Here's the thing: this movie has a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, and that's being generous. It's a remake of a classic 1951 film that nobody wanted, delivered with all the emotional depth of a PowerPoint presentation about climate change.
Keanu Reeves plays Klaatu, an alien who comes to Earth, decides humans are terrible for the environment (fair), and starts the process of wiping us out. The environmental message is important, but it's delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The pacing is glacial, the script is wooden, and even the impressive CGI can't save it from being a genuine chore to sit through.
If you want to have conversations with your teen about climate change and humanity's future, just... have those conversations. Don't make them suffer through this joyless slog first. There are so many better options—WALL-E for younger kids, Interstellar for older teens, or even just watch a good documentary. This movie takes an important topic and makes it boring, which is almost impressive in its own way.
The 2.3/5 on Letterboxd tells you everything you need to know. Life's too short, and your teen's attention span is too valuable.




