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You remember this one: Intrepid astronauts led by Commander John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) visit the far-off planet known as Altair-4, where the seemingly idyllic lifestyle enjoyed by reclusive scientist Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his futuristic glam-girl daughter, Altaira Morbius (Anne Francis), is suddenly threatened by the inexplicable rampages of an invisible monster. Few science-fiction films from the '50s remain as popular as this space-opera adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, although we're not sure we agree with the assertion made in one of this deluxe edition’s new documentaries, claiming that Forbidden Planet was the genre's most important pre-Star Wars movie. That appraisal comes from one of the many influential filmmakers who sing Planet's praises in "Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet." They include directors Joe Dante, John Landis, and John Carpenter, who are joined by special-effects wizards John Dykstra and Dennis Muren, several film historians, and surviving cast members Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Earl Holliman, and Warren Stevens. Warner excels in the production of special features, and the studio has pulled out all the stops once again, coming up with material that was either believed lost or was just plain forgotten, including test footage from special-effects sequences and lighting comparisons of the various sets. Other featurettes include "Watch the Skies," a Turner Classic Movies documentary on sci-fi films of the '50s, and "Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon." Robby stars as well in two 1958 extras: "The Invisible Boy," a feature; and "Robot Client," an episode from the Thin Man TV series. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

MGM's first big-budget science fiction film, Forbidden Planet, combined state-of-the-art special effects with a storyline based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. In the 23rd century, Cmdr. J.J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) guides United Planets cruiser C-57-D on a rescue mission to faraway planet Altair-4. Twenty years earlier, Earth ship Bellerophon disappeared while en route to Altair-4. Only the ship's philologist, Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), survived; in the intervening decades, Morbius has created an Edenlike world of his own, for the benefit of himself and his nubile young daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis). His private paradise is zealously guarded by Robby the Robot, a piece of technology far in advance of anything on Earth. When Adams and his crew land on Altair-4, Morbius announces that he has no intention of being rescued and returned to Earth. When Adams attempts to contact home base, he finds that his radio equipment has been smashed by some unseen force. Holding Morbius responsible, Adams confronts the scientist, who decides to tell all. At one time, according to Morbius, Altair-4 was populated by the Krel, a wise, intellectually superior race. Using leftover Krel technology, Morbius has doubled his intellect and gained the ability to shape a new world to his own specifications. Forbidden Planet was a big influence on future sci-fi outer-space efforts, especially Star Trek. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 012569793057
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Editions: Anniversary Edition, Special Edition, Subtitled, Digi-Pak, with Toy
• Time: 1:38:00
• Sales Rank: 16,123

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Sci-Fi - TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection

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