Review of Forbidden Planet (1956) by Thomas D — 23 Apr 2017

Believe it or not, there was a time when sci-fi films didn't have CGI filled action sequences, massive sets, or far-fetched plot twists and turns. Forbidden Planet was one of the first films to encompass all of the aforementioned things, albeit in an entirely different manner. I'm currently in the midst of trying to watch and re-watch as many sci-fi features as I can and Forbidden Planet happened to be the next on my ledger. This film can easily be considered a forgotten gem, but ironically, it's one of the films that paved the way for countless other films to be made. This was before Star Trek or Star Wars and yet, it still makes an impact on me after I've spent years of my life cherishing those properties. Without a large scale budget or expensive cast, Forbidden Planet works as a solid think piece. The film deals with a starship crew from the 23rd century exploring a planet that was thought to be the landing place of a previous crew years earlier. Who or what they find is a complete mystery. For the most part, Forbidden Planet is a slow-burning film. There's little to no action, and any scene of injury or consequence often happens off-screen. In other words, the words spoken usually have a bigger impact than anything you see. With that said, the sets and painted backgrounds are easy on the eyes, especially considering this film was made over 60 years ago. But most of all, the ideas and themes explored here are impressive to say the least. It's always interesting to go back and watch films that you didn't realize had such a profound impact on the way a certain genre is made now. Forbidden Planet is certainly one of those.

8.1/10.

Believe it or not, there was a time when sci-fi films didn't have CGI filled action sequences, massive sets, or far-fetched plot twists and turns. Forbidden Planet was one of the first films to encompass all of the aforementioned things, albeit in an entirely different manner. I'm currently in the midst of trying to watch and re-watch as many sci-fi features as I can and Forbidden Planet happened to be the next on my ledger. This film can easily be considered a forgotten gem, but ironically, it's one of the films that paved the way for countless other films to be made. This was before Star Trek or Star Wars and yet, it still makes an impact on me after I've spent years of my life cherishing those properties. Without a large scale budget or expensive cast, Forbidden Planet works as a solid think piece. The film deals with a starship crew from the 23rd century exploring a planet that was thought to be the landing place of a previous crew years earlier. Who or what they find is a complete mystery. For the most part, Forbidden Planet is a slow-burning film. There's little to no action, and any scene of injury or consequence often happens off-screen. In other words, the words spoken usually have a bigger impact than anything you see. With that said, the sets and painted backgrounds are easy on the eyes, especially considering this film was made over 60 years ago. But most of all, the ideas and themes explored here are impressive to say the least. It's always interesting to go back and watch films that you didn't realize had such a profound impact on the way a certain genre is made now. Forbidden Planet is certainly one of those.

8.1/10.