed of light) like shit. As stupid and belligerent as the government can be, I'm certain they know that when aliens step off the Glowing Space Orb in Manhattan, all their power counts for exactly jack. And then, after it was clear that no amount of firepower would work and that Klaatu wasn't going to be bullied, they kept shooting! The first time was an accident caused by a nervous soldier, that's unfortunate but understandable.
But really... FUBAARing things more and more by keeping sending shit at it... for no apparent reason? Denying anyone but the government contact with the alien everyone knows they have? I know the point was the make humanity seem in the worst possible light, but at that point, it stretches credibility not only because some people, even in the government, might have a genuine interest in peaceful contact with beings not of the Earth but self-interest in not pissing off beings of this Earth. The defense secretary laid out the Outside Context Problem reasonably well and then systematically did everything possible to make sure that it wasn't a survivable Outside Context Problem.
All plot aside, somehow the movie managed to not have a dramatic climax. Things just sort of happened, the government acted stupid, the ugliness of human nature, Klaatu deciding not to NanoPlague Apocalypse the planet because of a mother's love, blah blah blah... It was all very tepid. The characters were boring and that kid desperately was in need of going over Jennifer Connelly's knee. It was not terrible, but it managed to make first contact with an alien race, well, boring. That's a trick.
Besides, aren't Sidewinder missiles short range air-to-air missiles?
"
- PeZook
