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Movies / On DVD / Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet

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Forbidden Planet (1956)

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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... 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 and obedient robot Robby. The good doctor is plagued by his mad quest for knowledge through his "brain booster" machine, and by Freudian "monsters from the id" as his daughter discovers other men and learns to kiss. [More]

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Earl Holliman, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, George D. Wallace, James Drury, Harry Harvey, Bob Dix, Jimmie Thompson

Director: Fred M. Wilcox

Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Screenwriter: Cyril Hume
Producer: Nicholas Nayfack
Composer: Bebe Barron, Louis Barron

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Forbidden Planet

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

An ingenious script, excellent special effects and photography, and superior acting, make it an endearing winner.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Its most interesting moments are mired in human frailty--in sex, death, betrayal, jealousy, and intoxication.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
12/20/07
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

A cinematic marvel for the ages, Forbidden Planet possesses a look and feel that was far ahead of its time.

Full Review Source: DVD Review | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
DVD Review

Still great, relevant sci-fi

comment Comment
06/12/07
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

Imaginative gadgets galore, plus plenty of suspense and thrills, make the production a top offering in the space travel category.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/05/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...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.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
12/11/06
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

MGM's full color, 'Scope production looks amazing, and Robby the Robot steals the show.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
12/07/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The strictly formulaic direction and by-the-numbers script, however, leach any true drama or humanity out of the bulk of the film.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 3 Comments
11/08/06
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

...with minor reservations, I'd say Forbidden Planet remains one of Hollywood's better sci-fi accomplishments. (50th Anniversary Edition)

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
11/07/06
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Equal parts cheesy 1950s sci-fi and intelligent, if misguided, grappling with the idea of limitless progress.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
05/28/06
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

Offers some of the most amusing creatures conceived since the Keystone cops.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/25/06
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 4 Comments
03/04/06
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

One of the most influential science fiction films of the 1950s.

comment Comment
10/20/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

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.'

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/10/05
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

leslie and robby kickin it old school

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
07/08/05
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is

No review available.

comment Comment
06/16/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Marvelous special effects.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
06/14/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Uma trama curiosa e efeitos visuais ainda eficazes (embora ultrapassados, obviamente) garantiram que este filme envelhecesse bem.

comment Comment
04/30/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

No review available.

comment Comment
08/04/04
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/04
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Forbidden Planet

December 21, 2008: James Cameron Forbidden Planet Bound? Opens in new window
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" Opens in new window
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? Opens in new window
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 Opens in new window
"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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