Forbidden Planet

Rating:
Summary: Holds up well after all these years!
Review: "Classic" is a term brandished about too frequently but "Forbidden Planet" is a film worthy of that recognition. This is an intelligent, well-written, and paced well with few lapses in action. The special effects, while dated in comparison to today's computer-generated wonders, are still impressive.

Walter Pidgeon, who during the 40's had starred in several popular MGM films, adds just the right amount of authority to his role as the enigmatic Dr. Morbius. Leslie Nielson, who would later garner greater fame in his sidesplitting comic roles of the 80's and 90's, is present in all his "leading man/serious" glory.

The electronic score by Bebe and Louis Baron is a one-of-a-kind listening experience, otherworldly and provocative. It is obviously a work that provided 50's movie patrons with something unheard of before.

Besides the previously mentioned actors, the movie also features performers who would later regularly appear on primetime television: Jack Kelly ("Maverick"), Earl Holliman (Angie Dickinson's boss on "Police Woman"), Anne Francis (the 60's "Honey West"), Richard Anderson ("The Six Million Dollar Man"), James Drury (TV's long running "The Virginian") and in a very small role, James Best who would later find fame on "The Dukes of Hazzard".

Rating:
Summary: Classic 50's Science Fiction
Review: This is classic 1950's science fiction at its best. The plot plays a lot like an old Star Trek episode -- the crew journeys to a seemingly safe planet; they encounter trouble and have to figure out the problem in order to get away with their lives.

Leslie Nielson, Walter Pigeon and Anne Francis put in great performances. Seeing a much younger Leslie Nielson in a more serious role is refreshing. Forbidden Planet was nominated for an Academy Award in 1957 for Best Special Effects but lost out to the other film nominated in the category, The Ten Commandments. The electronic score is truly out-of-this-world and really makes the movie.

I particularly enjoyed the painted scenery/backdrops and the laser fire drawn onto the film (sometimes not lined up quite right) as well as the movie poster (DVD cover) not being quite true to the story line. After you've seen the movie, check it out and you'll see what I mean.

The story was fun, though definitely dated. If you enjoy old science fiction, then this is a good movie for you. Don't expect the plot to be too deep or thought-provoking, though the premise of the movie does give something to think about. This is a fun, entertaining movie from the 50'.

The DVD doesn't have much in the way of extras. There's just a theatrical trailer that gives away too much of the film.

This is a classic science fiction movie that I could easily watch again (several times).

Recommend: Yes
Watch again: Yes

Rating:
Summary: Good Clean Fun
Review: This is one of those movies that I love to watch over and over again. There's just something about the movie that draws me to it. The acting, for the most part, is laughable. Leslie Nielsen--back when he was still doing serious roles (how old is that guy?)--is particularly funny when trying to look his most serious. Just check out the expression on Nielsen's face when Morbius tells Nielsen of his premonition of death. You also have a young Richard "The Six Million Dollar Man" Anderson as the chief engineer and an equally youthful Earl "Police Woman" Holliman as the burbon-guzzling cook.

Walter Pigeon, in the role of Dr. Edward Morbius, a marooned scientist who has developed a god complex, is probably the only actor who plays his character to a high level of credibility. Rounding out the major players is Anne Francis, who plays Altaira, Morbius's "come hither" daughter.

Francis, too, gave me cause to laugh in this movie. She starts out as a 20-something, naive nature lover who's never kissed a man and, in the space of a couple of days, turns into a deliberately passionate woman who throws herself into the arms of Neilsen and spouts off lines like: "I'm ready to go with you, darling." Pretty funny stuff.

Now, I don't want you to think I'm trying to trash the movie. The story is excellent, although it was regarded as being too cerebral at the time of its release (with it's talk of "the Id"). Mindful of their viewing audience at the drive-ins of the day, moviemakers eventually placed emphasis on Robbie the Robot--Morbius's mechanical helper who can balance ten tons of metal shielding in the palm of one hand (and not tip over or sink into the ground!).

