Why you need to watch Forbidden Planet (1956)

[@ohrick8707]

Two years ago, my grandson had a bunch of boys overnight from his Little League team. I asked if they wanted to see a “Space movie” and some had said, they’ve seen them all, and started naming all the modern ones. I said, I’ll bet you’ve never seen this one. I wondered how they would respond to old special effects, compared to what they’ve grown up with… They were glued silently from the beginning. Loved Robbie the Robot. We’re scared during the ID sneaking in, and the sound effects mesmerized them. I loved watching how intent they were. Just goes to remind us that a good story is what counts. None of their parents had seen it, when they started raving about “Forbidden Planet” when picked up.

[@BarryH1701]

It is so great that the quality of this movie has held up to today's standards. The effects were far ahead of their time for the day and still hold up today. Your grandson probably didn't even realize how old the movie was and may have thought it was much more recent.

[@alanhutchins5916]

Wish I was in that room.. the same emotions I had in watching FP for the first time ..😊🚀

[@alanhutchins5916]

@@icle-ytir Fox came along and ruined America you mean….

[@GH-oi2jf]

They were “glued silently” to Anne Francis, weren’t they?

[@salerio4876]

Anne Francis always delighted in telling the story of when her Grandkids first watched "Forbidden Planet" and one of them jumped up off the couched, pointed at the TV and yelled "There's Grandma!" when she first walked on-screen in the movie.

[@sneakyrodent1853]

The scene of the monster from the ID trying to break through the defence screen is still awesome today.

[@inyobill]

I guess you know it was a Disney animator that painted those images directly on the (negative?)?

[@antimatters6283]

"Disney animator that painted those images directly on the (negative?)" That isn't true. They used standard animation, rotoscoping, moires, cels and other techniques. It is impossible to do these effects onto the film frame, such as the tree and tiger being disintegrated, and the fine details "painting" on a 35mm piece of film. There are many composite optical shots in the film.

[@miker6452]

Yes it was, intense and frightening.

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

I never saw that scene until I was in my late 20's when I was living in the UK. Here in Australia it was considered too scarey and any visuals of the Id monster were cut out. This as been my favourite movie since I was a child and this was released the year I was born.

[@RamZar50]

“Forbidden Planet” is still one of the best sci-fi movies of all time and not just the 1950s.

[@andrewvelonis5940]

You got that right.

[@cappyjack3070]

Yep, I got my lil Wal-Mart Robby!

[@celestepalm6949]

@@cappyjack3070 _Still_ a great robot design. Ahead of its time.

[@edwarddowney2513]

Love this film..and I'm 62..a true classic.

[@rickcurtis2983]

An amazing movie. This and "The Time Machine" with Rod Taylor were my favorites.

[@kentonkirkpatrick5225]

Don't forget "Journey to the Center of the Earth". Awesome!

[@rickcurtis2983]

@kentonkirkpatrick5225 Oh yes, James Mason and Pat Boone..an amazing movie!

[@richard1472]

​@@kentonkirkpatrick5225 I saw both films as a double feature during a Saturday matinee at our local movie palace. Both were fascinating to me. (Ticket price was 35 cents.)

[@endlessperceptions]

I saw Forbidden Planet at the theater when it first came out and it blew me away. It truly set the standard for so many sci fi movies afterwards. Great review.

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

You saw it in 1956?

[@endlessperceptions]

I stand corrected. I was about five when I saw the film so it was the first few years after it came out. It definitely was in the fifties, though.

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

@@endlessperceptions You were five, and you saw Anne Francis swimming nearly naked? Did your mom cover your eyes? LOL...

[@endlessperceptions]

@@igorschmidlapp6987 I don’t remember any hands covering my eyes (she wasn’t really nude, anyway), I do remember jumping out of my chair when the ID monster was breaking into the house. Something that huge and powerful attacking and not being seen scared the crap out of me.

[@charlesyoung7436]

I not only saw it when it came out in 1956 (at age 10), but I got a free ticket from a Quaker Oats cereal box to do so! A neighbor friend and I were dropped off at the theater well in advance, and we were allowed in early. The first thing we saw was the scene where the invisible id monster was making footprints and bending the steps on the way into the ship (we, of course, stayed over at the end to see the film in its entirety before being taken home). What a rush! Some five years later I convinced my parents to see it at a drive-in theater, and my English major mother was quite impressed. She mentioned a scene which has been deleted in some videos where Robby shoos a monkey away from a bowl of fruit in the house of Morbius with a low power laser beam (see a still shot in this video). Soon after that, I borrowed her college book of Shakespeare's plays for a high school paper on The Bard. She had made a note in the margin of "The Tempest" that Caliban could represent the human id, so I think she got the gist of the film.

[@michaeljdauben]

It was not only a great movie to watch, but you can often see influences from and homages to Forbidden Planet in subsequent SF productions. For example, I always thought the framing of Kirk, Spock and McCoy as the central characters of Star Trek must have been at least partially inspired by the captain, first officer, and doctor from Forbidden Planet. Another example can be seen in The Phantom Menace, when the Jedi are attempting to use a light saber to cut their way into the ship's bridge and its obvious similarity to the "monster" from Forbidden Planet trying to break into the Krell control room.

