To this day, one of my favorite, all time sci-fi movies is director Robert Wise’s 1951 black-and-white “The Day The Earth Stood Still,” which starred Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal.

Unlike most sci-fi pics of that era, when aliens were usually out to rid earth of its inhabitants, “The Day The Earth Stood Still” was a warning about the growing threat of the atomic bomb and the start of the Cold War. An alien (Rennie) in human form lands on Washington, D.C., as way of reminding our species that unless we scaled down our destructive ways, an army of robots would annihilate us.

I suppose it was just a matter of time, then, before this classic was remade using today’s technological advances and, of course, having it in color. Oh yeah: A different storyline was necessary. A few things have changed, obviously, from the original. We’ve moved beyond the atomic bomb and onto destroying the Earth’s environment, for one thing.

Jennifer Connolly plays a much more sophisticated Helen Benson, who, like the original is widowed but this time a scientist. In the role of Klaatu is none other than Keanu Reeves. Director Scott Derrickson (“The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) was a fan of the original. At first he didn’t want to make the remake, but he saw it as a chance to reintroduce it to a new generation of moviegoers.

I’m more than a little skeptical having an alien sent here to warn us about destroying the environment, when he should have landed say in China or Kuwait, where the environment is really bad. I mean, c’mon: At least we’re trying to cool down global warming. Overseas they’re not doing anything except trying to sell the world on OPEC and continue to drill.

I had the privilege of meeting Wise, who also directed such classics as “The Sound of Music,” “The Haunting,” “West Side Story,” “The Andromeda Strain” and worked as an editor on Orson Welles’ masterpiece, “Citizen Kane.” I don’t think Wise would have liked the new version of his masterpiece but I will say the effects were all right. I kept waiting for Keanu to morph into Neo from “The Matrix” and fix the environment so this movie wouldn’t have had to be remade.

“The Day The Earth Stood Still” is rated PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence. It clocks in at 105 minutes.

Now Playing: “The Day the Earth Stood Still” Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connolly Director Scott Derrickson Rating PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence Running time 3 hours, 25 minutes Howie Gives it: two bagels (out of five)