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Set in the 23rd Century, Forbidden Planet follows Captain Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew as they arrive at the planet Altair. Their mission? To find the whereabouts of the crew of the Bellerophon, a ship that was sent there 20 years earlier but never returned. As soon as they arrive, they encounter only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis), as well as Robby, their robot.
This is one of those iconic films that is always mentioned in one list or another, and still somehow I hadn't gotten around to it. An Internet friend called it "a pillar of the genre", and you can easily see why. Forbidden Planet seems to have established a bunch of common tropes from science-fiction films; from intergalactic travels and foreign planets with two moons, to smart robots and laser blasters that go "pew pew". It's all there.
The film also has a fairly intriguing plot as we try to figure out the fate of this crew as well as the motivations of Dr. Morbius. The film is a bit of a slow burn and doesn't rely on action setpieces. It does manage to build up dread effectively, though, even if the pace seems a bit off from time to time. Still, I think that the interactions between the main characters (Adams, Morbius, his crew) manage to hold your interest pretty well.
Where I think the film falters is in most of the things regarding the character of Altaira. Interestingly, this seems to be a very loose adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, but still, as far as the film's concerned, her character doesn't seem to be entirely necessary. Moreover, her interactions with some of the crew members, Adams included, end up being fairly cringey and even misogynistic.
There are a couple other things that seem to be unnecessary, like the issue with the drunk cook. Even Robby the Robot seems to be more of a curious misdirection, instead of something integral to the plot. Despite its faults, Forbidden Planet still manages to be quite a fun and interesting ride, and one that's worth watching to any fan of the sci-fi genre.
Grade:
FORBIDDEN PLANET
(1956, Wilcox)
(1956, Wilcox)
Captain Adams: "And yet, in all these years, you personally have never again been bothered by this planetary force?"
Dr. Morbius: "Only in nightmares of those times. And yet, always in my mind... I seem to feel the creature is lurking somewhere close at hand... sly and irresistible, and only waiting to be re-invoked for murder."
Dr. Morbius: "Only in nightmares of those times. And yet, always in my mind... I seem to feel the creature is lurking somewhere close at hand... sly and irresistible, and only waiting to be re-invoked for murder."
Set in the 23rd Century, Forbidden Planet follows Captain Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew as they arrive at the planet Altair. Their mission? To find the whereabouts of the crew of the Bellerophon, a ship that was sent there 20 years earlier but never returned. As soon as they arrive, they encounter only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis), as well as Robby, their robot.
This is one of those iconic films that is always mentioned in one list or another, and still somehow I hadn't gotten around to it. An Internet friend called it "a pillar of the genre", and you can easily see why. Forbidden Planet seems to have established a bunch of common tropes from science-fiction films; from intergalactic travels and foreign planets with two moons, to smart robots and laser blasters that go "pew pew". It's all there.
The film also has a fairly intriguing plot as we try to figure out the fate of this crew as well as the motivations of Dr. Morbius. The film is a bit of a slow burn and doesn't rely on action setpieces. It does manage to build up dread effectively, though, even if the pace seems a bit off from time to time. Still, I think that the interactions between the main characters (Adams, Morbius, his crew) manage to hold your interest pretty well.
Where I think the film falters is in most of the things regarding the character of Altaira. Interestingly, this seems to be a very loose adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, but still, as far as the film's concerned, her character doesn't seem to be entirely necessary. Moreover, her interactions with some of the crew members, Adams included, end up being fairly cringey and even misogynistic.
There are a couple other things that seem to be unnecessary, like the issue with the drunk cook. Even Robby the Robot seems to be more of a curious misdirection, instead of something integral to the plot. Despite its faults, Forbidden Planet still manages to be quite a fun and interesting ride, and one that's worth watching to any fan of the sci-fi genre.
Grade: