Rent Forbidden Planet (1956)

Great film,great extras. - Forbidden Planet review by Ps

Great to see forbidden planet again and excellent extras on the disc including the film invisible boy.

The best ever SF film! - Forbidden Planet review by PS

This is, without doubt, the best science fiction film I've ever seen! Most of the films in this genre either forget realistic science altogether, or use the science in ways that are unfeasible, to say the least!

I suppose some of the acting could be better, and the special effects wobble a bit sometimes, but for me, the story line and the way science is built into it more than makes up for such minor things, especially when you consider when it was made. 

I've watched most of the modern SF blockbusters, but none can hold a candle to this! I'd give it ten stars if I could!

Clever Sci-Fi. - Forbidden Planet review by Steve

This broke new ground for big screen science fiction. It was the first major studio production to take humans into space and land them on another planet. It's a re-telling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, with Walter Pidgeon as its Prospero and Anne Francis as its Miranda. A super-intelligent robot- Robbie- stands in for Ariel and the awesome id-monster for Caliban. The brave new world is space travel.

The studio set planet looks artificial but is hugely impressive, particularly its modernist-deco machinery. The bright, pastel shades of its terrain and star-scape create the dominant image of fifties sci-fi worlds. The special effects are astonishing, particularly the combat between the space crew and the invisible id-monster. The completely electronic score, was revolutionary as well as gloriously futuristic.

There is a strong comic element to the film which contrasts the innocence of 'Miranda' with the red blooded astronauts confined to the C-57D. There is a flirtation between the skipper of the spaceship (a deadpan Leslie Nielsen) and the exaggeratedly naive girl. This might look a bit creepy from a modern perspective, but in 1956 it was just space-screwball.

Much later this was turned into a stage musical which was campy rock and roll nostalgia for the '50s. It feels like this has reflected negatively on the film, which is not sending itself up at all. It is one of the best and most original sci-fi releases of the decade. This is clever and imaginative and stows some pretty dark themes within its state of the art visuals.