Review of Forbidden Planet (1956) by Marcus G — 14 Apr 2010

Is this one of the best Sci Fi films of all time? Ask a silly question...

Forbidden Planet is a seminal film, finally presenting Science Fiction as both spectacularly visual, and deeply cerebral. Employing new techniques, granted, some were not that successful, such as the synthetic tonal soundtrack, this film aimed to bring the cult genre into the epic mainstream. This wouldn't be truly realised until 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey", but without this movie, many films and television shows would not be here today, "Star Trek" being one of the most notable.

This is of course a retelling of the "Shakespeare's The Tempest", but its style adds so much more, and looks amazing, certainly if you look at this film through 1950's eyes. But it still has an impact on me everytime I watch it. Like any and all classics, this is almost timeless, only dated by some of its production techniques, but the same can be said for films such as "Casablanca", "Gone With The Wind" and "Ben Hur".

This is a must see!