Suppose for a second that you were a representative from an advanced union of planets who lived together in harmony and peace. Now suppose that you have been sent to a primitive, barbaric world; Earth in this case. Your mission? To warn its inhabitants: stop your wars, stop the incessant killing of your fellow man, or face total annihilation. How do you do it? You turn their power off. This is the premise of the science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.

After landing his spaceship in Washington D.C., Klaatu (played to a T by Michael Rennie) is apprehended by military officials and taken into custody to be studied. Seeing that the authorities aren't going to be supportive of his cause, and with a desire to know more about Earth people, he escapes and takes up residence in a boarding house. Here he befriends an Earth woman and her young son, as well as prominent scientist Dr. Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe). At the suggestion of Barnhardt, who challenges him to do something "dramatic" that won't hurt anyone, Klaatu uses the power on his spacecraft to jam all the electricity on Earth, rendering everything from cars to telephones to watches useless. At the films end, amongst a gathering of prominent scientists from around the world, Klaatu warns that what they have witnessed is but a small sampling of the power that he wields and that if humanity does not heed his message and mend their violent ways, then they will be destroyed.

Regarded as a seminal film in the science fiction genre, The Day the Earth Stood Still retains all its power and impact, almost fifty years after its initial release. Directed by Robert Wise, who also helmed The Andromeda Strain and Star Trek: The Motion Picture, this was one of the first films to depict aliens not as bug-eyed, tentacled monsters, but as instead messianic saviors. The movies message is still relevant today.

The Day the Earth Stood Still had an enormous impact on science fiction and popular culture. The phrase "Klaatu Barada Nikto," which would prevent Klaatu's robotic sidekick Gort from destroying all humanity, was used in Army of Darkness albeit in jumbled form. George Lucas named three of Jabba the Hutt's henchmen in Return of the Jedi "Klaatu," "Barada" and "Nikto."

Speaking personally, I believe this movie, along with War of the Worlds, The Thing From Another World and Forbidden Planet, set the standard for science fiction movies up until Star Wars. I've seen it countless times over the past twelve years, and I have yet to grow tired of it. Maybe it's because the movie is so well done. The message is conveyed in a way that is not heavy handed and doesn't come across as preachy and the effects are nothing too flashy, but are convincing, and were way ahead for their time. The characters are believable and Michael Rennie does an excellent job as Klaatu, portraying him with compassion and concern.