[@KRW628]

Gene Roddenberry said he based the Kirk, Spock, McCoy team on this movie.

[@stevetheduck1425]

@@KRW628Forbidden Planet's 'Scotty', their engineer, doesn't last long, but at least he gets to appear in 'The Six Million Dollar Man' some years later.

[@antimatters6283]

One aspect not often mentioned is "We are the aliens, visiting other planets in flying saucers." There is also the side references to entering and exiting hyperspace, light speed barrier crossing, wireless ear receivers (like Star Trek's Uhura had) and mics, super alien machines and tech, and many other innovations. That was a great decade for sci-f, with Day the Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and others.

[@CaptRobertApril]

There is a brief mention by Morbius that the Krell had visited Earth in the ancient past and brought back various specimens, including animals.

[@TheShootist]

the planet was barren of all life but life survived nonetheless?

[@CaptRobertApril]

@@TheShootist doesn't mean it was incapable of supporting life, just that there wasn't much life there to support for a while. Besides, Morbius has a flair for the overly dramatic, chalk it up to poetic license.

[@nel1962]

@@TheShootistthere was nothing wrong with the planet. The Krell destroyed themselves without destroying their planet. Altair had plant and animal life.

[@Laceykat66]

@@TheShootist As my mother used to say, "It is their movie."

[@ronz101]

Saw it when it first came out. The Town Theater in Baltimore had a wide screen and was comfortably air conditioned. Too....there was mention of the Krell visiting earth.

[@johnclark2212]

One of the best SCi Fi films ever, went to see it in 56, I was 13 then, set the bar for all to follow.

[@thomasthompson6378]

I was just a year younger than you when I saw it in the theater too. It was a marvel then. And it still is.

[@inyobill]

I never got to see it in the theatre. I saw it something like 1959 as a summer film series presentation. I was around 11 at the time. It scared the ever-living crap out of me. Loved it then, even more know.

[@armadillotoe]

I was only 4 then, but I watched it as soon as I could. LOL, I don't believe I ever saw it in a theater.

[@robertstalvey7509]

Please pray that they will never make an "updated" CGI version. Look what they did to the absolutely horrible updated " Day The Earth Stood Still".

[@tubedude54]

Child of the 50's... this movie and The Day The Earth Stood Still are still 2 of the best Sci-Fi movies ever!

[@Leningrad_Underground]

I was under the impression that it is tenuously based on "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare. Dr. Mobius is "Prospero". and Altera his daughter , "Mirander" the Creature from the "Id" is Caliban. Robbie the robot is "Ariel" Alonso and the other characters being the various crew members , Stephano the kings drunken butler .I see a couple of shots of a steward from the crew with an ample supply of booze. I could be wrong. and I cannot for the life of me remember how or when I first came across this interpretation. Cool movie though I rembembr seeing it as a child many years ago.

[@scifizone]

You are indeed correct, the film is certainly 'inspired' by The Tempest and is often referred to as a loose adaptation. We actually referenced that point in the video itself but had to remove it for timing purposes.

[@Leningrad_Underground]

@@scifizone Cheers I thought so. All the best for your channel, it's development and growth.

[@spinksey007]

Also worth noting that the Tempest was the basis for at least two Star Trek episodes.

[@dhm7815]

Yes, it is based on the Freudian interpretation of The Tempest that Ariel and Caliban are Prospero's superego and id and Prospero is close to an urge to have sex with Miranda. Freudians point out that in Shakespeare's dialogue he says something offhand that may be grooming. That is he tells Miranda that her mother may have been cheating on him so ( y'know, darling, you aren't *really* my daughter so it would sort of be OK if...).

[@lawrencedoliveiro9104]

Two innovations compared to your conventional SF movie of the time: * The flying saucers were human, not alien, craft * The hideous attacking monsters were not the aliens

[@scotth6814]

As an adolescent, my main motivation to watch this was those posters of Anne Francis. But when I saw the flying saucer, invisible monster, and ray guns, and great story, I began to appreciate it for other reasons. But still Anne Francis.

[@19MarkDavid]

Yes, quite remarkable how by and large the 1950s sci fi movies managed to cast such stunningly attractive female actors. Check out 'The Night the World Exploded' with Kathryn Grant or everyone's favorite War of the Worlds with Ann Robinson and The Day the Earth Stood Still with Patricia Neal. But this Forbidden Planet probably the best.

[@garydiggins1836]

She was one of the first actresses who I thought was hottie.

[@jitteryjet7525]

Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet, At the late night, double feature picture show 🙂

[@stevenscott2136]

​@@19MarkDavid They were probably just looking for the prettiest woman who could still act. While today there are so many other factors -- what else was she in, how much money did it make, who's her agent, do we owe that agent any favors, has she done anything scandalous lately, is she willing to f**k the producer, what did the focus group think of her.... and on and on.

[@bigrich6750]

Anne Francis was one of the sexiest women to ever grace the silver screen, and she did it with a subdued grace that has not been seen since.

