A Classic Sci-Fi Film
There’s something about old sci-fi that just makes for great entertainment. I’m not talking so much about the ‘big bug’ films, but, films like The Forbidden Planet and The Day The Earth Stood Still and TV shows like the original Star Trek are just timeless. From generation to generation, they’re constantly valid, inspiring, and enjoyable. The common theme amongst all of these of course being ‘the great unknown,’ that massive entity we all refer to as ‘space.’
Until receiving the Blu-ray for review, I hadn’t even heard of The Forbidden Planet, sad to say. Having seen it now, it’s definitely earned a spot in my library. The film stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. Leslie Nielsen is Commander J. J. Adams. He and his crew are aboard a starship on the way to Altair-4, a planet that went ‘dark’ with reasons unknown. In the opening minutes of the film, JJ and a small crew including actor Warren Stevens, who plays Lt ‘Doc’ Ostrow, make their way to the planet surface. They are greeted by a sci-fi icon of today: Robby, The Robot. This massively over-engineered robotic servant is a character that will re-appear in some future MGM productions. Robby takes the men to see his master, Dr. Edward Morbius, played by Walter Pidgeon, and his daughter Altaira ‘Alta’ Morbius, played by Anne Francis.
JJ Adams and his crew begin to unravel the mystery of Altair-4, marveling at its phenomenal technology and engineering that was created by the Krell, the planet’s former inhabitants whose disappearance remains unexplained. Something isn’t right though, and Dr. Morbius isn’t completely forthcoming. This added mystery makes the movie even stronger.
You can bet that more than one episode of Star Trek was inspired by this pioneering film, and many other sci-fi shows and movies as well. The Forbidden Planet is very enjoyable and one that I can watch repeatedly, too.
The Blu-ray Release
The Forbidden Planet may be an old film, but I was impressed with the image quality on this Blu-ray. While the image does have some grain, I found it didn’t take away much from this old gem. Sci-fi films, and especially those with detailed, fictional sets, are a visual treat in that they let the eyes and the mind wonder and explore. For me, this combats technical image quality problems like grain nicely. Additionally, the 5.1 Audio does very well for itself and I was impressed to see that English, Spanish, and German languages were included.
Several extra features round out this release. Included are:
-TCM Original Documentary “Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us” (55m, SD) – George Lucas, Spielberg, and others talk about sci-fi and film, including of course this movie, in an entertaining documentary.
-Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet (26m, SD) – Various experts/visual effects folks talk about quality and pioneering of the film, with lots of clips shown from the movie. Leslie Nielsen shares a few thoughts too.
-Robby The Robot: Engineering A Sci-Fi Icon (14m, SD): Footage of Robby, with some of the experts from the previous extra feature talking about the character.
-Deleted Scenes (13m, SD)
-Lost Footage (9m22s, SD)
-Original Trailers for The Forbidden Planet and The Invisible Boy
-“The Invisible Boy” – The full 1.5 hour movie, in SD and black and white, is listed as an extra feature. It came out in 1957 and is somewhat of a ‘sequel’ to The Forbidden Planet. It features Robby the Robot.
-Excerpt from MGM Parade Ep 27 (2m17s, SD): An old weekly MGM promo show hosted by Walter Pidgeon. He talks about the movie.
-Excerpt from MGM Parade Ep 28 (4m, SD): Another look at the movie, featuring a great piece with Robby the Robot and Walter.
-The Thin Man: “Robot Client” Episode (25.5m): A 1958 TV show that featured Robby the Robot.
Overall, the list of extra features is quite impressive to match an excellent movie and great presentation quality.