Forbidden Planet
Tags: comedy, psychological, murder, cult, psychedelic, suspenseful, sci-fi

Plot synopsis:
Opening sceneIt is late in the 22nd Century. United Planet cruiser C57D is a year out from Earth base on the way to Altair for a special mission. Commander J.J Adams (Leslie Neilsen) orders the crew to the deceleration booths as the ship drops from light speed to normal space.Adams orders pilot Jerry Farman (Jack Kelly) to lay in a course for the fourth planet. The captain then briefs the crew that they are at their destination, and that they are to look for survivors from the Bellerophon expedition 20 years earlier.As they orbit the planet looking for signs of life, the ship is scanned by a radar facility some 20 square miles in area. Morbius (Walter Pigeon) contacts the ship from the planet asking why the ship is here. Morbius goes on to explain he requires nothing, no rescue is required and he can't guarantee the safety of the ship or its crew.Adams confirms that Morbius was a member of the original crew, but is puzzled at the cryptic warning Morbius realizes the ship is going to land regardless, and gives the pilot coordinates in a desert region of the planet. The ship lands and security details deploy. Within minutes a high speed dust cloud approaches the ship. Adams realizes it is a vehicle, and as it arrives the driver is discovered to be a robot (Robby). Robby welcomes the crew to Altair 4 and invites members of the crew to Morbius' residence.Adams, Farman and Doc Ostrow (Warren Stevens) arrive at the residence and are greeted by Morbius. They sit down to a meal prepared by Robby's food synthesizer and Morbius shows the visitors Robby's other abilities, including his unwavering obedience. Morbius then gives Robby a blaster with orders to shoot Adams. Robby refuses and goes into a mechanical mind lock, disabling him until the order is changed.Morbius then shows the men the defense system of the house (A series of steel shutters). When questioned, Morbius admits that the Belleraphon crew is dead, Morbius and his wife being the only original survivors. Morbius's wife has also died, but months after the others and from natural causes. Morbius goes on to explain many of the crew were torn limb from limb by a strange creature or force living on the planet. The Belleraphon herself was destroyed when the final three surviving members tried to take off for Earth.Adams wonders why this force has remained dormant all these years and never attacked Morbius. As discussions continue, a young woman Altaira (Anne Francis) introduces herself as Morbius daughter. Farman takes an immediate interest in Altaira, and begins to flirt with her
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Altaira then shows the men her ability to control wild animals by petting a wild tiger. During this display the ship checks in on the safety of the away party. Adams explains he will need to check in with Earth for further orders and begins preparations for sending a signal. Because of the power needed the ship will be disabled for up to 10 days. Morbius is mortified by this extended period and offers Robby's services in building the communication facilityThe next day Robby arrives at ship as the crew unloads the engine to power the transmitter. To lighten the tense moment the commander instructs the crane driver to pick up Cookie (Earl Holliman) and move him out of the way. Quinn interrupts the practical joke to report that the assembly is complete and they can transmit in the morning.Meanwhile Cookie goes looking for Robby and organizes for the robot to synthesize some bourbon. Robby takes a sample and tells Cookie he can have 60 gallons ready the next morning for him.Farman continues to court Altair by teaching her how to kiss, and the health benefits of kissing. Adams interrupts the exercise, and is clearly annoyed with a mix of jealous. He then explains to Altair that the clothes she wears are inappropriate around his crew. Altair tries to argue till Adams looses patience and order Altair to leave the area.That night, Altair, still furious, explains to her father what occurred. Altair takes Adams advice to heart and orders Robby to run up a less revealing dress. Meanwhile back at the ship two security guards think they hear breathing in the darkness but see nothing.Inside the ship, one of the crew half asleep sees the inner hatch opened and some material moved around. Next morning the Captain holds court on the events of the night before. Quinn advises the captain that most of the missing and damaged equipment can be replaced except for the Clystron monitor. Angry, the Capt. and Doc go back to Morbius to confront him about what has occurred.Morbius is unavailable, so the two men settle in to wait. Outside Adams sees Altair swimming and goes to speak to her. Thinking she is naked, Adams becomes flustered and unsettled till he realizes she wants him to see her new dress. Altair asks why Adams wont kiss her like everyone else has. He gives in and plants