Forbidden Planet (1956) User Reviews

Gets better as it gets older

[Kingkitsch · 9/10 · 27 January 2002]

While not re-treading the comments or plot summaries of other IMDB users, I thought I'd say that this particular film does get better as it gets older. While ground-breaking on it's release in 1956, the visual "look" of this film has grown over the 46 years since it first arrived.

True to the pulp sci-fi of its day, the art direction has mellowed into an archetype that has not been bettered to this date. MGM put a surprising amount of money into the production values (similar to, but better than Universal's "This Island Earth"). This is a living "cover art". The indelible images of the saucer passing through space, landing on Altair-4, Robby, and the disintegrating tiger linger long in collective memory.

This must be seen on the big screen if possible, and in the original Cinemascope format. I've been lucky enough to see it (it was re-released in the 70's on a double bill with George Pal's "The Time Machine"), and the power it carries in scenes such as the Krell machines and the attack of the Id Monster are truly impressive. Watching it on a television just doesn't come close, although the "letterboxed" version is better than nothing. I am a poster collector, and even the advertising material for this film is exceptional. I see the one-sheet for it every day in my living room, and have never grown tired of it. "AMAZING!" is what is says, and for once they got it right. A true classic of it's type.

The Best SF Film Of The 1950s

[Theo Robertson · 9/10 · 10 June 2003]

FORBIDDEN PLANET is the best SF film from the golden age of SF cinema and what makes it a great film is its sense of wonder . As soon as the spaceship lands the audience - via the ships human crew - travels through an intelligent and sometimes terrifying adventure . We meet the unforgetable Robbie , the mysterious Dr Morbuis , his beautiful and innocent daughter Altair and we learn about the former inhabitants of the planet - The Krell who died out overnight . Or did they ?

You can nitpick and say the planet is obviously filmed in a movie studio with painted backdrops but that adds to a sense of menace of claustraphobia I feel and Bebe and Louis Barron`s electronic music adds even more atmosphere

I`m shocked this film isn`t in the top 250 IMDB films .

The seminal space movie

[arbilab · 9/10 · 12 July 2004]

If you like Star Wars/Trek, come see where they got all their ideas and cinematic devices. It's my top 2 favorite movies of all times, other-worldly-futuristic and psycho-thriller. The intensity of the root material (Shakespeare's "The Tempest") is not overshadowed by whizbang gimmickry (a la later Lucas). And just because it was made in 1956, don't assume you can 'see the strings' holding the flying saucer up. This was the first movie where you COULDN'T. Miracle it was made at "A-movie" scale, economics and tastes at the time were stacked heavily against it. And director Wilcox's previous 'hit' was "Lassie Come Home". Until I looked him up, I assumed 'Fred Wilcox' was a pseudonym for a director who was already or later became famous, but at the time didn't want to be associated with sci-fi, which was strictly a "B" genre back then. This was either a very VERY visionary production, or a very fortuitous 'mistake' on the part of the folks who bankroll Hollywood.

There are the massive-scale mattes with live action almost microscopically inserted that Lucas used extensively. There are intelligent machines that transcend the stereotypical 'user interface'; "computers", as they've come to be portrayed much less futuristically in later works. Star Trek's 'transporter' is there, visually, almost unaltered by Roddenberry 10 years later. And if the Trek/Wars technobabble turns you off, FP's scientific references are not overdone and are all accurate, even today. The "ship" set is comprehensive, sparklingly realistic, as good as anything you've seen since, and more convincing than anything 'Trek' has done, for TV or film. We didn't get to spend as much time there as I would have liked.

If you ever wondered how movies got into space so competently, watching FP will explain all that. It's definitely not 'Wagontrain to the Stars'.

Yes, this IS the best sci-fi film ever made.

[mfoley · 5 September 2004]

Well, of course, "Star Wars" defined the genre, and "Alien" and "Blade Runner" perfected it; but "Forbidden Planet" created it. Argue, if you must, that movies like "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Them" and "Five Million Years to Earth" are the cerebral grand-fathers of the film genre (and I won't disagree with you), but for "science-fiction-as-plot-driven-action-epic," this is it. This is the one.

It's so unerringly on target, in fact, that it still plays very well even today. The modern audience has to overcome the "Leslie Nielsen Factor" (and it is difficult to watch him in a totally straight role), but once you do, the movie is pure enjoyment. Forget about dated plots and special effect. Robbie the Robot is a guy in a suit, yes, but he is thoroughly believable. He even adheres nicely to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, a trick that the digital robots in this summer's "I, Robot" had a great deal of difficulty with.

And the monster! I defy anyone to avoid getting the willies when the monster first shorts the security fence. Great special effect, then and now!

Finally, the universal theme of man's (and Krell's) individual flaws inserting themselves into an otherwise perfect system and TOTALLY gumming up the works is as relevant today as it was then. More so.

"Forbidden Knowledge"

[Chris-180 · 10/10 · 24 August 1999]

I first saw this movie when it originally came out. I was about 9 yrs. old and found this movie both highly entertaining and very frightening and unlike any other movie I had seen up until that time.

BASIC PLOT: An expedition is sent out from Earth to the fourth planet of Altair, a great mainsequence star in constellation Aquilae to find out what happened to a colony of settlers which landed twenty years before and had not been heard from since.

THEME: An inferior civilization (namely ours) comes into contact with the remains of a greatly advanced alien civilization, the Krell-200,000 years removed. The "seed" of destruction from one civilization is being passed on to another, unknowingly at first. The theme of this movie is very much Good vs. Evil.

I first saw this movie with my brother when it came out originally. I was just a boy and the tiger scenes really did scare me as did the battle scenes with the unseen Creature-force. I was also amazed at just how real things looked in the movie.

What really captures my attention as an adult though is the truth of the movie "forbidden knowledge" and how relevant this will be when we do (if ever) come into contact with an advanced (alien) civilization far more developed than we ourselves are presently. Advanced technology and responsibility seem go hand in hand. We must do the work for ourselves to acquire the knowledge along with the wisdom of how to use advanced technology. This is, in my opinion, the great moral of the movie.

I learned in graduate school that "knowledge is power" is at best, in fact, not correct! Knowledge is "potential" power depending upon how it is applied (... if it is applied at all.) [It's not what you know, but how you use what you know!]

The overall impact of this movie may well be realized sometime in Mankind's own future. That is knowledge in and of itself is not enough, we must, MUST have the wisdom that knowledge depends on to truly control our own destiny OR we will end up like the Krell in the movie-just winked-out.

Many thanks to those who responded to earlier versions of this article with comments and corrections, they are all very much appreciated!! I hope you are as entertained by this story as much as I have been over the past 40+ years ....

Rating: 10 out 10 stars

Thinking People's Science Fiction

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 25 April 1999]

I am always so frustrated that the majority of science fiction movies are really intergalactic westerns or war dramas. Even Star Wars which is visually brilliant, has one of its central images, a futuristic "gang that couldn't shoot straight." Imagine your coming upon about 600 people with conventional weapons, most of them having an open shot, and they miss.

I have read much science fiction, and wish there were more movies for the thinking person. Forbidden Planet, one of the earliest of the genre, is still one of the very best. The story is based on a long extinct civilization, the Krell, who created machines which could boost the intelligence of any being by quantum leaps. Unfortunately, what they hadn't bargained for, is that the brain is a center for other thoughts than intellectual. The primitive aspect of the brain, the Id, as Freud called it, is allowed to go unchecked. It is released in sleep, a bad dream come to corporeal existence. Walter Pigeon, Dr. Morbius, is the one who has jacked his brain to this level, and with it has built machines and defenses that keep him barely one step ahead of the horrors of the recesses of his own mind. His thoughts are creating horrors that he soon will not be able to defend. The Krell, a much superior species, could not stop it; it destroyed them. The landing party has never been of great interest to me. The rest of the actors are pretty interchangeable. Ann Francis is beautiful and naive, and certainly would have produced quite a reaction in the fifties adolescent male. Her father's ire is exacerbated by her innocence and the wolfy fifties' astronauts (for they are more like construction workers on the make than real astronauts). They are always trying to figure out "dames." The cook is a great character, with his obsession for hooch. Robbie the Robot has much more personality than most of the crew, and one wonders if Mr. Spock may not be a soulmate to the literal thinking of this artificial creature. The whole movie is very satisfying because the situation is the star. Morbius can't turn back and so he is destined to destroy himself and everything with him. There are few science fiction films that are worth seeing more than once; this is one that can coast right into the 21st century.

The Prohibited Planet...

[Xstal · 7/10 · 20 February 2023]

A Starship has arrived at Altair IV, to ascertain the fate, of those that went before, but the visit has been spurned, Dr. Morbius has concerns, do not land, it is not safe, he so implores. Commander Adams disregards and duly lands, a year long journey has a mission, there's a plan, Robbie Robot then arrives, takes three crew out for a drive, to where the Doctor and his daughter, live and thrive. The other members of the mission are all dead, there is a force on the planet, that fills with dread, just the two of them remain, you must take to space again, but Adam's will not flee this strange homestead.

A perpetually engaging film that continues to deliver all these years later, as the powers hidden beneath a planet's surface by a long expired indigenous race cause unexpected trauma to those rediscovering the reasons for the aliens demise.

Sorry "Star Wars"--the greatest Science Fiction film ever

[rlcsljo · 10/10 · 1 March 2000]

Sure Star Wars (a movie I have seen at least fifty times) beats all the others in special effects, but this film has every thing else!

It has horror(non-graphical), romance, robots, witty repartee, intelligence, (surprisingly good) special effects, and drama.

