In The far future, Commander John Adams (a young Leslie Nielsen)
and the crew of the space cruiser C-57D proceed to the distant planet of Altair
4, to investigate the whereabouts of the spaceship Belerophon, and the colonists
it deposited on this earth-like planet. Nothing had ever been heard from either
the ship or colonists in 19 years. Yet no sooner does the C-57D arrive in orbit
of the planet than it gets scanned by somebody on the surface. They are
contacted by a Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), who is registered as one of
the passengers of the Belerophon. Morbius immediately warns the crew of the
C-57D not to land on the planet, but Adams, following his orders, ignores the
doctor’s pleas.
Upon landing, Adams, his executive officer Lt. Farman, and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Ostrow are surprised to see a vehicle arrive for them with an unusual
chauffeur: Robby The Robot. Impressive, imposing, and yet very polite, this man
of metal takes the top officers back to the spacious home of Morbius, where they
learn from the good doctor that this crewmates, as well as the ship itself, have
been savagely destroyed by an unknown force. Morbius is the only survivor, along
with his grown daughter, Alta (the alluring Ann Francis). Adams and company are
astonished to learn that Morbius, a linguist, had somehow managed to build Robby
from scratch all by himself. But the bigger mystery is what was the unknown
force that destroyed the Belerophon, and why is Morbius so afraid that, after 19
years of peace, it will return to wreak havoc once again.
It’s hard to believe that Forbidden Planet is now 50 years old--perhaps it’s
because this classic SF film still holds up so well. Sure, it has a very 1950s
mentality in regards to how the C-57D has an all-male crew; as well as the
flummoxed, puritan reaction that Adams has to the progressive woman/child Alta,
who--at one point--sweetly and innocently tells him to "kiss me like everybody
else does." Ann Francis is very engaging as Alta, a precocious young woman who
speaks her mind and is eager to explore very facet of existence (plus, Francis
looks mighty fine in those mini-skirt outfits that she wore).
But the film remains a classic thanks to its marvelous production design, which
pulled out all the stops in imaging an alien world and its environs. The wonders
of the Krell still fascinate; this mysterious, long-dead race still manages to
fire the imagination in a way that aliens in most SF films and TV shows never do.
And then there’s Robby The Robot, an innovative design that does away with the
goofy "man-in-a-suit" look in favor of a more dynamic look that has helped to
create one of the most enduring characters in science fiction.
Science Fiction fans have long argued about the influence that Forbidden Planet
has had on other SF productions, especially the original Star Trek. But whatever
it’s direct influence on a given production, Forbidden Planet remains a seminal
film because it treated it’s story with intelligence, wit, and a level of
sobriety that was sadly lacking in many of the SF productions of the 1950s.
Forbidden Planet’s cast and crew did not set out to make a mere B-movie, and
because of their dedication, their film had become a vanguard, a pinnacle of the
heights that filmed SF should strive for--until Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 raised
the bar even higher upon its release.
The 2006 DVD release celebrates the film’s 50th anniversary in high style. It
features the classic film with a superb, crisp picture and sound, as well as
three documentaries: a half hour retrospective which looks back on the making of
and the influence of the film, a 13 minute look at Robby the Robot, as well as
"Watch The Skies" a loving look at the SF films of the 1950s (including FP) with
comments from such directors as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and James Cameron,
among others. The disc set also comes with The Invisible Boy, as well as the
episode "Robot Client" from the Thin Man TV series--both productions starring
Robby The Robot. There’s also a collection of lobby cards for Forbidden Planet
and The Invisible Boy, as well as a miniature Robby The Robot figure, all
contained within a collectable tin box, making this the definitive edition of a
timeless science fiction masterpiece.
--SF
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