When Commander Adams and his crew are sent to investigate why there have been no communications from a planet explored 20 years earlier by scientists, he finds only two survivors, Dr. Morbius and his daughter, Altaira. Morbius isn't exactly pleased to see them and would have preferred that they hadn't landed. He does his best to get them on their way but Commander Adams and his men soon face an invisible force leading them to believe that Morbius and the girl are in danger. Morbius claims to know nothing of other life on the planet but does reveal there once existed a far superior race, now extinct, that had an unimaginable power, which the Dr., however, has no intention of sharing. Forbidden Planet is simply the definition of a cult classic and has cemented its popularity in pop culture history. Although the movie flopped upon its original release, despite being an expensive production for its time, this feature has only grown in its popularity over the years and has become so beloved by fans. It's easy to see why this film has received such overwhelming admiration from the beautiful sets and landscapes, the creative special effects, the amazing acting and last but not least, Robby the Robot. I was blown away by how intricate the detail on display was. The grand desert-like landscape of the planet, Altair IV, looks incredibly real with a fantastic backdrop, which seals the deal of creating a believable alien world. Not only does the Altair IV hold such impressive detail, but other elements like the futuristic buildings, the spaceship, the crew's weapons and every single piece of equipment visible. Everything adds up towards the making of a truly breathtaking science fiction picture that has stood the test of time with the help of some magnificent cinematography. When it comes to the practical and visual effects, they are out of this world. For the time they are exceptional. The one I loved most was during the monster attack on the spaceship that used some hand-drawn animation from the creature to the weapons firing, everything looked truly magical. Out of all the actors, the one who surprised me the most was Leslie Nielsen as Commander Addams mainly due to his instant association with his more comedic productions, which threw me off slightly to see him acting in a serious role. Despite releasing long before his comedy movie streak was made popular by the hilarious Airplane! (1980), it still feels odd seeing him being so stern and natural. However, although Nielsen may have been a great actor in this production, the spotlight shone on another upcoming star, Robby the Robot. Robby has become a staple in the film industry as one of the most famous robots in the entirety of pop culture history. He is not only known for his appearance in Forbidden Planet as he has also appeared in his own films and other productions as cameos, most notably in Gremlins (1984) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). This sci-fi adventure classic may be one of the most recognisable of this genre since, after all, it practically made it. Products such as Star Wars may have redefined this genre drastically, but this one certainly created it. It is clear how much of an impact it had going forward for the inspiration of other projects, especially Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969). Whilst watching this for the first time, I was instantly brought to the feeling that I was viewing a classic Star Trek adventure. Upon collecting, all the elements of this production together, it starts to sound like a big-screen budget episode of the outstanding sci-fi show. It is obvious how it inspired the creation of that television program as they practically share the same essence. Being a huge fan of Star Trek (especially the original) this almost felt like a fun addition to the program, which made my enjoyment all the more so. Overall, what more can be said about this classic other than it is perfect? I adore this piece of 50s sci-fi that feels so grand in every aspect, which managed to start a catalyst that created so many other iconic productions. I highly recommend checking this one out and I'm sure it's one everybody can easily recognise even if you've never seen it, but why not look it over for yourself to fully understand why it is praised by so many?
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