I saw this film a couple of years ago in a revival with a newly struck print, and I was amazed at how well it held up today. I thought the old 40's style electronics would look hokey, but they somehow looked futuristic and moderne.

Ann Francis in here (mostly) short skirts and bare feet with a girlish innocence that is hard to beat still gets a rise out of me.

The Krell monster appearing in the ray beams still scares the bejebees out of me.

Of course we all know that the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" probably modeled much of "Star Trek" from this movie.

No one has yet to beat Robby, the Robot, in terms of personality

(sorry, R2D2 and C3PO).

This movie, overall, is the standard that all other Science Fiction films will have to measure up to!

Honorable mention for the haunting electronic score which kept us all on pins and needles.

Incredible special effects and a somewhat compelling pulp plot

[mstomaso · 7/10 · 28 February 2005]

A flying saucer manned (literally) by a crew of about 20 male space explorers travels hundreds of millions of light years from earth to check in on a colony founded some 25 years ago on a 'forbidden planet.' What they find is a robot more advanced than anything imaginable on earth, a beautiful and totally socially inept young woman, and her father, a hermit philologist haunted by more than the demons of the ancient civilization he has immersed himself in.

On the surface, this story is a pulp scifi murder mystery. Some compare it to Shakespeare's Tempest, but this is a stretch, and, in some ways, an insult to the scifi genre. Stripped of what makes it a scifi film, sure, its The Tempest, but how many hundreds of films can you say something similar about?

Underneath, this is a cautionary tale about progress and technology and the social evolution necessary for its appropriate and safe use. Yet the film still proceeds with all the hopefulness for our future that we have come to expect from shows like Star Trek.

Anne Francis is not the only reason why this film is best described as beautiful. The special effects, and even the aesthetics of the backdrops are powerful enough to make the uninspired directing and uneven acting almost unnoticeable. If it were not for the goofy retro-art-deco-ness of 1950s sci-fi props, you might think you were watching a 1960s piece.

This is a classic of that very special sub-genre of sci fi I like to call 1950s sci-fi, and, though not, in my opinion, the best it is certainly a must see for anybody interested in sci-fi film and special effects. The clever plot, now rendered trite by its reuse in six or seven episodes of Star Trek, Lost in Space, and even Farscape, is worth paying attention to, and will sustain the interest of most scifi fans. Trekkers will be particularly interested in the various aspects of the film which seem to have inspired themes of Star Trek's original series aired about 12 years later, though they may find themselves disappointed by the (relatively mild) 1950s sexism and the lack of any kind of racial integration. While I do not mean to nitpick, the lack of social progress manifest in this film was the one major problem I had with it.

Some will probably see this film simply to catch a glimpse of young, good-looking Leslie Nielsen in one of his first starring roles. Unfortunately, Nielsen's performance is only average, and at times down-right poor (especially at the climax of the film). Walter Pigeon, though quite excellent in other films, over-acts his role as well. Ms Francis, Earl Holliman, and the amazing Robby the Robot are the stand-out actors in this crowd, though on the whole the character actors filling in the ensemble do a good job. The problems with the featured performances, I think, are as much the fault of the director and the editor, as anything. Though they certainly got most of the film quite right.

Classic 1950s Sci-Fi, The Best

[joseph t · 10/10 · 15 April 2003]

This is a film that has it all, the dashing hero, the beautiful damsel in distress, the noble figure with the tragic flaw, and a truly wonderful robot. Forbidden Planet has maintained that special magic over the years and doesn't lose its flavor with repeated viewings (although the sex appeal of the youthful Anne Francis helps considerably on that score).

Movie fans will recognize the youngish Leslie Nielsen portraying the handsome and heroic Commander Adams, although those of us who have grown fond of him in comedic roles will perhaps be a bit taken aback by his appearance in a serious role. The distinguished and noble-looking Walter Pidgeon is also a featured player as the scientist with a secret (Id). Other supporting cast deserve a nod, especially Warren Stevens as the brainy and resourceful "Doc", and of course the charms of Miss Francis, as noted above.

This film was an early pioneer in the use of electronic music, in the 1950s, no less. The credits call them "tonalities", but those of us who tried to tinker together early versions of the "Theremin" device will recognize the eerie and spooky whines and screeches sometimes used in the sound track. Still, it lends to the image of the exotic and alien landscape of the mysterious and forbidding world of the Krell.

The special effects are also quite arresting. I recall my fear as a youngster waiting for the next manifestation of the invisible "Id" monster, and when it is finally visualized in the one battle scene it literally shook me to my toes in wonder and awe. The magic of matte art is fully exploited in the dizzying scenes of the Krell scientific complex as the characters make their way through the various labyrinths and passageways, guided by the enigmatic Dr. Morbius.