[@LTWTL841]

Probably my favourite sci-fi film. So stylish, intelligent, beautifully produced, etc. Just perfect.

[@alanhutchins5916]

Only 2001 comes close ( surpasses ??) as the Si Fi benchmark of its generation..

[@richardjohnson4238]

The best science fiction movie ever. I suppose I've seen it half a hundred times or more in the last 50-60 years. I don't even know when I first saw it but I'm sure it would have been on a black and white TV.

[@inyobill]

THere are other contenders, but I can not make as olid case for it not to actually be _The-Best_.

[@johnduval482]

My absolute all time Science Fiction movie. My dad took me to see it when it was released 1956, i was ten. Never showed up on tv that i can remember. When it finally showed up on DVD i just had to have it. The visuals were of course astounding for that era and or my money mostly still hold up today. What really blew me away was the soundtrack by the Barrons’. What little annotation. I could find on the soundtrack creation was fairly weak. Decades later when i discovered modular synthesis (Serg Modular) i was able to make a weak attempt at creating those tonalities. Unbelievable that some of my first efforts reached the ears of Bebe Barron through a friend before she pasted. She liked what she heard. I can die now…LOL. . .for my money this is the best SciFi movie every made. Straight up.

[@johnbgood52]

I first saw Forbidden Planet on TV back in 1964 or 65. I've probably watched it at least fifty times since then. It's a true classic I never get tired of.

[@daviddura1172]

saw it in 1956 as a 7 year old and still remember being frightened, thrilled and having it locked into my memories... esspecially the SOUNDS!

[@fredfarquar8301]

Yes! The other-worldly bellow of the Krell/ id monster!! Though I never could figure how a human would create an id-monster in the form of a Krell! If the machine created everything that one thought, the monster should be in the form of a human!

[@billybatson2149]

Me too but I was 13 then, still have it still love it.

[@Helux1957]

ForbiddenPlanet--like Blade Runner--is a film that immediately puts you in and immerses you in (And keeps you in.) the world it creates. It is a masterpiece and it is timeless.

[@miker6452]

Very much agree.

[@00bikeboy]

Such a ground breaking movie, it must have blown audiences away in 1956.

[@darthgrundle2349]

It was the Star Wars of it's day..

[@rand49er]

One of my top favorite sci-fi movies. Have watched it many times. The chauvinism is laughable it's so obvious, but the underlying story is good. The monster coming through their defenses always scared the heck out of me.

[@Rheinhard]

The Krell machine defined what "super genius alien technology beyond human comprehension" looks like for generations. There are call backs to it in a number of places; my favorite is the Great Machine on Epsilon 9 in J. Michael Straczynski's "Babylon 5".

[@JohnJ469]

The Great Machine? "I need to find a bathroom".

[@jitteryjet7525]

Not only aliens. The Time Tunnel. Fantastic Voyage.

[@SeaDrive300]

Epsilon 3, not Epsilon 9, but I agree. As soon as I saw that shot of the walkway in that episode of B5 (War Without End, yes?), it was obvious what the inspiration for it was...

[@michaelharrington7656]

I think that one man who must have seen this film more than once was Gene Roddenberry.

[@charlesyoung7436]

He is on the record saying that FP influenced ST. The uniforms in "ST: Enterprise" resemble those in FP, BTW.

[@johnnolan1824]

And Stanley Kubrick

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

@@charlesyoung7436 He also said that Captain J.J. Adams was a model for James T. Kirk.

[@salerio4876]

Star Trek's teleporter shimmer effect first seen in this film along with phaser beams.

[@carlrudd1858]

Forbidden Planet was required viewing for all potential Star Trek script and screen play writers. Of course good old Gene never mentioned any of this...

[@kentonkirkpatrick5225]

An interesting technical fact is that Robbie the Robot was created before the advent of transistors. This is why his "internal computer" used the relays located on his "face". You can see (and hear) them actuating before he speaks or performs tasks.

[@michaelcoolen8716]

Great review of a great film. Because of the scene of Anne Francis coming out of the pool kinda/sorta naked, the Catholic Legion of Decency condemned the film and told people it would be a mortal sin to see it, and you'd go to hell if you weren't able to confess the sin before you died. As a 14-year old boy, I vacillated between seeing it and fearing it. Finally, though, I was able to sneak into a theater and see the show. What a wonderful experience that was. I've seen it many times since, and the only thing that has aged for me is the hilarious fact that the intergalactic saucer has a cook who dresses like a diner cook, talks like a diner cook, and seems about as out of place on the ship as a giant steering wheel. Always good for a laugh. I've wondered often if he was a stowaway. LOL

[@jamesalexander5623]

I was in Catholic School in the 50's aned 60's and by their "Standards" the Catholic League of Decency would Condemn 98% of all films made3 today for some reason or another! .... I'm just one more Agnostic created by the Catholic Church!

[@Rudeljaeger]

The Star Trek Enterprise series from 2001 has a similar cook. He isnt out of place if the food is brilliant.

