Forbidden Planet - 50th Anniversary 2 Disc Special Edition [1956] [DVD] (film on DVD)
from Warner Home Video
Directed by: Fred McLeod Wilcox
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens
|
|
Customer Rating: 
Audience Rating: Parental Guidance
Availability: dispatched within 24 hours
|
DVD Box Price: £4.47
BUY DVD |
This 1956 pop adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest is one of the best, most influential science fiction movies ever made. Its space explorers are the models for the crew of Star Trek's Enterprise, and the film's robot is clearly the prototype for Robby in Lost in Space. Walter Pidgeon is the Prospero figure, presiding over a paradisiacal world with his lovely young daughter and their servile droid. When the crew of a spaceship lands on the planet, they become aware of a sinister invisible force that threatens to destroy them. Great special effects and a bizarre electronic score help make Forbidden Planet as fresh, imaginative and fun as it was when first released.
Ahead of its time in many, many ways, Forbidden Planet has been cemented in its role as a science fiction classic over the past few decades, to the point where its 50th birthday is being marked with this special DVD release. What’s more, the iconic film has never looked better. The print of Forbidden Planet has been buffed up to a terrific standard, and while it’s a cliché to report that it’s never looked better, we challenge anyone to disagree. The film too is just as compelling. Set in the 23rd century, on a far and distant star Professor Morbius, his daughter and Robby the Robot are seemingly alone, until a space craft from Earth arrives. This sets events in motion that bring a real human core to a genre where such a factor, right to this day, is often lacking. But it’s not just that which makes Forbidden Planet continually worthy of attention. The special effects, for instance, are astounding given the era in which the film was made, while the ideas and ambition that underpin the production are equally of merit. At heart, though, it was and is an utterly compelling movie, which has had a long and profound influence on the genre as a whole. This 50th anniversary edition also comes armed with extra features, notably several documentaries. But after all these years, it’s still the film that’s the star, and you simply wouldn’t wager against it enduring for another 50 years after this. --Jon Foster
Good value for money Sent: 23 August 2010
Too many peple have already reviewed the film itself so I won't here. The 2 disc DVD package is excellent value for money. The main film is in original cinema wide screen which adds to the enjoyment. I played it on my cheap BlueRay player and the quality of picture is excellent. 5 stars for that. The extras are interesting and well worth watching. Not so 'The Invisable Boy' featuring Robby the robot. It doesn't even score as a 1950's B movie. I almost fell asleep. The plot is so badly concieved that a school child could have done better! The actual packaging of the DVD's is very basic so don't expect any literature with it beyond the fly sheet.
Syfy fantastic  Sent: 08 August 2010
One of the greats from the 50's and early 60's the special effects are by todays standard are like entry level FX but for the time they were the Bee's Knees best story line for its time.
video review Sent: 15 June 2010
The video arrived in quick time and was in excellent condition.
However, the fact that any video is zone encoded makes buying DVDs difficult, as sales offices are often in a another zone. The idea of zone encoding is quite stupid, because it limits both sales potential and customer base. Meaning, if you don't want to sell your DVDs, then be certain to have the encoded...
Luckily, Thai DVD players play DVDs from all zones and Thai TVs play all types of video. So, zone code and video format don't matter, but if I had wanted to send this to my nephiew in America, I would have been greatly upset.
Forbidden Planet Sent: 23 May 2010
A 1956 movie that still stands as one of the best SCI-FI film ever made. The plot is based on Shakepears 'Prospero'. The Robot is brilliant as is Walter Pidgeon. As as fan of Star Trek and Doctor Who this film still stands as one of the best.
The Ultimate SciFi B-movie Sent: 15 May 2010
You've seen the rest, now, see the best- including a serious role for Leslie Nielsen. [And Robbie the Robot].
|