one on her. Behind them a tiger emerges from the forest and attacks Altair, Adams reacts by shooting it. Altair is badly troubled by the incident; the tiger had been her friend, but she can't understand why it acted as if she was an enemy.Returning to the house, Doc and Adams accidentally open Morbius' office. They find a series of strange drawings but no sign of Morbius. He appears through a secret door and is outraged at the intrusion. Adams explains the damage done to the ship the previous night and his concern that Morbius was behind the attack.Morbius admits it is time for explanations. He goes on to tell them about a race of creatures that lived on the planet called the Krell. In the past they had visited Earth, which explains why there are Earth animals on the planet. Morbius believes the Krell civilization collapsed in a single night, right on the verge of their greatest discovery. Today 2000 centuries later, nothing of their cities exists above ground.Morbius then takes them on a tour of the Krell underground installation. Morbius first shows them a device for projecting their knowledge; he explains how he began to piece together information. Then an education device that projects images formed in the mind. Finally he explains what the Krell were expected to do, and how much lower human intelligence is in comparison.Doc tries the intelligence tester but is confused when it does not register as high as Morbius. Morbius then explains it can also boost intelligence, and that the captain of the Belleraphon died using it. Morbius himself was badly injured but when he recovered his IQ had doubled.Adams questions why all the equipment looks brand new. It is explained that all the machines left on the planet are self repairing and Morbius takes them on a tour of the rest of the installation. First they inspect a giant air vent that leads to the core of the planet. There are 400 other such shafts in the area and 9200 thermal reactors spread through the facilities 8000 cubic miles.Later that night the crew has completed the security arrangements and tests the force field fence. Cookie asks permission to go outside the fence. He meets Robby, who gives him the 60 gallons of bourbon.
Outside, something hits the fence and shorts it out. The security team checks the breach but finds nothing. A series of foot-like depressions begin forming leading to the ship. Something unseen enters the ship. A scream echos through the compound.Back at the Morbius residence he argues that only he should be allowed to control the flow of Krell technology back to Earth. In the middle of the discussion, Adams is paged and told that the Chief Quinn has been murdered. Adams breaks off his discussions and heads back to the ship.Later that night Doc finds the footprints and makes a cast. The foot makes no evolutionary sense. It seems to have elements of a four footed and biped creature; also it seems to be both a predator and herbivore. Adams questions Cookie, who was with the robot during the test, and decides the robot was not responsible.The next day at the funeral for Chief, Morbius again warns him of impending doom facing the ship and crew. Adams considers this a challenge and spends the day fortifying the position around the ship. After testing the weapons and satisfied all that could be done has, the radar station suddenly reports movement in the distance moving slowly towards the ship.No one sees anything despite the weapons being under radar fire control. The controller confirms a direct hit, but the object is still moving towards the ship. Suddenly something hits the force field fence, and a huge monster appears outlined in the energy flux. The crew open fire, but seem to do little good. A number of men move forward but are quickly killed.Morbius wakes hearing the screams of Altair. She's had a dream mimicking the attack that has just occurred. As Morbius is waking the creature in the force field disappears. Doc theorizes that the creature is made of some sort of energy, renewing itself second by second.Adams takes Doc in the tractor to visit Morbius, intending to evacuate him from the planet. He leaves orders for the ship to be readied for liftoff. If he and Doc dont get back, the ship is to leave without them. They also want to try and break into Morbius' office and take the brain booster test.They are met at the door by Robby, who disarms them. Altair appears and countermands the orders given to Robby by her father. Seeing a chance, Doc sneaks into the office. Altair argues with Adams about trying to make Morbius return home; she ultimately declares her love for him.Robby appears carrying the injured Doc. Struggling to speak and in heavy pain, Doc explains that the Krell succeeded in their great experiment. However they forgot about the subconscious monsters they would release. Monsters from the id.Morbius sees the dead body of Doc, and makes a series of ugly comments. His daughter reminds him that Doc is dead. Morbius' lack of care convinces Altair she