[@mydogbrian4814]

I too was crushed when as a ten year old I was informed that it was forbidden to go see the film under pain of eternal damnation in hell. I guess even then my overwhelming curiosity could not be contained by that threat.

[@lefantomer]

And my friends keep telling me that those people are really just nice sensible people With Values...

[@RobotPorter]

Anne Francis' "nude scene" was cut from some television and re-release prints.

[@birdofevil7970]

There was a scene in the movie where Dr. Morbius explained Krell explorers visited Earth and brought back Earth animals to Altair 4.

[@crowbar_the_skull]

It may or may not have been true, but the animals in the film wear projected by Dr Morbius. The tiger attacked Cmdr Adams.

[@jeffsmith2022]

This film and 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' are 2 of my favorite movies, have watched both many times...

[@waltp3373]

I'm glad there are people who appreciate Forbidden Planet for the fine film that it was. I saw this when I was quite young. It was scary to me at the time. I saw it again as an adult and appreciated the depth of the story much more. It is one of the best Sci Fi films of all time.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

One of my favorite science fiction movies. Still holds up today.

[@celestepalm6949]

Always appreciated the superb production values of _Forbidden Planet._ The wonderful painted backgrounds & sets made the planet a place you'd actually want to visit, not just a barren wasteland. More like an emerald-hued Arizona, New Mexico & Utah all rolled into one. It tackled the eternal conundrum all great civilizations must somehow address or ignore at their peril: how to give the dark subconscious a healthy outlet while continuing to strive for the Light. The Krell made the mistake of suppressing or outright denying theirs.

[@salerio4876]

Anne Francis always delighted in telling the story about when her Grandkids first watched "Forbidden Planet". They were watching the robot, but then one of them jumped up off the couched, pointed at the TV and yelled "There's Grandma!" when she first walked on-screen in the movie.

[@peace-yv4qd]

Growing up in Southern California during the 50's gave me a unique opportunity to see a number of actors and even visit Warner Bros studios during the 70's. A guy I took a class with knew someone who was able to get us a pass for the day. If a set wasn't closed you could just walk on to any sound stage that was taping that day and stand behind the cameras and watch a TV series being made.That day I stood about twenty feet from Earl Holliman while he was taping an episode of Police Woman with Angie Dickinson. In 1957 I attended a showing of the" Invisible Boy" costarring Robby the Robot. To promote the movie, Robby the Robot was on display behind velvet ropes. When no one was looking I reach out and touched Robby and grabbed his hand. My claim to fame.

[@hugebartlett1884]

This film holds pride of place on my bookshelf! My all time favourite sci-fi adventure which does incur some sadness and regret in me at the end,when I think of the knowledge lost forever. I can often imagine myself as Morbius,with his disappointment of the human race and it's never ending conflicts. I envy him his achievement in having escaped from them.

[@KutWrite]

He didn't fully escape, though, from his own humanity. I'm disappointed in people too, especially their insistence on saying "it's" when they mean "its." :D

[@Hiraghm]

"human species" I eventually had a problem with the argument between Morbius and the captain over the Krell technology. Both had good reasons for their positions, but... Morbius was not going to live forever. What happens to the knowledge of the Krell after he's gone? It would have been best for him to come back to Earth to recruit people younger than himself to join in the study and cataloguing of the knowledge of the Krell. Recruit idealists with strong inhibitions against the use of power. Then, when he passes, the knowledge can continue to be doled out to humans piecemeal. Note that it was Capt Adams, with his responsibility of command, who was alarmed at the power represented by the Krell technology, and he who argued against one person monopolizing the knowledge. It's in these subtle ways, which they didn't even recognize themselves, that the Greatest Generation was morally , ethically and culturally superior to the barbarians now inhabiting the ruins of the civilization they built. ("Boomers" would have been at most 11 years old when the movie came out.)

[@KutWrite]

@@Hiraghm:Valid points. I was 9. My more-or-less sequel to this film deals with exactly that morality, as abused by governments (i.e. politicians) throughout history vs a vacuum formed if no one steps forward to take responsibility.

[@jeffjohnson122]

Back in the old days, when we acquired our first VCR, this was the first movie on my search list. It took me a few months, but I found a copy. It was a fantastic movie during my youth that made it to commercial TV before I saw it. Still enjoy it thoroughly.

[@2011littlejohn1]

At 14 in the front row of a cinema (the only way to see this film) - the space ship flew across the screen in a shot later used in Star Wars. The radiophonic music, the believable hardware and effects enraptured me for ever. Without waxing nostalgic I think this movie set a bench mark for every sci fi that followed. I was an avid reader of sci fi and was way past the kind of story which featured just the basic idea of primitive rocket space travel which a lot of the current movies showed. This fulfilled all my young expectations regarding the future exploration of space. I don't know how some of my literary heroes of the time Asimov, Blish, Bleiler and Philip K Dick thought of it but it would be interesting to know.

[@richardtwyning]

I first saw it as a teenager in the 80s and was so impressed that it was made in 1956. The budget shows. It's brilliant and at times, really suspenseful. Easily compared with 2OO1: A Space Odyssey for it's quality and rewatchability.

