Forbidden Planet [Blu-ray]

Forbidden Planet [Blu-ray]
by Fred M. Wilcox

Category: DVD
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DVD details

Actor: Anne Francis, Jack Kelly, Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, Warren Stevens
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Warner

DVD Reviews of Forbidden Planet [Blu-ray]

DVD Review: His evil self at the door
Summary: 5 Stars

1. Altair 4, twenty years earlier science crew explored the planet. The mission is to find survivors.
2. Oxygen content 4.7% richer than earth air content.
3. Not cities, no sign of civilization, but the crew was radar scan from an area twenty miles square.
4. United Planets cruisers, Captain John J. Adams makes verbal contact with Edward Morbius, who rejects the offer for help and insists that the ship turn away and warns of danger. Captain JJ Adams decides to take a land crew and survey the situation. The landing location is in the middle of a desert and crew are instructed to wear side arms.
5. A robot navigating like a "mad man" is to transport the crew to the residence. The robot can speak a 180 languages. The robot is named Robbie.
6. The crew eats a synthetic meal was replicated by Robbie. Robbie is simply a tool. Robbie can not injure human life. Edward Morbius illustrates how safe and comfortable to the Captain and encourages him to leave.
7. The planet was occupied by an advanced civilization.
8. Morbius staff have all died of a mysterious deaths. The coworkers were torn limb from limb. The dark force has not attack Morbius and lying close at hand.
9. Morbius daughter, Altair, emerges and is introduced to the crew.
10. Cap JJ Adams must make contact with base earth for instructions. A special communication device must be constructed to contact earth. The estimated time to complete is ten days.
11. The monster is invisible. Valuable property was taken.
12. Ancient Hieroglyphics, the Krell, million years ahead of human, solved sickness, no crime, then turned outward to space, walked earth, and in one night they perished. Krell metal can drink up energy like a sponge, impenetrable to blasters.
13. Krell final project was a civilization without instrumentality.
14. Ventilator shafts spanning twenty miles in both directions, 7,800 levels, 400 shafts, a single machine, 8,000 cubic miles, and 16 years ago a modification was made to the machine, and 92 thermonuclear reactors. Morbius will administer the release of Krell technology.
15. The cook and Robot were drinking alcohol while the monster attacked the ship and killed the Chief. The robot could not be the killer.
16. Special cannon lasers and an energy fence are initiated to stop the monster. Automatic control attacks a mysterious shape, big as a house, radar blip, and the crew drives back the monster.
17. Morbius alternate mind has created the monster using the Krell mind machine. The mind machine has an infinite energy source and the krell doors can not protect Morbius. His evil self at the door.
18. 24 hours to be a hundred million miles in space before self-destruction.

DVD Review: DVD REVIEW
Summary: 5 Stars

I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE DVD. PRICE WAS GOOD AND IT WAS SHIPPED AND DELIVERED QUICK.

DVD Review: LOVE OLD SCI-FI MOVIES
Summary: 5 Stars

I have always loved the old sci-fi movies from when i was a kid...this is one of my fave. I was very happy to find and buy it. It takes me back...what fun!!

DVD Review: Top notch
Summary: 4 Stars

When one thinks of 1950s science fiction films one thinks of the sort of schlocky black and white B films that were parodied on the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 television show. Yet, while there were far more films like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Robot Monster than good films, the 1950s did have some very good, if not great, science fiction films like The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, War Of The Worlds, and The Thing From Another World. Yet, the best of the bunch, for its literacy and production values, was undoubtedly MGM's first big foray into A level science fiction, Forbidden Planet, released in 1956. It was a 98 minute color film, directed by Fred M. Wilcox, that featured then state of the art special effects, and was endowed with a very good screenplay by Cyril Hume, from a screen treatment called Fatal Planet, by Irving Block and Allen Adler, who adapted aspects of William Shakespeare's The Tempest into it.
The film drew raves when it was released, for its Oscar nominated special effects, its all electronic music score, by Louis and Bebe Barron (although credited as Electronic Tonalities, to avoid music guild fees), vivid matte paintings- inspired by Chesley Bonestell, and the famed Monster Of The Id (MOTI), which was animated by an animator, Joshua Meador, on loan from the Walt Disney studio. Even more famous was the appearance of Robby The Robot, in his first role in either film or television. Later he would appear in the film The Invisible Boy- included in this DVD as a bonus, as well as several appearances in the 1960s sci fi tv shows The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and Lost In Space- with whose own robot he is often confused, and a cameo appearance in the 1984 film Gremlins.
The tale is simple, but elegantly constructed, and filled with humorous asides that leaven the forced `love story' aspect in the film. In the 23rd Century, the United Planets Cruiser C-57D- a flying saucer, led by Commander J.J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen- yes he was once a leading man type before his Police Squad days), is en route to the planet Altair IV, to investigate what happened to the crew of the Bellerophon, sent to the planet twenty years earlier. After a year's journey, there they encounter the lone survivor of the party, Doctor Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), the Prospero stand-in- a philologist, his gorgeous blond daughter Altaira (Anne Francis)- the Miranda character in a pre 1960s miniskirt, and Robby the Robot, the domestic servant who is the Calibanian counterpart. Morbius warns the crew of a mysterious force that killed the Bellerophon party in their first year, yet he was immune to it.... All in all, it's a technically good film- especially with some rear projections and matte paintings, and the absurdity of the adult reactions to Timmy's and Robby's exploits borders an Dalian surreal absurdity. Yet, it's manifest that the filmmakers had no sense of the sublime absurdity the film conjures, for it's played straight, thus making it even funnier. As for the main feature? Forbidden Planet deserves all its kudos. It's not a perfect film, but it's a great way to spend a couple of hours, and far better than Star Wars, which although made twenty years later seems much more outdated, and juvenile. Only such films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, Alien and Aliens, and the first two Terminator films, have really equaled or surpassed this classic in depth and effects.
It's worth knowing that, despite Forbidden Planet's `happy ending', there is the possibility that the MOTI is still dormant within Alta, as well. After all, she is her father's daughter, and had an even more vivid nightmare than her father when the MOTI attacked the ship a second time. Also, the film wisely only `shows' the MOTI once, and never shows the Krel, for the imagination can always conjure greater scares than the best special effects. The film also makes good use of narrative ellipses to condense the tale, something that far more realistic art films often fail to do. Forbidden Planet is one of those rare films that both defines yet transcends its era- unlike other sci fi films which were rather obvious Cold War allegories. Watch it, and you will agree, as well as sleep a little less easy. But, even if you don't, there's still the scene of Anne Francis skinnydipping. That alone is timeless.