is better off going with Adams. Morbius tries to talk Adams out of taking Altair.Adams demands an explanation of the id. Morbius realizes he is the source of the creature killing everyone. The machine the Krell built was able to release his inner beast, the subconscious monster dwelling deep inside his ancestral mind.Robby interrupts the debate to report something approaching the house. Morbius triggers the defensive shields of the house, which the creature begins to destroy. Morbius then orders Robby to destroy the creature; however, Robby short circuits. Adams explained that it was useless; Robby knew it was Morbius himself.Adams, Altair and Morbius retreat to the Krell lab and seal themselves in by sealing a special indestructible door. Adams convinces Morbius that he is really the monster, and that Morbius cannot actually control his subconscious desires.The group watch as the creature beings the slow process of burning through the door. Panicked, Morbius implores Altair to say it is not so. Suddenly the full realization comes, and he understands that he could endanger or even kill Altair.As the creature breaks through, Morbius rushes forward and denies its existence. Suddenly the creature disappears but Morbius is mortally wounded. With his dying breath he instructs Adams to trigger a self destruct mechanism linked to the reactors of the great machine. The ship and crew have 24 hours to get as far away from the planet as possibleThe next day we see the ship deep in space. Robby and Altair are onboard watching as the planet brightens and is destroyed. Adams assures Altair that her father's memory will shine like a beacon.

Review: old and found this movie both highly entertaining and very frightening and unlike any other movie I had seen up until that time.BASIC PLOT:  An expedition is sent out from Earth to the fourth planet of Altair, a great mainsequence star in constellation Aquilae to find out what happened to a colony of settlers which landed twenty years before and had not been heard from since.THEME:  An inferior civilization (namely ours) comes into contact with the remains of a greatly advanced alien civilization, the Krell-200,000 years removed.
Argue, if you must, that movies like "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Them" and "Five Million Years to Earth" are the cerebral grand-fathers of the film genre (and I won't disagree with you), but for "science-fiction-as-plot-driven-action-epic," this is it.
Things escalate when members of the crew are attacked and the full extent of the dangers on the planet become more and more clear.I have seen quite a few trashy sci-fi's from the 1950's because I rather enjoy their b-movie qualities but this is far from being a genre film because it stands out from the usual sci-fi's that act as an allegory for communism (whether deliberate or in hindsight) because this film is very intelligent  although I assume it was based on the fears of the period as well, or at least I'd like to think so.
It also has a good mix of comedy in the form of the cook and, surprisingly, Robby the Robot (one of the most famous robots in cinema history) but mainly the film succeeds because of the interesting concept and good delivery.It's not all perfect of course and some of the plot holes are a bit of a pain if you really want to pick at them and also the need for a 'happy' ending spoils what should have been a much darker conclusion  I don't understand why the script spent so much time warning only to offer an optimistic view of the self same things that it had warned against.
I appear to be one of the few viewers who liked Holliman's work as the comic relief cook but I must admit to finding the rest of the crew (including Kelly and Stevens) to be quite workmanlike even if they weren't 'bad' per se.Overall this is a great piece of sci-fi that has stood up really well over the past 50 or so years.
Sure Star Wars (a movie I have seen at least fifty times) beats all the others in special effects, but this film has every thing else!It has horror(non-graphical), romance, robots, witty repartee, intelligence, (surprisingly good) special effects, and drama.I saw this film a couple of years ago in a revival with a newly struck print, and I was amazed at how well it held up today.
I thought the old 40's style electronics would look hokey, but they somehow looked futuristic and moderne.Ann Francis in here (mostly) short skirts and bare feet with a girlish innocence that is hard to beat still gets a rise out of me.The Krell monster appearing in the ray beams still scares the bejebees out of me.Of course we all know that the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" probably modeled much of "Star Trek" from this movie.No one has yet to beat Robby, the Robot, in terms of personality(sorry, R2D2 and C3PO).This movie, overall, is the standard that all other Science Fiction films will have to measure up to!Honorable mention for the haunting electronic score which kept us all on pins and needles..
