Forbidden Planet (1956)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss.

[Plain Old Tele]

This is one of the great influential science-fiction movies of the '50s that set the stage -- in attitude, in VFX -- for many of the greats that followed. It's under-appreciated now, probably because it's dated (so much much for the VFX, which hold up reasonably well, but because of the dialogue and characterization, which is rooted squarely in its time). As a kid, this movie terrified me.

 

I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of science fiction in general, with two caveats: one, it's dated, like I said, so you have to be able to get past that, and two, you have to accept a young Leslie Nielson in a straight dramatic, heroic role (this was well before he reinvented himself as a comedic buffoon).

 

A

[fishstick]

Can you entlighten me on why this is such a classic? I was bored out of my mind. Nothing really happened until some 15 minutes towards the end.

[Plain Old Tele]

Can you entlighten me on why this is such a classic? I was bored out of my mind. Nothing really happened until some 15 minutes towards the end.

Well, like I said, it's very dated in terms of pacing, performances, etc. But it's really one of (if not the) first SF movies to depict a "realistic" future space-travel story that also tries to be a straight dramatic adventure. It was a huge influence on Star Trek, in terms of translating traditional naval attitudes and characters into space, using exploration as a tool for establishing the story, and even in terms of specific character archetypes: it even has a Scottish engineer as a major supporting character! Robby the Robot is also sort of an analog for Spock and Data and other "logical" characters who're offset by their more colorful companions. And, of course, it can also be seen as an early effort at loosely adapting Shakespeare outside his own era, since it's a rough adaptation of THE TEMPEST. In terms of VFX and depicting alien worlds, it was a high-water mark until 2001 a decade later.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

This is a sci-fi classic. Very thoughtful (even in today's standard) and well made (in that age).

 

The third act really took the movie to another level that most sci-fi flicks nowadys cant or dont bother to manage.

 

I agree that it is very like the old Star Trek movies, except came decades earlier.

[fishstick]

I didn't have problem with production designs (great), acting (solid for 50s era when acting had to be exaggeared a bit) but with the story. Nothing really happened. Lots of talking.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

I didn't have problem with production designs (great), acting (solid for 50s era when acting had to be exaggeared a bit) but with the story. Nothing really happened. Lots of talking.

Yeah, you probably are right. You dont like these kinds of movies. Not your type.

[fishstick]

it wasn't bad but I was waiting for something to happen and when it did I was,like, "OK, I figured either old dude or daughter did it" and I was pretty much right.

[Plain Old Tele]

it wasn't bad but I was waiting for something to happen and when it did I was,like, "OK, I figured either old dude or daughter did it" and I was pretty much right.

 

Yeah, it's definitely a product of its time. The interesting aspect isn't really the revelation (because yeah, there's only a limited number or possibilities), it's more the how/why, which was a newer concept back then.

 

There's been a remake in development hell for a long time, with cool people attached at different times: Cameron, David Twohy, JMS. I'd like to see it, because I think you could update and expand the story in interesting ways now.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Telemachos

[fishstick]

I think that trouble with remakes is that every movie is a product of its time and it reflects on that time more or less. Supposedly, better movies makes stronger commentary than lesser ones. However, nowdays remakes tend to not make an appropriate time-relevant update. They strip the remake of what made it relevant in its time frame but add nothing that makes it relevant now.

 

I guess that there's a reason why FP was made in 50s the way it was made. As you pointed out, remake would have to update in many ways, least of all SFX and production design which were pretty great for its time already.

[Plain Old Tele]

I think that trouble with remakes is that every movie is a product of its time and it reflects on that time more or less. Supposedly, better movies makes stronger commentary than lesser ones. However, nowdays remakes tend to not make an appropriate time-relevant update. They strip the remake of what made it relevant in its time frame but add nothing that makes it relevant now.

 

I guess that there's a reason why FP was made in 50s the way it was made. As you pointed out, remake would have to update in many ways, least of all SFX and production design which were pretty great for its time already.

 

That's true -- my interest in the FP remake was largely because of comments (from JMS and others) that they largely intended to focus on making it relevant again, both in terms of the story and in terms of taking advantage of the latest science in astrophysics, etc. But it's probably a dead project at this point -- this and RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, another classic SF story I've been dying to see on the big screen for quite a while.

[fishstick]

I prefer they leave the classic alone and concentrate on creating a new, relevant classic.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

I prefer they leave the classic alone and concentrate on creating a new, relevant classic.

That is so hard.

[JohnnyGossamer]

Monsters of the id, man... Gotta love Forbidden Planet. Awesome sci-fi classic. 1950s yielded some pretty impressive sci-fi flicks with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Them!, The Incredible Shrinking Man, etc...

[Plain Old Tele]

Don't forget DESTINATION: MOON at the beginning of the decade -- probably the first effort to do a "realistic" science-fiction space movie.

[fishstick]

Monsters of the id, man... Gotta love Forbidden Planet. Awesome sci-fi classic. 1950s yielded some pretty impressive sci-fi flicks with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Them!, The Incredible Shrinking Man, etc...

 

And then 60s gave us POTA.

[luna]

similar to planet of the apes in a way, though even more atmospheric and bizarre. a far, far weaker ending puts it below that one, but it's still a fascinating b-movie sci-fi with fucking awesome analog sound effects.

 

B+ (75)

[A Marvel Fanboy]

The idea about the alien in this movie is really great. 

[Goffe]

Dreadful. Felt like the Doctor spent half of the movie explaining things. And the other half was spent with dumb hick archetypes trying to sound intelligent by using cringe worthy science terms. And oh boy, how I despise the helpless, pure, docile young hot woman trope.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Goffe

[The Stingray]

Love it!