I recall feeling some measure of jealously that Dr. Morbius would have such a cool toy in the form of Robby the Robot. The persona of Robby is quite charming and in some ways he seems more human than some of the other characters. Viewers of follow-on shows like Twilight Zone and Lost In Space will recognize the recycled Robby prop in some of those episodes, although I recall he never had the "personality" of the original Robby.

I must admit to not fully understanding the complexities of the plot until I was old enough to understand the various references to Freudian psychology and the danger of unleashing the hidden and normally contained fears and rage we carry within but have trained ourselves, through force of will, to submerge and control through adherence to societal codes. Although the key to the story seems obvious once revealed, it remains unknown (or perhaps deliberately overlooked) by Dr. Morbius until pointed out by the clear-thinking Commander Adams, who forces Dr. Morbius to confront the evil within himself. It still gives me goose bumps when Commander Adams pushes Dr. Morbius down before the Krell machine that endowed him with superior intellect, which opened the flood gates of his subconscious to the power of the Krell machine: "Here. Here is where your mind was artificially enlarged. Consciously it still lacked the power to operate the Great Machine. But your subconscious had been made strong enough." Zowee!

Forbidden Planet remains probably my favorite sci-fi film ever, and remains timeless and classic for its carefully crafted story and wonderful visualization and realization on the screen.

Dated but a trendsetter

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 29 November 2013]

FORBIDDEN PLANET is certainly a dated film today, with its plaintive romantic sub-plot complete with a meek, submissive woman (straight out of the 1950s, that one), spectacular-but-unrealistic special effects and macho plotting. The pacing is fairly off, especially by modern standards, and it seems to take an awfully long time for something to actually happen.

And yet, and yet, something about this movie charms. It has a real dated appeal to it, and it appears to me to be something of a trendsetter, helping to inspire plenty more visit-an-alien-planet plot lines even to this day. The idea behind the creation of the monster is a brilliant one, and it's brought to life via some innovative special effects that really work. There's much fun to be had along the way from seeing an uncannily straight-laced Leslie Nielsen and of course Robbie the Robot in his first screen appearance.

But really, I keep coming back to that screen monster, which is so much more than the typical monster-of-the-week type thing that most sci-fi movies are keen to trot out. The idea behind it is just astounding, one of the best back stories I can think of. The scenes of the astronauts exploring millennia-old construction works beneath the planet's surface is also awe-inspiring in its own way. Even if half of so of this film is padding, the other half makes it well worth checking out.

Still my favorite sci-fi film

[artsal · 10/10 · 22 October 1998]

A number of factors make it easy for me to state that I still think this is the most important science fiction film ever made, despite some of the acting, outdated dialogue etc.

First, there is the scale of imagination in describing the Krell, a humanoid race native to the planet, now all dead, who were 1 million years more advanced than Earth humans(us), and their technology, particularly the 8,000 cubic mile machine.

Second, there is the music and sound effects, which are inseparable from each other. It creates an eerie, unearthly feeling, unlike "2001", which had traditional classical music.

Third, its "monster" is not only the most powerful and deadly ever envisioned, it's also based on real science and doesn't break the laws of physics and biology.

Finally, and most importantly, Forbidden Planet is the only movie ever made that attempts and, more incredibly, succeeds in making an honest, intelligent and mercilessly logical statement on the limits or ceiling of human (or any other biological entity's) development, no matter how long we survive as a species.

In other words, it predicts our inevitable destiny.

Vintage sci-fi

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 19 May 2006]

"Forbidden Planet" is a sci-fi film from the '50s, which also brought you "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and other great films of the genre. A couple of things set me apart from the rest of the reviewers. First of all, I'm not a particular fan of science fiction and secondly, I don't have a problem watching Leslie Nielsen in a straight role - I grew up with him being serious! This is a very entertaining film on many levels, not the least of which is its cast of up and coming TV stars - Nielsen, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, Earl Holliman, and Anne Francis. Walter Pigeon plays the mysterious Dr. Morbius. And let's not forget the sonorous voice of Marvin Miller as Robbie the Robot - Michael Anthony of "The Millionaire"! This movie is fantastic for baby boomers. Robbie, by the way, gives a great performance and has some of the best lines in the movie.

Pre-Star Wars movies are always to be admired for their special effects - before computers really took over. The effects in "Forbidden Planet" are tremendous and it's a neat story, too, about a spaceship that lands on a planet inhabited by only two people and a robot. They learn that all of the members of a previous expedition were killed by an unknown entity, to which Dr. Marbius and his daughter seem to be immune.

This is a very talky movie, as in those days, scripts were wordier. Nevertheless, it is highly entertaining. One of the most interesting things in the movie is the "music" - all done with electronic instruments. It really adds to the other-wordly atmosphere and suspense. And don't we wish we all had a Robbie!

Nice effects, good story, Godawful script.