Like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, this film helped make sci-fi respectable instead of the stuff for silly B-movies with cheap costumes and obviously faked sets.
To help strengthen the thought-level of the story, the scriptwriters included elements of Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Freudian psychology to make an enlightening tale of other-worldly mystery.Leslie Nielsen is in his serious mode here long before he became the comic madman of the NAKED GUN movies and POLICE SQUAD television series.
Robbie the Robot is thrown in for some comic-relief and appeared in many other movies and television shows including LOST IN SPACE.The most interesting aspect of the story for me was Monsters from the Id. The point being made is that the serpent is still in the Garden of Eden because we carry evil around with us wherever we go.This is an excellent entertainment..
A number of factors make it easy for me to state that I still think this is the most important science fiction film ever made, despite some of the acting, outdated dialogue etc.First, there is the scale of imagination in describing the Krell, a humanoid race native to the planet, now all dead, who were 1 million years more advanced than Earth humans(us), and their technology, particularly the 8,000 cubic mile machine.Second, there is the music and sound effects, which are inseparable from each other.
It creates an eerie, unearthly feeling, unlike "2001", which had traditional classical music.Third, its "monster" is not only the most powerful and deadly ever envisioned, it's also based on real science and doesn't break the laws of physics and biology.Finally, and most importantly, Forbidden Planet is the only movie ever made that attempts and, more incredibly, succeeds in making an honest, intelligent and mercilessly logical statement on the limits or ceiling of human (or any other biological entity's) development, no matter how long we survive as a species.In other words, it predicts our inevitable destiny..
To those of us who grew up on science fiction of the 50's and 60's, "Forbidden Planet" is, if not the "all-time" greatest sci-fi film, then it's one of the top three (the other two are "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "War of the Worlds").The actors are superb, the scenery and graphics are wonderful, and the special effects (though now quite dated) still hold their own today!
At a time when science fiction movies were invariably cheap rubber monsters attacking our cities and scaring our women, "Forbidden Planet" offered an usually thought-provoking plot that worked on a number of levels.
"Forbidden Planet" had awesome special effects for their time (many of which still hold up well today)--but these were used to effectively support the multifaceted plot and characterizations, not try to compensate for their lack.The Shakespearean ("The Tempest") and Freudian ("Id-monster") elements have been noted by many critics.
A flying saucer manned (literally) by a crew of about 20 male space explorers travels hundreds of millions of light years from earth to check in on a colony founded some 25 years ago on a 'forbidden planet.' What they find is a robot more advanced than anything imaginable on earth, a beautiful and totally socially inept young woman, and her father, a hermit philologist haunted by more than the demons of the ancient civilization he has immersed himself in.On the surface, this story is a pulp scifi murder mystery.
If it were not for the goofy retro-art-deco-ness of 1950s sci-fi props, you might think you were watching a 1960s piece.This is a classic of that very special sub-genre of sci fi I like to call 1950s sci-fi, and, though not, in my opinion, the best it is certainly a must see for anybody interested in sci-fi film and special effects.
There's a good reason that Walter Pidgeon is warning off Leslie Nielson and his crew from the relief ship, stuff he dare not dream about.As Doctor Edward Morbius, Pidgeon is the last survivor of an expedition that came to this planet 20 years earlier.
It's interesting to look at science fiction films from different generations and see how are conceptions of the future do change.The story behind Forbidden Planet is a timeless one, about mortal beings trying to play God.You can't write about Forbidden Planet without commenting on Robby the Robot.
His scenes with Earl Holliman who plays the cook on the space ship and his complying with Earl's request for some home spirits are very funny.Robby and the other special effects were nominated for an Oscar, but lost to The Ten Commandments and the parting of the Red Sea. Forbidden Planet's bad luck to run up against a Hollywood founder like Cecil B.