[@Moondoggy1941]

I am retired and I enjoy Sci Fi movies and I have never seen this movie prior to two months ago when I watched it for the first time.

[@chaslane7517]

A true classic, right up there with “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Both these movies are referenced in the introductory song to The Rocky Horror Show” The opening line, “Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still …”. and in the chorus, “Anne Francis stars in “Forbidden Planet” …” I think Robbie also turned up in “Lost in Space”

[@paulbeardsley4095]

Robbie did indeed turn up in Lost In Space, but only as a guest. I once won a bet against someone who thought Robbie was the regular robot in Lost In Space. But his design was clearly inspired by Robbie.

[@alanhutchins5916]

I’d like to see a crossover of Gort meeting Robbie..🤣🤣🤣

[@martinbaker1609]

I (like many others)grew up watching this film every time i found it on. Forbidden Planet had such an impact on me as a youth that as an adult I got the C57D tattooed on my forearm.

[@williamwelbourn7932]

Excellent review of a fantastic film. Earl Holliman who played the cook is still with us.

[@ewaf88]

He's just turned 95.

[@oldprankster7606]

I have to add "The Thing (From another planet)" from 1951, to the pantheon of great sci-fi movies. While "Forbidden Planet" was jaw dropping for its day, had great cinematography and special effects, what hooked me about "The Thing" was the realistic, sometimes humorous dialogue, the sense of isolation, all the while combating a dangerous creature, a deluded scientist who wants to study it, and the "gotchas" - especially when a lab storage cabinet is opened, and a dead sled dog thuds to the floor. I watched this many times as a kid. I still watch it.

[@SpinStar1956]

This to me is the greatest sci-fi film of all time. The atmosphere, set-design, costumes and storyline combined with the cinematography really set this film apart. The concept of the Krell really adds depth and unlimited possibilities. Most of the time with sci-fi movies, I never really get immersed and spend a lot of time mentally critiquing the short comings, but those movies just grabs you and emotes deep feelings of awe and wonder. When I first saw it, I really never knew or could guess what would come next; it was always something not only unexpected but intellectually intriguing. Absolutely my favorite ❤️

[@vanessajazp6341]

Everything about this film is sublime! Probably my favorite Sci fi film ever.

[@inyobill]

Not my favorite, but I can understand how it could be.

[@inyobill]

@@KilgoreTrout-w3n Indeed. I concur in part and in whole.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen8220]

One of the great Soundtracks of all time as well. Totally electronic. It's fantastic to listen to the LP (yes, vinyl) on headphones. It feels as if it's going in one ear, out the other and circling around your head.

[@igorschmidlapp6987]

You watch it for Anne Francis and Robby the Robot, of course... ;-) And, it's loosely based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest"... And they got an Oscar music nomination for the electronic "tonalities"...

[@TheVagolfer]

Robbie, the "music," and the special effects elevated this movie far above anything in the genre for decades. They showed what could be accomplished and set the course for others.

[@r.kellycoker9387]

The general shape of the Krell can be inferred from the shape of the archway and the design of the chairs in the lab. I've always had a yearning to get the sculptures in Morbius' house. I've watched it so many times the plot holes are very evident, but I don't care! Great movie!

[@alanhutchins5916]

Architecturally Morbius’s house is a bit like Frank Lloyd Wright meeting Frank Gehry…..if I make the lottery tomorrow FP would be how’d I brief my Architect..

[@hagerty1952]

A lot of the "plot holes" were actually caused by the editing. The superb Ferris Webster left MGM before the final edit, so editing was finished by less-skilled underlings. When told to shorten the film, they hacked away without much concern for continuity. For example, when they come out of hyperdrive in the Altair system, Ostro (the doctor) says, "It's pretty warm in here, skipper!" At that point, Adams looks into some instrument and the following exchange takes place: Adams: "Jerry, you have to stop cutting these so close!" Farman: "This is close?" Adams: "One day you're going to bring us out [of hyperdrive] inside some star!" Farman: "Yeah, and you'll probably court-martial me for it!" The scene was shortened to remove this exchange, but you can still hear Adams say "Jerry, you..." just as the scene is cut.

[@STho205]

The fountainhead of 60 years of popular onscreen US space fiction. I noticed tgat the set dressers for Strange New Worlds even put the MGM astrogator 0:40 as an antique in Pike's quarters. It was an intregal part of the bridge set in Lost in Space, since the model maker for C57 was the same that built the Jupiter II.

[@dongrainer6405]

Saw this movie with my older sister when it came out. I was about 11 nearing 12. The Monster of The ID scared the heck out of me. As an adult I enjoy it much more. I really liked the idea that a "flying saucer" was used as the space ship rather than the usual type used in most movies modeled on the V-2 rocket. The film was way ahead of its time in so many ways. I have a copy of it on DVD and will see if it is available on Blu-ray. Will try to find a copy of the book as well. I thought my sister had the book, but was never able to find it.

