A strange ship lands in Washington with a warning to Earth. Klaatu brings a message about war and nuclear weapons. Of course, he is shot by the army. Now, Klaatu is on the run and in hiding. He befriends a young boy, Bobby, and his mother, Helen. Klaatu seeks out an Einstein like Professor Barnhart to help get his message out. He demonstrates his power by stopping all transportation on Earth (hence the title). Once the army finds Klaatu, he’s on the run again and it’s up to Helen to save the Earth from his giant robot, Gort. Klaatu Barada Nikto!
This is classic science fiction. No cheesy special effects or strange monsters from outer space (except for the robot). Klaatu has odd behavior, but not odd enough to stand out as a space man. The message of the movie is not overwhelming and works well with the story. Excellent acting and very good special effects (for a movie made in 1951).
The movie is based on the story by Harry Bates.
Recommended!
Director: Robert Wise
| Starring: | |
| Klaatu: Michael Rennie | (The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936), The Lost World (1960), Batman (1966) as the Sandman, Cyborg 2087 (1966)) |
| Helen Benson: Patricia Neal | (Stranger from Venus (1954)) |
| Tom Stevens: Hugh Marlowe | (World Without End (1956), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)) |
| Prof. Jacob Barnhardt: | Sam Jaffe (Gunga Din (1939), Ben-Hur (1959), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)) |
| Bobby Benson: | Billy Gray (Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), Werewolves on Wheels (1971), The Vampyre Wars (1996)) |
| Mrs. Barley: | Frances Bavier |
| Gort: Lock Martin | (Invaders from Mars (1953), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)) |
| Memorable Lines: | “I’m impatient with stupidity.“ |
| “Klaatu barada nikto!“ |
