Review of Forbidden Planet (1956) by Ben L — 24 Oct 2017

Forbidden Planet is an early sci-fi film, that feels like a typical B movie. You can see all the seams on the effects so you know how they did everything. I appreciate the big sets with lots of futuristic props, and the matte paintings and miniatures create some nice visuals.

The story has a bit of mystery to it because from the very beginning we are made suspicious of Walter Pidgeon, and so it becomes a long investigation to discover what he is hiding. I like some of the actors in it as well, even if it is hard for me to take Leslie Nielsen seriously.

The problem with Forbidden Planet is that it could almost be renamed ?Exposition: the Movie.? About 90% or more of this movie is just people explaining things. There are so many long monologues that I wanted to scream.

It was like taking a science class with a professor who wouldn?t let you get hands on in a lab and simply stood up and lectured for hours on end. At a certain point I started to tune out all the mumbo-jumbo, so I imagine I?ll fail the Forbidden Planet midterm.

The sad thing is that the plot wasn?t actually all that detailed or confusing, they just piled on so many needless layers of complexity that it became lost in its own pseudo-science. There were still moments that clicked, but most of the way through I was waiting for Tom Servo and Crow to show up to make fun of it with me.