[chazgeary03 · 5/10 · 14 August 2006]

Fellow movie-goers, Like the subject line says. The animated effects were just beautiful, Robby is one of the coolest robots ever, some of the set pieces look great even to my jaded 21st-century eye, the planet's lone woman wore a breathtakingly short skirt, and the idea of a man unconsciously projecting the foulest impulses of his id into reality, creating a terrible invisible monster, was really cool.

But the script ... oh, dear God.

Turgid. Florid. Overly expository, and full of unconvincing pseudo-scientific jibber-jabber. And I know this was released in 1956, but the crew's boorish, panting overtures to the planet's lone woman were just embarrassing. And for no good reason, there were Earth animals running around the planet. All I can figure is that the producer pulled the director aside one day and said, "My little girl loves deer and tigers. Put some deer and tigers in there somewhere." They could have cut this down from ~100 minutes down to about 80, easily. Felt like a good (original-series) Trek episode, but deliberately, clumsily padded out to feature length.

Maybe this is when Leslie Nielsen, who plays the ship's captain, decided to get into spoofing. If you're going to make movies that are sort of goofy, why not do ones that are *deliberately* goofy? Sort of like "The Andromeda Strain," this movie was more about sci-fi gee-whizzery than about effective storytelling.

If you haven't seen it, rent it some afternoon, enjoy this little bit of "the history of the future," but get ready to roll your eyes a few times.

-- Chaz.

Sci-fi Classic

[mermatt · 2 November 2000]

Like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, this film helped make sci-fi respectable instead of the stuff for silly B-movies with cheap costumes and obviously faked sets. To help strengthen the thought-level of the story, the scriptwriters included elements of Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Freudian psychology to make an enlightening tale of other-worldly mystery.

Leslie Nielsen is in his serious mode here long before he became the comic madman of the NAKED GUN movies and POLICE SQUAD television series. It is easy to see the prototypes of much of STAR TREK in this movie. The electronic soundtrack becomes a bit repetitious, but it works well as it is used in the scenes.

The short skirt on the heroine is a bit much but of course "cheesecake" was one of the things the cigar-chomping studio suits always liked in the 1950s and still do. Robbie the Robot is thrown in for some comic-relief and appeared in many other movies and television shows including LOST IN SPACE.

The most interesting aspect of the story for me was Monsters from the Id. The point being made is that the serpent is still in the Garden of Eden because we carry evil around with us wherever we go.

This is an excellent entertainment.

"Prepare your minds for a scale of new scientific values gentlemen."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 24 September 2007]

The only thing I knew about this film prior to seeing it was Robby The Robot. My preconception was that it was another in a long line of cheesy sci-fi flicks that the 1950's was noted for. How wrong I was. Big studio, big budget and big production values make this a strong contender, at least visually, for the best sci-fi film coming out of the era. I qualify with the word visually, because "War Of The Worlds" is a lot darker and scarier than "Forbidden Planet", and probably fits the mold better as a foray into alien territory.

What impressed me immediately was the color rendition of the cinematography, followed by the intricacy and scope of detail involved in Dr. Morbius' (Walter Pidgeon) home and laboratory. But that was only the prelude to the icing on the cake, the labyrinthine underground that served as the Krell stronghold. It appeared that Krell technology was even more advanced than say, that of "Star Wars". Which made me consider, audiences for this movie back when it was released probably sat in the same kind of awe that theater goers experienced in 1977 with SW, or in 1986 with "Aliens". Watching it on a large screen TV in my living room offered me the same effect, and I'm fairly resistant to hyperbole.

It's not too much of a stretch to imagine "Forbidden Planet" as a direct antecedent of the 'Star Trek' TV series; Gene Roddenberry himself stated that the movie had a great impact on his vision for the show. Followers of that short lived series will readily recognize plot elements used here that turned up in 'Star Trek'. I had to do a double take when the men of United Planets Cruiser C57-V headed for a transporter room, while the conundrum presented to Robby that created an impossibility to respond was an element used at least two or three times in the ST series.

Where the movie definitely took a cerebral turn had to do with the whole idea of 'monsters from the Id'. That Morbius himself was using his subconscious mind to defend Altaire IV was certainly a unique concept for 1956, when every other sci-fi flick of the time was dealing with Martians or other grotesque space creatures. The film worked it's subtle magic on this viewer by helping me understand that Morbius was the protector of Altaire IV some time before Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) explained it.

You know, looking at the calendar, the year 2200 isn't that far off. This movie may be the one that actually gets it right relative to exploring and living on other planets. I think though, that they'll have to come up with a sleeker looking version of Robby.

Truly Great...

[philip-evans · 10/10 · 20 October 2005]

To those of us who grew up on science fiction of the 50's and 60's, "Forbidden Planet" is, if not the "all-time" greatest sci-fi film, then it's one of the top three (the other two are "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "War of the Worlds").

