Review of Forbidden Planet (1956) by Gerardo R — 23 Feb 2013

A surprisingly fascinating take on Sci-fi movies. The choice to use an eerie and unnatural score really added to the bizarre world of the film. They borrowed someone from Disney to help with the special effects. For a 1950's film, they blended very well the animated special effects with film in color. They also worked with Cinemascope and appear to have applied it effectively. The wide shots and scenery in particular would have impacted the viewing audience. Robbie the Robot is a staple character for sci-fi fans and even showing up at those particular events. The main Star Wars robot characters would have been inspired partly by Robbie along with Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress.

In Forbidden Planet we find a space crew sent to a planet to investigate what happened to a previous group that landed there twenty years earlier. When they arrive, they find Dr. Morbius as the lone survivor with his daughter. There is a mysterious aspect to how the film develops and it really keeps the viewer interested throughout as they learn the back history of the planet. It is a fun and campy film in certain aspects, but it also tries to take seriously its premise. The film takes the mystery turn when we learn of an invisible intruder that harasses the space crew. We also learn of a powerful machine that Dr. Morbius has been trying to master for the past twenty years but has been unable to master. In the end, it blends sci-fi staples along with Freudian psychology to create a captivating and engaging film.