Review of Forbidden Planet (1956) by Robert M — 03 May 2010

Unfortunately, much of the "science fiction" coming out of Hollywood has consisted of monster movies with impressive special effects, but without much real science - or very good fiction. There ARE good special effects in this movie, but the people who made it obviously realized that the real power of science fiction is its ability to let us follow the trends in our own society to their logical conclusion so that we can see whether the result is really one that we like.

In the movie, a space mission has been sent to a planet where a colony had been established, but they discover that only one member of the original crew has survived, together with a daughter who was born on the planet. They also eventually learn that the survivor has been guarding a secret - that the planet contains the ruins of an ancient alien civilization which had reached levels of intelligence, technology, and culture far beyond ours, only to be destroyed in the end by a mysterious force.