DVD Review: This is the Classic Sci-Fi Moview That You'll Want To Say You Saw
Summary: 5 Stars

I won't talk at any length about the motion picture itself since so many others have done such a good job of that already. This will be a more personal review and one that I hope will give you a different perspective of the film's value as a piece of Sci-Fi Movie History.

Do I recommend you buy a copy of Forbidden Planet. Unequivocally.. yes, buy it and not so much as an icon of Sci-Fi movie making. I'll simply encourage you to buy this DVD for it's significance as one of the first truly mature and sensible science fiction movies ever produced. It's influence on the gene from the 1950's right up to the present is well documented. Buy this DVD for the rich experience it will give you of a Sci-Fi picture done right!

Here is my personal story. I was two years old when this motion picture was first released so my introduction to it came first via B/W television broadcast, the color TV, and then later as VHS and DVD. Along the way I was also exposed to less well made Sci-Fi fare and even then this picture stood out as a favorite of mine. Thomas Frazier (Garfield Goose and Family Classics on WGN) would introduce this picture and I would turn out every light in the house and turn up the volume.

As a young boy of 12 years old, watching this highly intelligent, yet very accessible drama I was terrified as perhaps many of you were by the Id, enthralled by the Krell. The story gave me a much better appreciation of the role 'science' could play in telling a story of human dimension and scope. While the obligatory and obvious monochromatic (racial and ethnic) stereotypes typical of the age are now glaringly apparent, the time honored human themes of lust for power, ambition, greed, and jealousy are woven into this film with great skill.

Yes, my first crush was of course on the blond and so very alluring Anne Francis. What young man hoping to one day travel the cosmos wouldn't dream to find out there an intelligent, sexy, and beautiful (but not so innocent) maid simply waiting to be taken away from her domineering and overbearng parent. It was not embarrassing to admit that when Anne Francis (who is by the way a very accomplished actress) played her role as Honey West on TV, I was much older and well on my way to seeing more of what the character Jerry (Nielsen's second in command) was after.

There are few movies I recommend as highly as "Forbidden Planet" when asked for a Sci-Fi rental pick. The three man crew concept born in this film (Capitan, Doctor, and First Officer) is immediately recognized by every Star Trek fan on the planet. The character blend and dynamics are a bit different in this film, but this formula put a focus and a thread of action to this drama that was a break-through at the time. And don't forget the portable communication devices... the early 'phasers'.. the 'transporters' .. and the idea of FTL (faster-than-light) travel.. When you watch Forbidden Planet today, it's all to easy to forget these concepts were totally new to movie audiences of the 1950's.

Also, to any budding radio and electronics's buff of the early 60's Robby was an absolute delight. It wasn't until I had read Issac Asimov's "I Robot" that I stopped seeing Roby as the apex of human engineering marvels. When I first learned programming on an IBM 360, I affectionately called the CPU 'Roby II'.

If you buy this DVD and simply watch it, in time many of your own delights at it's drama and action will become part of your own rich set of motion picture memories. It's worth very penny of the price.

P.S. Since The Day The Earth Stood Still is coming out soon, I know they are destined to release a remake of this picture, so here is my vote for the new actors and their character roles:

Altair -- Jessica Alba/Grace Park/Beyonce
Dr. Morbius -- Morgan Freeman
Captain Adams -- Jeffery Donnavan
Doc -- ? (but preferably a woman)
Jerry Farmer ---- Benjamin Bratt

Description of Forbidden Planet [Blu-ray]

This 1956 pop adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest is one of the best, most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its space explorers are the models for the crew of Star Trek's Enterprise, and the film's robot is clearly the prototype for Robby in Lost in Space. Walter Pidgeon is the Prospero figure, presiding over a paradisiacal world with his lovely young daughter and their servile droid. When the crew of a spaceship lands on the planet, they become aware of a sinister invisible force that threatens to destroy them. Great special effects and a bizarre electronic score help make this movie as fresh, imaginative, and fun as it was when first released.

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