7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
In the year 2257, a distant star has three inhabitants. Professor Morbius, his bewitching daughter, and Robby the Robot. When a space cruiser from Earth lands on the planet, the story develops into an adventure fantasy with romance. Special Edition pack with original cinema trailer and a set of illustrated cards.
Sci-Fi | 100% |
Drama | 35% |
Romance | 19% |
Thriller | 10% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.41:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.55:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono (Spain)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Portuguese: Dolby Digital Mono
English SDH, French, German SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Norwegian
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
I wash my hands of all responsibility.
Forbidden Planet travels to the furthest reaches of space to discover what it is that lies within the deepest
recesses of every man's soul. A classic Science Fiction film in every regard and a shining beacon of what the genre is all
about at its most fundamental level, Forbidden Planet uses outer space, distant worlds, and advanced
technologies as both metaphor and magnifying glass to interpret and more closely examine the human condition. The
film uses exaggerated actions, characters, technologies, and locations to more readily study man in the here and now,
and with the way films like Forbidden Planet frame that analysis, their findings are sure to hold as long as man
exists at a similar biological and psychological level of evolution. Directed
by
Fred M. Wilcox; starring several of the 1950's top stars; and serving as a showpiece for advanced filmmaking, vision,
and special effects in its day, Forbidden Planet has withstood the test of time as a picture that still holds
influence over its genre more than 50 years after its release and, better still, has aged extraordinarily well even
through this, the era of amazing computer-generated visual effects.
Landing on Altair.
Warner Brothers does right by Forbidden Planet, gracing the film with a strong, sometimes breathtaking, and always filmic 1080p, 2.41:1-framed transfer. From even the opening title sequence -- the film's signature yellow and rounded credits -- viewers will be impressed with the quality of the image. The text is crisp, sharp, and wonderfully colored, setting a fantastic tone and raising expectations that are at least met and sometimes surpassed throughout the remainder of the film. Although some white speckles and a few stray vertical lines appear intermittently throughout the film, Warner's Blu-ray delivers the goods, retaining a nicely-preserved layer of grain that lends to the picture a handsome film-like texture. Fine detailing is marvelous, whether both the metallic body and the intricate little nuances that make up Robby the Robot, the rocky terrains of Altair, the crew's uniforms, or even the nicely-detailed matte paintings that look great and never stand out as too terribly obvious. Colors are stable and honest, with no hue appearing undersaturated or over-boosted. The clarity of the 1080p transfer even reveals a few obvious wire effects throughout the film. Of all the films in Warner's catalogue, Forbidden Planet is one that demands the finest visual presentation possible, and the studio has certainly done right by this important classic.
Forbidden Planet's Blu-ray release features a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Listeners shouldn't expect some modern-day whiz-bang surround-sound extravaganza; Forbidden Planet's track is reserved but steady and satisfying in a classic movie sense. A few sound effects play as somewhat harsher than what listeners might be used to with more modern soundtracks, but Warner's competent DTS track handles Forbidden Planet's aging material very well. Surrounds are hardly, if ever, used, but the front half of the soundstage easily delivers every aspect of the picture's unique special effects and score, from laser blasts to Louis and Bebe Barron's memorable electronic score. This track features superior spacing as compared to the included mono soundtracks; music enjoys greater clarity as it flows about the front, and while discrete directional effects are limited, the center channel provides enough heft to handle most all of the picture's various elements. Last but not least, dialogue is consistently sharp, focused, and easily discernible as it emanates from the center speaker. Forbidden Planet sounds as it should: satisfyingly clean and crisp but not destroyed by some phony remix. Fans should be more than satisfied with the results.
Forbidden Planet grants viewers plenty of extra features, chief among them the feature-length film The Invisible Boy (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:29:29), a 1957 picture featuring Robby the Robot and listed as a "sequel" of sorts to Forbidden Planet. Also of note is the inclusion of an episode of the television program "The Thin Man" entitled Robot Client (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 25:35). Originally aired on February 28, 1958, this episode of the classic television program also features Robby. Two excerpts from MGM Parade, episodes 27 (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 2:17) and 28 (B&W, 480p, 1.78:1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 3:59), both of which feature not only Robby but also Forbidden Planet Actor Walter Pidgeon, are also included. Forbidden Planet also contains several additional features. Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s, and Us (480p, 55:31) features several top filmmakers -- including Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, and Ridley Scott -- discussing the world of Science Fiction, the genre's themes, its history in the 1950s, its dealings with the human condition, the role technology plays in shaping the genre's stories and themes, and an in-depth look at Forbidden Planet and other similarly-themed pictures. Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of 'Forbidden Planet' (480p, 26:35) is a comprehensive and mesmerizing piece that looks back at the history of the project, including its place within the Science Fiction genre, its status as the first A-list Science Fiction film, its allure as an MGM picture, the creation of its sets and special effect, the picture's soundtrack, and more. Next is Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon (480p, 13:45), a look back at the world-famous robot featured in Forbidden Planet. Also included is a collection of deleted scenes (480p, 13:14), "lost footage" (480p, 9:22) that's remained in vaults for half a century, and trailers for Forbidden Planet (480p, 3:41) and The Invisible Boy (480p, 2:31).
The 1950s saw several extraordinary Science Fiction pictures that have come to define the genre not through loud action and shiny spaceships but rather through the more contemplative elements that use outer space, distant worlds, advanced technologies, and amazing otherworldly beings to take a tough, unforgiving, and honest look into the very essence of mankind. The Day the Earth Stood Still is one example, and Forbidden Planet is another; both are unequivocal masterpieces of Science Fiction that don't hide their true intentions but do camouflage them in the guise of great adventure and spectacle, which is the very nature of great Science Fiction. Forbidden Planet is an unquestioned classic that's stood up to the test of time. Its sets and special effects still look great because they disappear into the story rather than serve as the picture's focal point; the acting is strong; the direction is steady; and the plot is mesmerizingly deep, smart, and relevant but not overly complex. Science Fiction just doesn't get much better than this, which is why Forbidden Planet has remained a genre cornerstone for more than half a century. Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Forbidden Planet delivers a breathtakingly gorgeous 1080p transfer, a stable lossless soundtrack, and a very good array of extra content. Forbidden Planet -- for both its place in film history and for Warner's high-quality Blu-ray presentation -- earns my highest recommendation.
Special Edition
1951
2008
1956
2017
1955
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
2000
Limited Collector's Edition
1976
2021
1977-1978
2013
1975-1977
1997
1951
1965
2017
2007
2016
Limited Edition / Reprint
1997
2016