Science Fiction Classic Forbidden Planet
As movie lovers remember Leslie Nielsen for all his great comedies such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun film series, I have fond memories of Leslie Nielsen as Star Ship Commander John J. Adams in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet.
Ten years before Captain Kirk boldly searched for alien life forms in Star Trek, Leslie Nielsen played the handsome star ship commander in deep space on rescue mission to an alien world.
What would an adventure film be without the damsel in distress that catches the commanders eye? In this case the sexy Anne Francis stars as Altaira Morbius who falls in love with the commander in defiance of her mad scientist father's wishes.
Rounding out our story is the mystery of the planet and the alien life form that killed off the expedition of human explorers who had come to establish a colony on the planet.
Besides the comparisons to Star Trek, Forbidden Planet would also influence another 1960s science fiction adventure with the introduction of Robby the Robot who would later become part of the TV Series Lost in Space.
With a production budget of $1.9 million, Forbidden Planet was the first science fiction movie with a major motion picture budget. When you put into perspective this movie made in 1956, the story and the effects are easy to appreciate. While today's movie audience may not be overly excited by a black and white classic science fiction movie, Forbidden Planet is a must see movie for any science fiction fan.
Enjoy Forbidden planet for all it represents, the mystery, the adventure, the love story, the standard for future science fiction. Even if you are not a science fiction fan, but someone who loves classic movies, what more could you ask for?