It makes the film seem quite modern (sort of).The Robinsons from "Lost in Space" shopped at the same Galactic Supa- Centre - they bought a scaled down ship, less expensive gear & a cheaper version of Robby but you can easily see the lineage.The special effects must have seemed pretty excellent back in the day because they still look good.
This is by no means a film that a high school student can watch to compensate for reading the play, but it's a fine adaptation, its only cinematic competition being the excellent Western "Yellow Sky".At a time when science fiction was reduced to pulp, "Forbidden Planet" did a lot to advance intelligent, thoughtful genre films.
And the electronic "tonalities", with the eerie, Theremin-like sound enhances the visuals, as does all those subtle echoes.Unlike so many current sci-fi films wherein CGI substitutes for a non-existent plot, the special effects in "Forbidden Planet" enhance an already well-developed plot.
We marvel at the film's set design, animation effects, and matte paintings, all of which combine to create an artistic look that augments and supports the intellectual script.Similar to "The Tempest" in characters, plot, and theme, and aimed at an intelligent audience, "Forbidden Planet" is one of the three or four best sci-fi films ever made..
Forbidden Planet is considered to be one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, and it holds up.
Courtesy of a script that "borrows" from Shakespear's The Tempest, Forbidden Planet is a hokey yet sincere amalgam of dime-store Freudian psychobabble and Asimov/Clarke/Bester with a touch of Philip K Dick SF lit thrown in for good measure.The film's other great strengths is its design, sets and art direction.
From the shiny silver space saucer that takes the crew to Altair 4 and the "Frank Lloyd Wright on Venus" design of Morbius's house to Robby The Robot and the Krell underground city , Forbidden Planet is a visually gorgeous treat.
Many people who watch this movie attest to its many layered-ness from its plot to visual effects ( some which looks very much like a precursor to Star Trek series of the '60s ), choice of main characters ( A captain, doctor, and a first officer - Hmmm, didn't I see that somewhere else ?
The story shifts into a rough version of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' with the introduction of 3 other characters during this space crew's latest mission to a barren yet wondrous planet: an elder scientist, his young lovely daughter and the scientist's impressive robot, which he apparently tinkered together about 20 years ago.But there are secrets on this planet, dark and deadly, and most of them stem from this anti-social yet seemingly harmless recluse of a scientist (Pidgeon).
I've seen this sci-fi classic many times over the years but never in it's original big screen Cinemascope glory which I'm sure would add to the value of this film.
This is a very good film and one of the best from the golden age of sci-fi movies and for it's influence on the science fiction film genre it deserves a 10..
I think the concept of the space crew and their relationship to one another was carried over to Star Trek and the transporter feature was taken or at least heavily inspired by the opening of the film when the crew assume DC stations (deceleration).We have a serious Leslie Nelson playing Commander Adams and a young 'Oscar Goldman' (Richard Anderson) for The Six Million Dollar Man fans.
***END SPOILER*** I wasn't at all expecting such mature commentary in a 50's sci-fi flick.Furthermore, Dr. Morbius' elaboration on the former inhabitants of his planet, the Krell, is fascinating to this day and the archaic special effects hold up well.One thing that really blows me away every time I catch this flick, of course, is Anne Francis, who plays Altaira (or Alta for short), in her ultra skimpy (and cute) outfits.
Not Japanese at all.the moral denouement is that we best not tamper with forces beyond our comprehension, a necessity it seems of the early atomic age.I admit it's a film of heady contrasts.The sedentary scientist and naive bombshell daughter with their robot, next to the boisterous army crew.The vast and obsolete looking 'futuristic' technology, next to sand deserts and the organic architecture of the house.The pastel colors of the MGM backlot (green skies!), next to the art-deco look of machinery.The thunderous shot that reveals the immensity of the Krell laboratories, compared to everything else being standard eye-level shots - it sticks out.It's so heady, you can trace its unmistakable influence from Star Trek to Alien.
Forbidden Planet not only revolutionized the sci-fi genre with a smart story (loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest) with great (if dated) special effects, it saved the genre.