[@johnwood551]

I remember seeing it around 1960 for the first time when I was 8. That was such a great movie . Then about 5 or 6 years later I got to see it in color. That was even better. I would love to see it on the big screen,it must have been fantastic at the theatre in 56

[@JBass33]

It was fantastic on the big screen in 1958. I saw it on the big screen at my local theater with my dad.

[@georgespalding7640]

I have seen this movie many times over the years and everytime it always entertains me. I've always loved science fiction books and movies and to me this movie was very special partly because of the care and attention to detail that took place to try to make everything in the movie seem real. Long before computer graphics, the background scenes and the underground machine of the Krell were absolutely stunning in detail. Of course I have to admit I also had a crush on Anne Francis from that first viewing on. I would still rate this as one of my top five favorite Sci-Fi movies ever.

[@MrEjidorie]

I was born in Japan in 1956 when this awesome SF movie was produced. Of course, this movie was also released in Japan. However, the concept of unconscious was too hard to understand for many Japanese moviegoers though this movie was visually amazing.

[@crosslink1493]

Same year that Godzilla got release in Japan, IIRC. Or was Godzilla released 'on' Japan? 😊

[@MrEjidorie]

@@crosslink1493 Japanese ( or Japanese) version of "Godzilla" was released in Japan in 1954, and US version was released in 1956.

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

I didn't see this movie until I was in my teens (early '70's) on a small black and white tv. Seeing as how I've been a sci-fi fan since I was 9 I can't believe I missed it until then.

[@robote7679]

I grew up watching and loving this movie. Back in the late 50's early 60's-as I remember it-Forbidden Planet played once a year and was an event. Much like the Wizard of Oz-though not quite as large an event. I reckon by the time I reached high school I'd seen it 11 times. To this day it holds up beautifully and given the technology on hand the special effects were phenomenal. Many fans don't realize that the animation of the creature attacking the spaceship was actually done by Disney Studios. I love this movie and it is a must see for every sci-fi fan.

[@RobotPorter]

It should also be noted that this movie was a major inspiration for "Star Trek."

[@robote7679]

Great point. I'd forgotten that. Thanks.@@RobotPorter

[@billybatson2149]

Well said watched it way back then and still have a copy.

[@randallphobia8698]

It’s one of my dad’s favorites, & he introduced me to it on VHS in the late 80s. It’s also one of my favorite movies. Thoughtful sci-fi can work on the big screen!

[@billybatson2149]

I did the same with my sons and they were very scared at the sound affects when the creature came invisibly towards the space ship.

[@outdoorfreedom9778]

My father/step father took me to see it when it first came out. It was as close to bonding as we ever got. We liked it so much that he asked me if I wanted to sit there and see it again. Well hell yes!!!! We never did really bond but we both had a love for Science Fiction. In 77 I took him to see Star Wars! He really loved it! I still watch it every time it comes around. I tend to shed a tear for things that were or could have been. THe movie is a really good memory, I was 8 years old at the time.

[@crowdpleaser1036]

I could never tire of watching this film, it's sheer greatness is exemplified by the simple fact that while paying homage to it no one has ever even attempted to remake it. It was made in1955 I believe & just as an example the impressions of scale & the manner in which it was conveyed was unlike anything seen until the advent of the Star Wars franchise more than 20 years later. As an aside, I first saw it when I was very young we had a ceiling mounted radiant heater in our kitchen which made exactly the same sound when cooling as the monster of the id made when melting through the door near the end, it used to keep me awake at night.

[@Bippy55]

October 2023 - You nailed the film description perfectly! Thank you! What catches my eye was: Humans traveling in a galactic “flying saucer.” And Robbie the robot made sense in every way. The robot “costume” was carefully developed by the MGM Art Department. May Robbie live forever!

[@doktor_ghul]

Tripped over your channel, saw that you gave a glowing and well written review to FORBIDDEN PLANET, and was impressed. You have a new subscriber. DOKTOR G'HUL APPROVES.

[@mikekannely2286]

I really like this movie. It came out about a decade before I was born, but it totally stands up today in its look and its intelligent story.

[@Cetok01]

One of my all-time favorite films. In the film, Morbius tells the Commander and Doctor that the Krell had visited Earth long ago, and brought back sample of the wildlife.

[@Razorusskie]

This movie was the “Star Wars” of sci fi films in the 1950s. Years ahead of its time.

[@cherylbradbury4875]

Absolutely the best SciFi movie ever made. Robbie the robot should have won Oscar. 🤗

[@rexwilson315]

Ann Francis was drop dead lovely. I was 2 when that movie came out. I love the movie and her both!!!

[@Boblw56]

One of my favorites! You didn’t mention that the story is actually an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest!”

[@inyobill]

It's considered to be one of the best science fiction films ever made, because it's one of the best science fiction films ever made. It's dated, so it needs to be watched knowing the social, technical and film industry contexts of the time.

[@lonelyp1]

I don't think for a second a modern remake would be any better.

[@SPR_NAPALM]

@@lonelyp1 That's because this movie still holds up. I saw it again very recently and it's as amazing now as it was when I saw as a kid in the 70's. I've rewatched several movies from my younger days and very few end up being as good as I remember. A good story, incredible production value and an exceptional cast. A remake would fail miserably.