The actors are superb, the scenery and graphics are wonderful, and the special effects (though now quite dated) still hold their own today! This is the movie that I use as an example, when a younger person today, comments that Leslie Neilson is only an old comedian. I have them sit down and watch "Forbidden Planet". They are always surprised to find out how great he was and that he was also a very accomplished serious actor.

The movie is as marvelous today as it was 50 years ago. Sci-Fi movies come and go. Some I can take and some I can leave behind. But, whenever "Forbidden Planet" is playing, I'll drop everything and make the time to watch it again! It truly set the standards for all great science fiction to come after it!

1950s SyFy That's Right Out Of This World

[StrictlyConfidential · 7/10 · 1 October 2020]

Impressively directed by Fred Wilcox - "Forbidden Planet" (set in the 23rd century) is definitely one of my very favorite SyFy films from the fabulous 50s that features some really first-rate, old-school visual effects.

Introducing "Robby the Robot" (in his first screen appearance) - "Forbidden Planet" is a pure "techno-horror" delight that also includes the very first all-electronic musical soundscape in film history.

With all of its engrossing action set on the far-off planet known as "Altair-IV" - "Forbidden Planet" is sure lotsa SyFy fun that, literally, soars clear across the galaxy, from one end of the universe and beyond.

Stuff He Dare Not Dream About

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 21 November 2007]

There's a good reason that Walter Pidgeon is warning off Leslie Nielson and his crew from the relief ship, stuff he dare not dream about.

As Doctor Edward Morbius, Pidgeon is the last survivor of an expedition that came to this planet 20 years earlier. Since that time he married another member of the expedition and had a daughter, Anne Francis. They are the only humans left on this planet which was once the home world of an ancient civilization known as the Krell.

The records as deciphered by Pidgeon indicate the Krell came to a cataclysmic ending of unknown origin. The machinery they left behind is still functioning.

Maybe functioning too well as members of the relief party start dying and in a particular gruesome fashion.

I see all kinds of speculation about a remake and this is one film not to remake because it's as fresh as it was in 1956. The terms would change, we would now say warp speed instead of hyper drive, courtesy of the enduring popularity of Star Trek.

We might not see the men in the relief expedition in a flying saucer like space ship. It might look a lot more like the Starship Enterprise or the Ship from 2001 A Space Odyssey. It's interesting to look at science fiction films from different generations and see how are conceptions of the future do change.

The story behind Forbidden Planet is a timeless one, about mortal beings trying to play God.

You can't write about Forbidden Planet without commenting on Robby the Robot. This mechanical marvel, put together by Pidgeon with the knowledge he gained from studying the Krell was quite the hit back in the day. He got a new lease on life in the sixties with the character of the Robot from Lost In Space. His scenes with Earl Holliman who plays the cook on the space ship and his complying with Earl's request for some home spirits are very funny.

Robby and the other special effects were nominated for an Oscar, but lost to The Ten Commandments and the parting of the Red Sea. Forbidden Planet's bad luck to run up against a Hollywood founder like Cecil B. DeMille.

Classicists among you will recognize Forbidden Planet as a futuristic reworking of The Tempest which when you think about it could have been Shakespeare's one venture into science fiction.

My favorite among the cast is Warren Stevens who's sacrifice enables Leslie Nielsen to learn exactly what he's dealing with.

Never miss this one whenever it's broadcast.

Still good if not perfect

[lyrast · 7/10 · 5 May 2009]

I decided to watch and reassess "Forbidden Planet"{1956}. I've always felt that it was somewhat over-rated as a classic fifties sci-fi film. But it certainly still does have its moments.

On the negative side, the critics have criticised the performance of Anne Francis as "Altaira" {Alta}. There's little doubt but that the "romantic" plot element in the film is by far the worst thing about it. The "love" of Alta and Commander Adams {Leslie Nielsen} is almost completely psychologically unmotivated. It is contrived, silly and plot-forced. It's a relationship that just happens.

But is this because Anne Francis is a poor actress? I don't think so. In 1960 Francis played a manikin come to life in "After Hours", a Twilight Zone episode and did so with considerable sensitivity. The role in which she was cast in Forbidden Planet was itself a terrible, limited, stereotypical part that could offer no challenge to any actress.

Part of the problem may lie in the nature of Science-Fiction itself. It is a genre which is heavily theme-oriented and usually relies on the idea of human manipulation of the external environment through scientifically created artifacts. "Soft" sci-fi tends to emphasize the areas of psychological and sociological extrapolations. For the most part, the idea becomes the great central focus. In this situation it is certainly all too easy for deeply felt human emotions to simply be taken for granted. That is what happens to the romantic love element of the plot here. Alta is the heroine so she has to fall for the Commander who has to rescue her from her deluded father so they can live happily ever after. Neither Francis nor, for that matter, Nielsen has much chance to shine in that kind of scenario.

On the positive side, the film has some excellent and striking set designs. The Shuttle shaft section is particularly impressive. The "Id" monster is quite an effective creation. Pidgeon is good as Dr Morbius, the deluded scientist who finally redeems himself.

