Forbidden Planet 1956
I rented this on disc back when Netflix was still mailing red envelopes, but I must not have written a review at the time. I remember that it was surprisingly good so I recently got a digital copy and watched it again. The sets and special effects seem really modern, not least of which is Robby the Robot in his first appearance, with some impressive mechanical detail and generally a great look for a robot. Disney helped out with animated ray blasts and some other special effects, which look pretty decent. Anne Francis also looks great in an array of fashionable minidresses, that must have influenced Star Trek a decade later. It is also neat to see a young Leslie Nielsen in a completely serious role as the captain visiting this derelict colony. There are some great concepts about an ancient advanced race of beings that left behind machinery that is still functioning beneath the planet surface. Where the movie falters is the plot, which fails to bring together all of those elements into a compelling story. It isn't bad, but it takes an awful lot of exposition and the payoff is a little humdrum, maybe because it feels like something Star Trek copied, right down to the captain romancing the antagonist's daughter. It is all still very imaginative, but I think I was a little less impressed watching this time around.
Written: 04 Jun 2024
Owned on: Digital