Forbidden Planet - 50th Anniversary 2 Disc Special Edition [1956] [DVD] [1957]

Forbidden Planet has gone down in history as being perhaps the greatest Sci-Fi movie ever and it probably is, everybody knows that it was the inspiration on Gene Roddenberry's part for the creation of Star Trek and I suspect George Lucas was similarly influenced too.

Forbidden Planet was the first film that made Sci-Fi "cool" if that is the right word, it also looked as if some money had been spent on it and the script was given respect by the actors that gave it their all and played the parts for real.

The effects detailing the landscape of Altair 4 and the massive Krell machine under the planet are quite simply astounding, on each occasion that I have seen the film I have always been amazed at the sense of scale and depth that is portrayed on screen, which is even more apparent now with the footage being restored and released onto DVD. It has often made me feel as if I could actually be on the surface of the planet and traversing the many miles of the huge machine.

The idea of "Monsters from the Id" was not entirely original at the time the film was made, as it does in some ways have a bearing on Jekyll and Hyde, but the idea of having a race so advanced as to build a planet-sized machine capable of creating solid matter through thought was inspired at the time, and the concept of the Krell being destroyed by their own dark side manifested by the machine was thought provoking material and showed the dangers of absolute power.

The film has been lovingly restored and is a godsend with the special features making it even more so.

The disc has deleted scenes as many DVD's do, however it must be something of a rarity to have quite a substantial amount for a film this old, I expect masses of deleted scenes from modern films but not here and yet here they are, and very welcome they are too. If the presentation of deleted scenes was not suprising enough then the 10 minutes or so of lost footage certainly is. Here is material that comprises alternate takes and scenes without the effects added and different sound effects for the Id Monster etc, this is brilliant stuff that, as a caption says has been hidden in various film vaults for 50 years before being unearthed and I am glad it was, it is pure gold dust. There are three documentaries, detailing the making of the film and one about 50's Sci-Fi films in general and another about Robby the Robot and are all fascinating. The movie trailer is present as are trailers for various other films of this nature.

The two remaining special features actually have nothing to do with Forbidden Planet other than the fact that they feature Robby the Robot, they are follow up vehicles using the prop which was very expensive and MGM obviously wanted to get their money's worth out of it.

They are the entire film of The Invisible Boy made the year after Forbidden Planet and an episode of the 50's TV series The Thin Man, entitled Robot Client. Both are Black and White but as they are nothing to do with the featured film I won't go into details about them, nice though they are to have.

So there we are, a film that influenced in some ways virtually every piece of Sci-Fi entertainment that followed it in both Film and TV, and is an absolutely essential purchase for fans of this type of thing and in movies in general.

Buy this now!

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At last, this seminal film is getting a quality release it's long deserved.

I still remember the tingle of apprehension I got the first time I heard Robbie say,

"Morbius, something approaching from the South West."

The eerie electronic score and sound effects also make this a film that stands out from the crowd of 50's Science Fiction,

and the design of Robbie the Robot is so good it's still an impressive sight now.

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Of all the 1950s sci-fi films that were made (and there were many of them!) in my opinion just four stand head and shoulders above the rest: "This Island Earth", "The Day The Earth Stood Still", "Them" and this one - "The Forbidden Planet." This is one film that has been crying out for a DVD release ever since the DVD was invented! Now at long last it looks like it's going to happen - well maybe - its release has been postponed three times already!

Whilst not wanting to give too much away about the film's storyline, it is loosely based on William Shakespeare's "The Tempest", and the film shows clearly what can happen when "mind over matter" (or should I say over energy) is allowed to get out of hand.

Containing some of the best sets and visual effects around in its time, these still cut the mustard even in today's CGI world. In fact, one set (the Krell power plant) still fills me - a fifty-something - with wonder every time I see it!

Louis & Bebe Barron's haunting and disturbing electronic music score really adds to the film (for which they got paid very little apparently) and enhances the atmosphere and suspense.

There is also a considerable amount of humorous parody in the film as well - e.g. Robbie's response to Altaira's request for yet another dress!

This film is a definite "must have" for any sci-fi film buff worthy of their salt - and I can't wait to get my copy! Let's hope the release date isn't postponed AGAIN!!

Highly recommended!