Perhaps the best quality of the film is the very one that should be good in science-fiction. "Forbidden Planet" does have a profound, though-provoking central theme. The alien Krell--the super race who have disappeared--become metaphors for the human race. In them we see that ultimate destruction lies not in the things created through science but in "subconscious hate, lust for destruction". The tendency of the human condition is to twist, deform, and destroy that which in itself is good. Even the super-race was imperfect. So are we.

It is a theme we see too in "The Day the Earth Stood Still". There it is presented in another variation of the danger of apocalyptic destruction. "This Island Earth" is yet another examination of the same concept. In some ways these films are scientific recreations of the great religious dogma of Original Sin! It has been said that "Forbidden Planet" is a scientific meditation on Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Forget it! Any resemblance to the great Late comedy of the Bard is so vague as to appear purely coincidental. Enjoy the film for what it is: a solid, often brilliant--if somewhat flawed--study of human fallibility.

Sci-fi movie icon

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 4 August 2014]

United Planet cruiser C57D is traveling to the planetary system of Altair. Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew find only two survivors on Altair-4 where a spaceship disappeared 20 years ago; Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis). The crew is met by Robby the Robot. There was an advanced race called Krell that mysteriously died out 2000 centuries before, leaving behind a device called plastic educator in a library. There is also a mysterious invisible monster on the loose.

This story has elements of Shakespeare's The Tempest. It's a groundbreaking sci-fi. Parts of it still look amazing. The paintings of the otherworldly is beautiful. Robby is now a movie icon. It's got the eerie music. There is a bit too much exposition. There is a lot of standing around explaining about things. The characters are a little stiff. They spend too much screen time doing very limited things. There's even a ship's cook dressed like coming off a WWII ship providing comic relief. However nobody can deny that this is an iconic sci-fi movie. It deserves its higher rating.

Hey! Not bad at all for its age.

[Travis_Moran · 7/10 · 5 May 2005]

Wow. There have been a lot of reviews for this old movie. That says a lot in itself.

I just saw this movie for the first time several days ago. I picked up a used DVD of it for $3. Glad I did as I really like it.

I expected something totally corny as the cover of the DVD has a robot carrying off a scantily-clad woman like some comic book drivel. So, imagine my surprise when there was actually a decent plot and some rather good acting. The weird audio score impressed me too. It added a novel atmosphere to the whole production. Effects were impressive for way back in the 50s too. The invisible monster had me tense which a lot of newer movies can't come close to doing.

The only thing that seemed a little bogus was Anne Francis being so naive concerning men. She sure was a looker though.

That robot is way cool. I've seen it in some other movies too. I really need one of those around the house eh.

Now some people might find this movie a little slow in places. But, it has such a good story compared to other movies of that era that it's only a minor flaw. Lovers of pure sci-fi will eat this one up.

This is a movie I'll be able to watch many times, which is saying a lot for me. Anyone who cares a whit for sci-fi ought to check this one out.

Astonishing Effects For Its Age.

[screenman · 9/10 · 20 January 2008]

Judging this movie today is fraught with difficulty because since it's production, the subject itself has grown up, moving from low-budget B-movie hokum to A-movie cost-no-object blockbuster.

It is evident that the budget of 'Forbidden Planet' went way beyond anything that had gone before, or indeed would come for another 20 years. There are some truly sublime set-pieces, particularly those of the planet's interior that still stand firm against most presentations today. Anyone never having seen this movie before and being suddenly presented with those tiny humans wandering about inside the colossal Krell machine would never guess that they were watching something from over 50 years ago. At the time, on the big screen, it must have been an astounding spectacle - on a par with the opening battle scene from 'Star Wars'.

Panoramic landscape shots of the planet's surface also bear up pretty well under scrutiny. There's just a certain sense of 'studio' in the foreground that is reminiscent of early 'Star Trek'. That's still a very favourable comparison though - for an item dating from 1956! Certainly the star of the show is a robot called 'Robbie' that seems to take an age just to say anything. Even so, it is at least as believable as R2D2 or C3P0 - once again, creations from some 20 years later. Another commentator has suggested that it cost $10,000 to build. Factor-in inflation and that would probably translate to $250,000 dollars today. Serious Money for one piece of kit.

As to the human cast; I'm no particular fan of Walter Pidgeon, he always left me with the impression of someone who thought he was better than he was. But the part of 'Morbius' exactly suits this character and he plays it with adequate - if stuffy - conviction. As to Leslie Neilsen playing a straight leading man? Well; clearly times have changed. He and his B-movie cast just about get the job done, but no cigar.

And then there's the leading lady, who does what leading ladies were supposed to do in the 1950's. She provides a little interplanetary sexual dalliance. 'Ripley' she ain't. It might be science-fiction and set in the future, but all of the tiresome and sexist social mores of the 1950's appear time-proof. Ah-well; you can't have everything.