With one of the cleverest stories in the genre, one of its best ever robots (Robby would become a star all on his own) and certainly the best spaceship landing ever, Forbidden Planet is a genre high point and essential viewing for those interested in said genre pieces.
"Forbidden Planet" is no exception to that rule, yet it manages to remain a bracingly original, thoroughly entertaining film, an enduring classic in a cinematic genre that ages faster than unrefrigerated milk.In a plot loosely lifted from Shakespeare's "The Tempest", a flying saucer flown from Earth in 2200 AD lands on the planet Altair 4, where Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) lives in isolation with his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis) and their helpful robot, Robby.
The 1950s were a golden age for science fiction more on the page than on screen, but "Forbidden Planet" holds up very well.So does the captain of the flying saucer, third-billed Leslie Neilsen, probably the only guy in movies who had to share star billing with not one but two inanimate objects, Robby here and Otto in "Airplane!" Neilsen's later career transformation casts a subversive light on his more serious early roles, but Neilsen here is really good, both in his angry confrontations with Morbius and his comic attempts to disguise his jealous longing for Morbius's daughter.The best performance, other than Robby's deadpan humor, is probably Warren Stevens as "Doc", a member of the saucer's crew who very subtly does a lot to point us in the direction the movie wants our minds to go in while his crewmates ogle the scrumptious Altaira.
The score (electronic music) and special effects are both way ahead of their time and suspension of disbelief is readily achieved from a cast that includes Walter Pidgeon as the scientist who discovers the remains of a lost advanced civilisation on a faraway planet.
Rated a 5-star film for nearly fifty years, and still rated so in some master indexes, Forbidden Planet is considered by many to be the greatest space fiction thriller of all time.
I always thought Robby the Robot was downright silly.The plot itself is probably the most sophisticated in science fiction films with its idea of monsters from the Id. The music score is unique.
A classic 1950's Sci-Fi film, Forbidden Planet will also appeal to movie fans who do not like science fiction.
Commander Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his crew find only two survivors on Altair-4 where a spaceship disappeared 20 years ago; Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter Altaira (Anne Francis).
How I wish that Robby, the robot, had been given a whole lot more screen-time in this wonderful, 1956, Technicolor, Sci-Fi classic called "Forbidden Planet".
i found this a very watchable movie,at least until the final 30 minutes.it's not really action packed,yet i found it fascinating.it stars Leslie Nielsen at a young age in a serious role.one thing i noticed is how similar to the original Star Trek this movie looks.this movie must have been an inspiration for that show.if not the similarities between the 2 is the biggest coincidence ever.like Star Trek,there is a beautiful woman that the captain falls in love with.the planet looks familiar too.i'm also certain that the robot in the movie greatly inspired the robot in the science fiction TV series Lost in Space.though the special effects may not be that impressive by today's standards,i can see how they would be back then.anyway,like i said,the movie kept my interest until the last 30 minutes or so.which is amazing,since,in my mind,not too much happened the previous 68 minutes.this is definitely not for those that are action and adrenaline junkies.others might enjoy it though.i'll give Forbidden planet a 6/10.
It's also clear after watching this that while Gene Roddenberry may have created "Star Trek" he borrowed rather heavily from "Forbidden Planet" as he did so, and a number of "Star Trek" episodes seem to have their origins in various aspects of the plot of this movie.The story features Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Morbius, the only survivor of the crew of an earth ship that landed on Altaire IV many years before.
Forbidden Planet is a groundbreaking film that became the blueprint for a million sci-fi movies.
As a measure of its influence down through the years, "The Twilight Zone" tv show often borrowed its props, "Star Trek" used it as a conceptual template, Robbie the Robot is still a sci-fi icon, and even its theme--that men despite technical advancements are unfit to be gods--is repeated in the movie "Sphere." Although the narrative and camera techniques are showing their age more and more as time passes, "Forbidden Planet" can still be enjoyed today on the level of exploring ideas..
It also upped standards for the science fiction film.****** Forbidden Planet (3/15/56) Fred Wilcox ~ Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Earl Holliman.
'Forbidden Planet' is a classic science fiction film, and it is probably best remembered for Robby the Robot.