MGM's full color, 'Scope production looks amazing, and Robby the Robot steals the show.
Comment
12/07/06
Forbidden Planet (1956)
94
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:36
Fresh:34
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Shakespeare gets the deluxe space treatment in Forbidden Planet, an adaptation of The Tempest with impressive sets and seamless special effects.
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST is transformed in this landmark science-fiction film. Spacemen travel to a planet ruled by Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), who has built a kingdom with his daughter... [More]
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
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Reviews for Forbidden Planet
An ingenious script, excellent special effects and photography, and superior acting, make it an endearing winner.
01/26/06
Even on technical levels, Forbidden Planet is a successful film. Special effects were best of its age, and even today some of the scenes might impress the viewers.
01/01/00
The strictly formulaic direction and by-the-numbers script, however, leach any true drama or humanity out of the bulk of the film.
11/08/06
The strictly formulaic direction and by-the-numbers script leach any true drama or humanity out of the bulk of the film, consigning it in the end to the category of interesting and strangely influential oddity.
03/04/06
One of the great science-fiction films of all time, Forbidden Planet combines good drama with great special effects. And it has Robby the Robot to boot.
03/10/03
...an enduring best-of-breed favorite, a CinemaScope spectacle that's terrifically entertaining, smartly written, memorably cast, briskly paced, and production-designed to the hilt.
12/11/06
Its most interesting moments are mired in human frailty--in sex, death, betrayal, jealousy, and intoxication.
12/20/07
Offers some of the most amusing creatures conceived since the Keystone cops.
03/25/06
Top CriticA cinematic marvel for the ages, Forbidden Planet possesses a look and feel that was far ahead of its time.
07/10/07
Intriguing, perhaps overrated sci-fi classic that borrows from The Tempest and anticipates 'Star Trek' — but its driving fears are the 'monsters from the id.'
10/10/05
The gadgets and special effects seem almost quaint to us now, but the movie is still fun to watch for younger children and it still raises some important questions for older ones.
05/11/02
Some of the special effects (revolutionary for its time) may look tacky by today's standards but its intelligent storyline makes up for it.
01/01/00
Equal parts cheesy 1950s sci-fi and intelligent, if misguided, grappling with the idea of limitless progress.
05/28/06
...with minor reservations, I'd say Forbidden Planet remains one of Hollywood's better sci-fi accomplishments. (50th Anniversary Edition)
11/07/06
Marvelous special effects.
06/14/05
Imaginative gadgets galore, plus plenty of suspense and thrills, make the production a top offering in the space travel category.
06/05/07
Top Criticleslie and robby kickin it old school
07/08/05
Forbidden Planet stands as the Technicolor, major studio jewel in the crown of the handful of intelligent, dissenting polemical counterpoints of the decade.
04/01/02
An all-time favorite; great soundtrack, wonderful "Monster from the Id" and a fetching Anne Francis.
08/15/02
Latest News for Forbidden Planet
December 21, 2008:
James Cameron Forbidden Planet Bound? 
According to IESB's sources, the new "Forbidden Planet" movie might have a director -- and his name might be James Cameron. More...
December 03, 2008:
Straczynski Promises a Forbidden Planet "You'll Have to See"
It isn't a remake, a re-imagining, or a prequel...so what, exactly, is J. Michael Straczynski's "Forbidden Planet" project? As the screenwriter tells MTV, it's "something that... More...
November 07, 2008:
Straczynski's Forbidden Planet a Sequel?
A week after news surfaced of a J. Michael Straczynski-scripted "Forbidden Planet" remake, AICN has the first details of what is being described as an "enormous, giant, retro... More...
October 31, 2008:
Straczynski Heads to Forbidden Planet
"Changeling" writer (and "Babylon 5" creator) J. Michael Straczynski has been hired to write the screenplay for the Joel Silver-produced "Forbidden Planet" update in the works... More...
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