[@rupe53]

@@lonelyp1 maybe not better, but easier to accept by this generation with some of the more modern social ideals. Also, the hair styles and furnishings certainly put this movie set inside Glenn Quagmire's house.

[@inyobill]

@@lonelyp1 true

[@inyobill]

@@SPR_NAPALM true

[@joegordon5117]

Still a visually stunning film, even decades on, and so influential - Babylon 5 homaged it in the 90s when we saw the Great Machine below the planet the station orbited, complete with the kilometres deep shafts with the bridge across them, borrowed straight from FP. In the UK the title was also borrowed for the largest chain of specialist comics and and SF shops.

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

Irwin Allen also seems to have been influenced by it. There is a shot in his series "Time Tunnel" which is remeniscent of the great Krell machine.

[@inyobill]

A true master piece.

[@CraigSummers-ci7nt]

Great show. Seems the Krell visited earth many thousands of years ago and brought back the ancestors of the earth animals you saw. Amazing they survived the disaster that destroyed the Krell. 😊

[@inyobill]

@@CraigSummers-ci7nt that rings a bell. I do believe that that is the back story.

[@jaimeosbourn3616]

@@CraigSummers-ci7nt Yeah that was a bit of an oopsie

[@GiovanniGugliantini]

The invisible monster climbing the ladder of the spaceshi is still an absolute masterpiece scene .

[@scottprather5645]

I agree it's one of the greatest science fiction movies of its era and of all time. A true classic

[@brucewatts8447]

Anne Francis was simply gorgeous in this flick. Even as a young child I had a crush on her. I recently watched Forbidden Plant and it still is very entertaining and ahead of its time.

[@Fifury161]

I love this so much I bought it twice! I also got to see a private screening using the original print!

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I am surprised you didn't mention that it probably inspired Roddenberry ... Star Trek came out 10 yrs later. What I love most is that it was so obviously inspired by the great Science fiction of the Golden age... the great old pulp fiction magazines.

[@scifizone]

Unfortunately a number of great references and other interesting facts had to be removed due to the video's short running time. But you make a good point though, imagine Gene seeing Forbidden Planet and then thinking "something like this could make for a great TV", and then actually making it happen. Now that's the joy of creative inspiration.

[@DerekRoss1958]

AE van Vogt's "Voyage of the Space Beagle" is the first thing that springs to my mind.

[@johnduval482]

@@DerekRoss1958wow!! Voyage of the Space Beagle is an all time favorite, a friend gave me a trilogy of his work just about the time FP was released. What a great story. Would have made a good movie also

[@shadowgunner69]

@@johnduval482My copy of Triad is just out of arms reach at the moment, I got it while in high school back in 65. Great book.

[@TaliaTheNeko]

One of my all time favorite movies. Creature from the Id is just such a good monster.

[@Bobbychildree]

I saw it when it first came out. I was so impressed that I ordered the book. There were a lot of great movies in the 50’s and 60’s!

[@michaelarrowood4315]

A true science fiction film classic. Thanks for the review!

[@jonathan45278]

I really liked watching this movie on TV on a Saturday or Sunday at about midday. I liked the characters, the spaceship, the robot and also the alien machinery. I was too young to appreciate Ann Francis. The only critisism I can think of is that there were no actual aliens or anything to fight against.

[@bobsmith6079]

One of the most interesting things about the movie was that Disney did the animation of the monster as it was shown by the rayguns blasting it. They did a very good job and really sold the concept at the time when they were at the height of their talents having done the animation juggernaut Fantasia shortly before this.

[@frankdrevinpolicesquad2930]

Leslie Nielsen was my Dad's second cousin in Canada. He always loved doing this movie, but found he loved comedy even more

[@BubbaThaumaturge]

He is missed.

[@Bootmahoy88]

@@BubbaThaumaturgeyes, indeed, he is sorely kissed. An Extremely versatile actor.

[@johnkennedy4023]

I think his brother was deputy Prime Minister for a while

[@alexius23]

This film & “Them” set the Gold Standard for Science Fiction for the 1950’s & both films still hold up today.

[@JBass33]

I liked “Them” but I think Forbidden Planet really set the gold standard. I’d include Star Wars (the first one, Episode 4) and Aliens right up there with Forbidden Planet.

[@alanhutchins5916]

@@JBass33 Them is the apex B Movie but not in FP class…

[@fus149hammer5]

I bought it from a second hand game and DVD shop a month ago for £1 on blueray! I sat and watched it and remember just what a good film it was. Surely it is the best Sci-fi movie ever. It is and don't call me Shirley.

[@kmoecub]

Every time I watch this film, I make sure to watch late at night (preferably with thunderstorms), in a dark room. The film does imply (leaving the audience to come to the conclusion on their own, which is brilliant storytelling) that the companion animals are created by Morbius, just as the monster is (a fact not revealed until late in the film. It's just one example of how good the writing is, which is a large part of why this particular adaptation of The Tempest still holds up as a work of art.