The story isn't all that complicated. A ship is sent to check on another ship that landed on the planet Altair 4 years earlier. They arrive to find everybody dead except Morbius and his daughter. Nielsen wants to evacuate the two, but Morbius has found the remnants of an now-perished civilization called the Krell and doesn't want to leave. Using their technology, he is able to harness the power of the mind and create anything from the nothing with a mere thought. But there's one problem--everybody has dreams and nighmares when they sleep. Hence, the cause of the demise of the Krell.

I won't give away the ending--I've probably given away too much already. The movie's special effects were considered cutting-edge at the time and hold up surprisingly well. And Robbie was probably the forerunner of robot designs to come for the next decade or so. Amusingly, you can find set pieces, and even the uniforms the crew wears, being used in quite few other movies of the period.

Overall, highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: "It will remind us...after all...that we are not God..."
Review: "It will remind us...after all...that we are not God..." --Leslie Nielsen as Commander J.J. Adams in the last scene in FORBIDDEN PLANET.

WHAT A CAST!!! WHAT A SCREENPLAY!!! WHAT FANTASTIC MUSIC!!! WHAT A ROBOT!!! WHAT A MOVIE!!! The producers of FORBIDDEN PLANET took Shakespeare's "The Tempest," teleported the play to the year 2200 in outer space, threw in the United Planets flying saucer C 57 D, a rugged, handsome space commander, a mad scientist and his beautiful daughter, a long dead race called the Krel, an invisible Monster from the Id, the best robot ever to appear on a movie screen--Robby--and a terrific cast with LEADING MAN OF ACTION Leslie Nielsen, beautiful Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Earl Holliman, and character actor Richard Anderson, plus:Freudian Psychology, a murder mystery, and a classic boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl love story with a white hot finish, and it's nothing less than the best science fiction movie ever made!!!

Or as Leslie Nielsen says in FORBIDDEN PLANET's final scene, "It will remind us...after all...that we are not God..."

Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING

Rating:
Summary: A "hand-crafted" masterpiece of science fiction.
Review: Forbidden Planet is easily one of the finest science fiction movies ever made. Although released in 1956, it still compares favorably with much flashier movies from more recent years. The film is not a "blast-fest" in the Star Wars style, but blends modest action and beautiful hand painted special effects with a fascinating study of basic human nature. Those expecting 1950's B-movie special effects will be pleasantly surprised, as top quality hand rendered artwork abounds, as well as a flying saucer with no strings attached! Also, one of the more memorable big-screen automatons, Robby the Robot, appears in much of the film. The movie also contains some of the best sci-fi film music ever recorded, as it rises and falls to the mood of the scenes. To complement the attractive visuals and sounds is excellent casting, with Walter Pidgeon perfectly suited to the imperious Dr. Morbius. Fine performances by Leslie Nielsen and Anne Francis, among others, help create a dramatic tension you can feel as the film nears its climax. Monsters, mystery and a little humor make Forbidden Planet a genuine classic, which any sci-fi fan should take time to enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: "Hypnotic illusions don't tear people apart!!!"
Review: Nearly fifty years later it is truly amazing how fresh this movie still looks and feels. I have always believed the primary component of any lasting film is a great story. As a child I was as mesmerized by this film as much as I was with "Star Wars." The special effects are still excellent (modern effects studios could learn a thing or two from vintage films like this). But, as George Lucas once said, "A Special Effect without a good story is a boring thing." The script is both highly intelligent and highly entertaining, with much more humor and believable horror than one would expect from a 1956 film. I love great writing, and right after writing this review I'm going to look for the book based on a story by Irving Block and Allen Adler. The direction is polished and inventive, with arcing tracking shots and clever editing techniques strewn throughout the picture. The acting here is superb, with a defining performance from Walter Pidgeon as Doctor Morbius, and a surprising dramatic turn from later-day comic actor Leslie Nielsen. It's hard to believe, after so many dreadful films from recent memory, that Leslie Nielsen had so much talent as an actor. I really cannot say enough good things about his performance here. Also, I can easily say that most of Walter Pidgeon's work, for me at least, is not nearly as impressive as his work here. The supporting cast all shine, each one containing more depth of character than is normally given to secondary roles. And then there is the amazingly beautiful Anne Francis. She has a lot more intelligence and personality than is usually handed out to a "love-interest," and she is all the more lovely because of it. This is the film she is most remembered for. This film came out over twenty years before "Star Wars," and it is all too obvious where so many ideas for that celebrated achievement came from. There are the huge black doors that close up in three layers and from different directions, there is an incredibly large "air shaft" that three of the characters walk through across a bridge; and there are many others. Then there is Robby, the robot, who looks more like a glorified Micheline Man, painted black, with a type-writer on his head. But for some strange reason he is more endearing than cheesy, often a source of genuine humor and human emotion. There is the tidy ending where a chain-reaction is started by merely turning a disc then throwing a switch, with irreversible effects; but there is so much good in this film that a minor discrepency like that is easy to overlook. A Master Race of beings create a machine 20-miles-squared that can be destroyed that easily? Not likely. Anyway, this is Science Fiction, so I won't nit-pick. Otherwise, this is an excellent film...for any era. Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: Holds up well after all these years!
Review: "Classic" is a term brandished about too frequently but "Forbidden Planet" is a film worthy of that recognition. This is an intelligent, well-written, and paced well with few lapses in action. The special effects, while dated in comparison to today's computer-generated wonders, are still impressive.

