Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 28, 2026

A once mighty studio with one of the most venerable reputations and names (as in plural) in the entire annals of film was suffering severe financial straits, with its very future in doubt, leading to arguably desperate corporate maneuvering involving funding a science fiction spectacular in an attempt to get ticket buying keisters into theater seats. Wait — are we talking Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Forbidden Planet or Metro Goldwyn Mayer and 2001: A Space Odyssey? It's one of the odd but interesting vagaries of fate that MGM found itself on a veritable financial cliff more than once and opted for a somewhat unusual "escape route" to outer space to try to improve the studio balance sheet. MGM was probably more unstable, at least from a purely financial standpoint, in the mid fifties when Forbidden Planet went into production, still reeling from audience attrition due to that still relatively newfangled television thingamajig as well as the decline in popularity in genres like musicals, but in a very real way the chance the studio took on Forbidden Planet may have been even bigger than the one it took on Kubrick's eventual masterpiece, despite the fact that 2001: A Space Odyssey was massively more expensive and complex than this sci-fi reworking of Shakespeare's The Tempest. If 2001: A Space Odyssey managed to rake in barrels full of box office dough even despite some initially withering reviews, helping to save (?) the studio, Forbidden Planet barely managed to break even in its original theatrical run, this despite a relatively small budget. That said, Forbidden Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey certainly remain as two totemic achievements in the science fiction realm by a studio not overly known for special effects wizardry and "otherworldly" plot machinations.

Speaking of desperate financial straits and what that might have meant for a once mighty studio, there's a clue of sorts in that Forbidden Planet was released in 1080 way back in 2010 by Warner Brothers. Martin Liebman's Forbidden Planet Blu-ray review offers plot information, a list of supplements and a reaction to the technical presentation.

Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: While this is a standalone 4K release without a 1080 disc, I am offering screenshots from Arrow's standalone 1080 release as I think it actually provides a better representation of the look of the palette in particular, rather than offering screenshots from the 4K disc which are by necessity downscaled to 1080 and in SDR. Because this release does not include a 1080 disc of the main feature (the 1080 disc is bonus items, including a nice looking HD version of The Invisible Boy), the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

Forbidden Planet is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.55:1. Arrow's insert booklet provides the following information on the presentation:

Forbidden Planet has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.55:1 with restored original mono, original Perspecta stereo, and DTS HD-MA 5.1. In the UHD presentation, the film is presented in 4K resolution in HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K 16 bit at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. The film was restored in 4K and color graded at Silver Salt.

The original Perspecta and mono soundtracks were restored by Endpoint Audio from the original sound elements sourced from Warner Bros.

All materials sourced for this new master were made available by Warner Bros. QC review was completed by Pixelogic.

Marty was pretty impressed by the video quality of the by now "ancient" original 1080 presentation by Warner Brothers, though a 4.5 score in 2010 might not warrant the same high score these days, especially given the fact that the old disc was incorrectly framed at 2.41:1 (I'm not sure why Marty's review doesn't have screenshots, it may be related to the big site crash we experienced several years ago). That peculiarity has been rectified here, but the magicians at Silver Salt* have once again utilized their considerable expertise to burnish the look of the film to the point that it may in fact look better now than it would have back in the day courtesy of multiple prints that were struck. While detail levels see considerable improvement throughout with regard to practical sets and costumes (perhaps slightly detrimentally at times, in that the studio set "outdoor" moments are obviously artificial), once again it may be the blandishments offered by the HDR / Dolby Vision grades that attract the most immediate notice. The bright yellows of the credits pop with new luster, to cite a relatively minor adjustment, but the entire palette has a new energy and vivacity when stacked up against the old 1080 presentation, though I'm going to be a bit of a curmudgeon and say the Eastmancolor utilized for the production simply can't replicate the splendor of "classic" Technicolor. That means that suffusion may seem a bit wan at times, especially with regard to things like flesh tones, but having seen this film both theatrically (in rereleases, not to state the obvious) and in several previous home video offerings, this seems to be an inherent issue of the Eastmancolor process. Some of the effects sequences, as in the big showdown with the so- called Id Monster, still have considerable energy in the red to purple ends of the spectrum.

*Note: While it's now over a year old, some may find my interview with the fine folks at Silver Salt Restoration to be of some interest.

Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Forbidden Planet offers three audio options, LPCM Mono, DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 (reproducing Perspecta Stereo), and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The three codecs may provide a bit of "toggling fun" for audiophiles in terms of hearing the increasing opening up of the soundstage going from mono to 3.0 to 5.1. The most noticeable stereo or surround imaging probably comes courtesy of both the intriguing electronic music score and the often inventive sound effects that accompany many scenes. Perhaps a little surprisingly (at least to this audiophile), the DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 track may actually provide a more substantial midrange and low end than the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, at least with regard to some of the scoring. Dialogue (and voiceover, as in the opening narration) can sound just at rifle boxy on all three tracks, but all spoken material is delivered without any issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Commentary by Kim Newman & Barry Forshaw


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 3:42)

Disc Two

• Unearthly Aura (HD; 23:29) is an interesting overview of the film's iconic electronic score with "tour guide" Neil Brand. It may be especially salient in terms of comparing how this film approached "underscore" vis a vis how Kubrick did with his space epic (including the jettisoned score by Alex North).


• Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, The 1950s and Us (HD; 55:31) is a fun archival documentary with a host of renowned interviewees.


• Amazing!: Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet (HD; 26:37) is an archival making of piece with another round of great interviews, including but not limited to several members of the film's cast.


• Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon (HD; 13:45) is another archival featurette focusing on what is arguably the film's most memorable character.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 13:15)


• Lost Footage (HD; 9:23)


• The Invisible Boy (HD; 1:29:31) is a kind of charming 1957 feature once again featuring Robby the Robot in a prominent "role". The film has a kind of weirdly prescient take on what might be called the dangers of artificial intelligence.


• The Robot Client (HD; 25:36) is a 1958 episode of The Thin Man with Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk (and Asta, of course).


• Excerpts from MGM Parade offer two snippets of Walter Pidgeon hawking the film:

Episode 27 (HD; 2:16)




Episode 28 (HD; 3:58)

• Theatrical Trailers

Forbidden Planet (HD; 3:41)




The Invisible Boy (HD; 2:32)

• Image Galleries

Original Screenplay (HD)




Posters and Lobby Cards (HD)




Black & White Promo Stills (HD)




Colour Promo Stills (HD)

A nicely appointed insert booklet offers three great essays, including a really fun history lesson about Perspecta Stereo from none other than Bob Furmanek*. A double sided poster is enclosed in the keepcase, and the keepcase has a reversible sleeve. Packaging also features a slipcover.

*Note: Quite a bit more recent than the above linked interview with Silver Salt Restoration is my interview with Bob Furmanek, dealing with the video side of 3D restorations.

Forbidden Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Forbidden Planet will probably seen inescapably "quaint" to younger audiences, but it's still an unexpectedly smart and savvy update of a venerable Shakespeare tale, and it certainly has a number of memorable characters, notably the inimitable Robby the Robot. Technical merits are solid and as usual Arrow has aggregated some very appealing supplements. Highly recommended.