**Warning possible spoiler alert**

If the Earth dies you die, but if you die, the Earth survives.

- Keanu Reeves as Klaatu

I saw the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still (the 2008 version, but there is a 1951 version too), which stars Keanu Reeves, a couple of days back, and although the movie is suspenseful with plenty of special effects, I can only give it three stars out of five.

The movie is premised on humanity’s gross consumption and waste of Earth’s natural resources, and how an alien visits Earth to judge and destroy humanity for its behavior and erase its technological creations. The alien uses various circular arks placed around the Earth to preserve biodiversity from the destruction of metallic nano-flies, which seem to consume everything in their path, and it is at this point where I find the movie seriously flawed. Why would a highly advanced alien race come to Earth and destroy just about everything in order to erase humanity’s footprint on the Earth? Removing humans with another method, while letting nature reclaim Earth sans all the drama and destruction seems smarter.  Furthermore, any human technology that might prove destructive without our presence (like nuclear power plants) can be neutralized with the alien’s highly advanced technology.  I understand the movie is based on sci-fi fantasy, but I believe movie goers like myself  are sensitive to irrational, conflicting, and contradictory outcomes.

Nonetheless, the overall message of the movie is certainly true and very important to understand—that life in the universe is certainly very rare compared to the universe’s overall expanse, and we live on a limited planet, so unchecked consumption and waste will only lead to our demise and the loss of too much biodiversity.

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