Walter Pidgeon, who during the 40's had starred in several popular MGM films, adds just the right amount of authority to his role as the enigmatic Dr. Morbius. Leslie Nielson, who would later garner greater fame in his sidesplitting comic roles of the 80's and 90's, is present in all his "leading man/serious" glory.

The electronic score by Bebe and Louis Baron is a one-of-a-kind listening experience, otherworldly and provocative. It is obviously a work that provided 50's movie patrons with something unheard of before.

Besides the previously mentioned actors, the movie also features performers who would later regularly appear on primetime television: Jack Kelly ("Maverick"), Earl Holliman (Angie Dickinson's boss on "Police Woman"), Anne Francis (the 60's "Honey West"), Richard Anderson ("The Six Million Dollar Man"), James Drury (TV's long running "The Virginian") and in a very small role, James Best who would later find fame on "The Dukes of Hazzard".

Rating:
Summary: Time for an Update!
Review: I can't add anything more what has already been said about this incredible film. With a number of "updated" films currently produced from previous ones i.e. "The Thing", is anyone interested or brought up the question of new version of "Forbidden Planet"?

Rating:
Summary: Forbidden Planet
Review: I was at a Kiddie's Matinee seeing Forbidden Planet for the umpteenth time. I was the only one there over twelve. I was 23.
I sat in the upper loge by myself and down below on the floor the kids seem to be bored to death. The silence was deafening, if not Le Barron's soundtrack tonalities. I was mesmerized again for umpteenth time. It always seemed weird that movie seemed so sophomoric in its treatment. It seems to to be made for kids and not adults. The movie ended and the credits rolled. the screen went black. I stood up and in unison some 300 kids began clap, hoot and holler after not making a peep for the whole duration of the film. It came apparent the reason they made it for kids is their capacity to understand. This is one of 5 greatset Sci-Fis and one of the 100 greastest films ever made. It is the ultimate story of all time and the probable fate of man. That's if were lucky and survive as long as the Crel. Adults don't always "get it".

Rating:
Summary: "Hypnotic illusions don't tear people apart!!!"
Review: 4.5 stars. Nearly fifty years later it is truly amazing how fresh this movie still looks and feels. I have always believed the primary component of any lasting film is a great story. As a child I was as mesmerized by this film as much as I was with "Star Wars." The script is both highly intelligent and highly entertaining, with much more humor and believable horror than one would expect from a 1956 film. The direction is polished and inventive, with arcing tracking shots and clever editing techniques strewn throughout the picture. The acting here is very good, with a defining performance from Walter Pidgeon as Doctor Morbius, and a surprising dramatic turn from later-day comic actor Leslie Nielsen. The supporting cast all shine, each one containing more depth of character than is normally given to secondary roles. There is a tidy ending where a chain-reaction is started by merely turning a disc then throwing a switch, with irreversible effects. A Master Race of beings create a machine 20-miles-squared that can be destroyed that easily? Not likely. Regardless, this is still one of the best Sci-fi films from the 1950s. Thank you.