The plot itself is standard sci-fi fare. Some people go somewhere strange and find something unpleasant they're not sure how to deal with. 'Alien/Aliens', 'Pitch Black', and even 'The Thing' follow a broadly similar theme.

This time the beastie is human subconsciousness made manifest by Alien technology, and an excellent little chiller it proves to be. Though it does bear a passing resemblance to the 'Loonytunes' Tasmanian Devil. Perhaps, like me, Morbius has been watching too many old movies. There are some spooky moments when the entity's stealthy approach is detected by technology but yet unseen by the human characters (it's invisible, you see) a slowly-paced electronic booming-noise like an amplified heart-beat is matched by huge and bizarre footprints just appearing in the soft earth. An electric-field apparently shorts-out for no reason... That 'magic footprint' trick is also seen in 'Night Of The Demon', whilst electronic detection of the unseen is likewise reprised in Alien(s).

And naturally there are some ray guns - at least as good as 'Star Trek's' 'Phasers'.

Rather experimentally, there is no theme or incidental music to this movie. All of the audio 'infil' is provided by a seemingly endless and random electronic noise. You may or may not like the effect, but it's a brave effort nonetheless. Its variety almost has the abstract presence of birdsong. I am reminded of Sergio Leone's westerns, where odd moods and punctuations are created by twangs of a Jew's harp or brief pipe and vocal sounds. Vangelis employed a similarly abstract approach to 'Blade Runner'

I have to say I love this movie and would equally recommend it because of its age, as in spite of it. This was the Star Wars of its day. And just think; 'Forbidden Planet' actually predated our very first space flight. The USSR's little, bleeping 'Spitnik 1' went into orbit in 1957. If you can remember those times, you will understand why fans of this production insist upon its classic status.

Forbidden Planet (1956)

[Lukec1229 · 6/10 · 17 December 2015]

The ideas and the backstory set up and built around the mysterious ancient advanced alien race, were probably the best aspects of this film. The acting and dialogue wasn't altogether that great and a lot of what the characters did seemed not all too realistic either. Another thing I didn't find particularly good about this film was the little love plot that seemed kind of just thrown into the mix because of no good reason, it felt a little fake, extraneous, and unrealistic. The redeeming factor in the film was the mystery behind the planet and the monster, which actually ended up focusing on the inner mental subconsciousness of humans, which I thought made a creative and interesting sci-fi monster.

Mainly of historical interest

[dimplet · 5/10 · 22 March 2011]

As science prediction, Forbidden Planet was way off. It opens with a narrator explaining that people landed in the moon at the end of the 21st century, and a few years later figured out how to travel faster than the speed of light.

The movie was released in 1956; one year later Sputnik was launched, our first satellite in orbit, and, of course, we landed on the moon 13 years later.

In retrospect, it's odd that the writers would be so clueless about the actual prospects for space travel. But science fiction in the 1950s was more about fantasy, and a platform for statements about human nature and spirituality, hence Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, and early Kurt Vonnegut fare like Sirens of Titan. And I remember the science fiction books of the 1950s with illustrations of finned rockets landing on a cratered moonscape.

The context of science fiction back then was other science fiction, not science. This continued with the first Star Trek series, which obviously was influenced by Forbidden Planet, including the Freudian psychological motif, as well as the stinker, Lost in Space.

And then there is the computer connection. There is a Star Trek episode, Amok Time, that also features Altair, presumably as a nod to Forbidden Planet. And it was this episode that provided the name for the first personal microcomputer, the Altair 8800, sold in 1975. It was for this computer that Bill Gates and Paul Allen wrote their first commercial computer program, laying the foundation for what would become a software company called "Microsoft."

Remember Robbie, the Robot? The inventor of the Altair was named Ed Roberts. Perhaps he should have named the Altair, "Robbie."

As to the movie, the acting is not much to write home about. Walter Pidgeon provides its main credibility. Anne Francis tries, but how do you play the part of a young woman who has never met a young man before, in the 1950s? (To see her really act, see Bad Day at Black Rock.) Leslie Nielsen plays it straight, with the dark hair of youth.

But back to the 1950s, it was a time when UFOs were very much on people's minds, and even occasionally in newspapers, though people might not have talked about it much. Here, comfortingly, we were the ones flying the flying saucers.

But the take was very different in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," 1951, where the UFO threatened to destroy Earth if we could not learn to live in peace, or in "Invaders from Mars," 1953, where aliens were dragging people underground and sticking implants in the back of their necks, turning them into zombies. Those are far better examples of 1950s science fiction movies than Forbidden Planet.

A big part of the effectiveness of Invaders from Mars is due to William Cameron Menzies, who was the production designer of Gone With the Wind.

If you do watch Forbidden Planet, make yourself an extra large bowl of popcorn to help keep you entertained.