[@BlakeLinton]

Interesting Trivia: This wasn't the first time Leslie Nielsen played a captain of a spaceship. Watch "Appointment on Mars", an episode of Tales of Tomorrow. An amazing anthology series back in the early days of TV when shows were broadcast live!

[@musicman8270]

This movie is a codex for what came later. Made the year I was born and one of my top five. Absolutely nothing wrong with it.❤

[@rrtownsend6432]

One of my all time favorite Sci Fi movies. I was 8 years old when it came out. Monster from the ID scared me to death...

[@enemyofmandacity]

My parents took me to see Forbidden Planet when it first came out. I was six-years-old. During this time, my father oversaw what was then called the instrumentation laboratory at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. After the movie, I remember asking him why we could not travel at the speed of light. His spoke about the mass of an object becoming Infinite as it approached the light speed, so the energy needed to move the object would have to become infinite. At six, I really did not understand the difference between the weight of an object as compared to its mass. Personally, I believe we have learned to control the mass of objects through electrogravitics & electrokinetics propulsion.

[@inyobill]

No, we have not "learned to control the mass of objects through electrogravitics & electrokinetics propulsion.". The increase of mass of an object as it accelerates has been directly confirmed by experiment.

[@ronwilson8759]

We can't exceed the light speed with our present technology. But I believe we will in the future.

[@donvedio]

I saw this when my parents took me at age 9 in 1955. It scared me. But I have watched it over 10 times since then and I consider it the best science fiction movie of all time.

[@charleshathcock2585]

I saw that movie in 1957 at the Tower Theater, in Miami. It was just on here where I live now so, I got to see it again. Brings back a lot of memories.

[@flaxseedoil1000]

This Island Earth is another favorite

[@martinharris5017]

One of my all time favorites! I love the Mid-century Modern design which was trendsetting for its day. a surprisingly cerebral movie too at a time when most sc-fi was simplistic drive-in fare.

[@philipnorris6542]

The first time I saw this movie I wasn't over-impressed; now I think it's really great.

[@earthjustice01]

I've always remembered this movie from the sixties. I loved it! The plot is a version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest"

[@crosslink1493]

I've seen it a few times, great movie that has stood up well over all these years. I'll also throw in a 'plug' for Metropolis (1920-ish?) the German sci-fi silent film. I can't think of one without thinking of the other.

[@garyharris6883]

70 years old here. I've seen this great film numerous times. The first time was on T.V. back in the 1960s. I've owned a copy for many years.

[@lazarusblackwell6988]

I remember when i first watched the movie. The sounds in the movie scared me as a kid. LOL

[@Miklos82]

Like a lot of the other posters, I first saw Forbidden Planet when it first came out in 1956 and was very impressed. Twenty-five years later, I watched it on TV with my 7 year old son. Mark was a BIG Star Wars fan and as FP was coming on, I mentioned how much of a fan I was of the movie, comparing it to SW's. As we we were watching it on a black& white TV, the image was in b&w. After about 10 minutes during a commercial, I asked my son what he thought about it so far. Mark, turned toward me and said, "Dad, it's in black& white!" He just couldn't grasp it's significance in b&w.

[@Kian2002]

The concept of the Krell and their Great Machine (Babylon 5) has always stayed with me as the film's lasting impression more so than Robby the Robot - when they blew it up and the entire Altair planetary system I thought then it was a waste. There has never been anything like Forbidden Planet since in terms of scope and ground breaking visuals but Star Wars did played homage to the ventilation shaft imagery when Obi Wan disabled the tractor beam generator.

[@catey62]

I have this movie on DVD and love it. such a well made movie, and the sets and special effects were brilliant for their time. and did you know Robbie is still around today? he sold a few years ago for around $4 million, and is still used promotionally at different events.

[@pierremainstone-mitchell8290]

Thank you for an excellent review of one of my favourite sci-fi films! Both visuals and the soundtrack stand up well to the march of time!

[@oldgoat142]

Groundbreaking movie for its time and imho, still holds up well, especially in telling a story. I've always loved this movie and watch it every few years. It sparked my imagination as a kid. That's when I fell in love with it.

[@ronz101]

Liked your point on telling a story. Oft lost beyond belief today. 👍

[@oldgoat142]

@@ronz101 Exactly my point.

[@eugenesaint1231]

Saw this at the theater when I was a little kid. Normally, my Mom would give my older brother and I each a quarter to go to the Saturday matinee -- 10 cents to get into the movie and 15 cents to "squander" -- but this movie cost the whole 25 cents! Well worth it. The beast trying to get through the defensive "Force Field" (surrounding the spacecraft) scared the $hit out of me for weeks! He he he. Seriously, one of the best movies ever produced. Just sane... :^) Saint

[@IanWilliams-j2h]

This movie is a SF classic never get bored of watching I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't rebooted it

[@StevenBanks123]

Probably for the best.

[@ronwilson8759]

How do you equal this movie? let alone surpass it?

[@marla4ful]

I remember watching this on tv many years ago. I’ve bought it on dvd/online and watched it just for the fun of it. There are many movies from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s in black and white and color, the are all fun to watch.