--- title: "Forbidden Planet" year: 1956 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet" fi1m_id: "forbidden-planet" imdb_id: "tt0049223" tmdb_id: 830 wikidata_id: "Q1331230" fi1m_score: 81 critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-09-25T07:40:53.555682+00:00" updated: "2026-09-25T07:40:54.018666+00:00" region: "PT" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Forbidden Planet (1956) Directed by Fred M. Wilcox · 1h 38m · Science Fiction, Adventure ## Identity Forbidden Planet - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** forbidden-planet - **IMDb ID:** tt0049223 - **TMDB ID:** 830 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1331230 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049223/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/830, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1331230 **Fi1m score: 81** · Critics 83 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Space looks inviting until the electronic score gets a word in > *Forbidden Planet* makes space exploration feel inviting and dangerous. Its electronic music and imagined technology do much of the work, and we recommend it despite the stiff dialogue and uneven acting. ## Synopsis Commander John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen), Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and Altaira Morbius (Anne Francis) are the central figures in a space adventure about exploration and technology escaping human control. The company includes Lt. ‘Doc’ Ostrow (Warren Stevens), Lt. Jerry Farman (Jack Kelly) and Chief Engineer Quinn (Richard Anderson), alongside Robby the Robot. Scientific progress raises questions about what knowledge permits people to do, what they can safely build, and what their understanding of machinery cannot protect them from. ## Review Fred M. Wilcox makes *Forbidden Planet* inviting enough that its dangers matter. Space exploration is something to be curious about here, and the film takes pleasure in imagining what people might build before worrying about what they might do with it. We recommend it for that curiosity, the electronic music and the effects, with a warning about the stiff dialogue. The human exchanges can be hard work. George J. Folsey’s cinematography makes the rich colours an invitation to look more closely. Irving Block and Mentor Huebner’s production design makes the technology seem worth investigating. There is pleasure in looking at machinery and trying to understand it, a useful foundation for a story about scientific overconfidence. The film allows us to enjoy the inventions before asking us to distrust them. Louis Barron and Bebe Barron’s electronic music is the part we would least want replaced. We were surprised by how uneasy it made us: the unfamiliar sounds suggest that the machinery might be capable of something its users have not intended. That unease gives the attractive technology a danger which dialogue alone could not supply. The music makes a useful companion to the monster effects, which remain disturbing without needing us to make allowances for their age. Robby the Robot supplies the humour with less fuss than the humans supply their explanations. The comedy matters because it lets the film enjoy its technology, instead of treating every invention as advance notice of disaster. A robot can simply be good company, which gives the warnings about human judgement more weight. There is something appealing about a science-fiction film that can be suspicious of progress without making curiosity itself seem foolish. Walter Pidgeon, as Dr. Edward Morbius, is most convincing when the dialogue gives him authority to exercise. Leslie Nielsen brings suitable firmness to Commander John J. Adams, though firmness becomes a limited resource when a scene needs warmth. Anne Francis, as Altaira Morbius, offers some welcome lightness, but the writing does not give the human exchanges the ease of the robot’s comedy. Cyril Hume’s screenplay is more assured about its technological concerns than about conversation. Too often, a line is there to supply information, and we can hear the effort of supplying it. Ferris Webster’s editing keeps the adventure manageable across 98 minutes, although the talk sometimes slows it more than the suspense requires. A sharper cut could shorten an explanation; it could not make the dialogue sound natural. That matters in science fiction, where somebody has to convince us that extraordinary equipment belongs to an ordinary working life. When the actors sound as though they are delivering information for our benefit, the imagined future feels briefly like a presentation. For anyone wary of older science fiction, the comedy is a useful way in. The robot gives us company while the electronic music makes us uncomfortable, and that mixture keeps the film from becoming a solemn lesson about dangerous inventions. Allow for some wooden exchanges; the curiosity deserves an evening. *Fi1m score 81, published 25 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive about Forbidden Planet, with praise clustering around its visual effects, imaginative technology and spirit of exploration. Critics repeatedly single out the monster and Robby the Robot, whose appeal includes effective comic touches as well as futuristic invention. The electronic score also draws praise, while the borrowing from Shakespeare’s The Tempest is regarded as effective rather than merely decorative. Suspense and a hopeful sense of adventure underpin much of the enthusiasm. The differences concern the degree of enthusiasm rather than any divide over the film’s merits. Empire offers the clearest reservations, finding some dialogue creaky and performances wooden, but argues that the strengths outweigh those flaws, particularly the theme of technology running out of control. There is no negative dissent in this selection: the range runs from qualified appreciation to emphatic endorsement. ## Straight answers **Is Forbidden Planet worth watching?** *Forbidden Planet* is worth watching for its curious, uneasy approach to space exploration, and we score it 81 out of 100. We recommend it to science-fiction viewers who enjoy imagined technology, disturbing monster effects and electronic music that makes attractive machinery feel dangerous, provided they can allow for stiff dialogue and uneven acting. **How long is Forbidden Planet, and what is it rated?** *Forbidden Planet* runs 1h 38m. It is a science fiction and adventure film. **Where can I watch Forbidden Planet in Portugal?** *Forbidden Planet* is not on any streaming or rental service in Portugal at the moment. It is available in 3 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does Forbidden Planet compare to The Day the Earth Stood Still?** *Forbidden Planet* is the more inviting adventure, while [*The Day the Earth Stood Still*](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still) offers patient suspense and a tense warning about human judgement. We favour *Forbidden Planet* for the pleasure of exploring imagined technology and Robby the Robot’s humour, despite the wooden exchanges. *The Day the Earth Stood Still* is the better choice for sustained unease, though its supporting characters also labour through explanations. **What should I watch after Forbidden Planet?** After *Forbidden Planet*, try [*The Day the Earth Stood Still*](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still) (1951, Fi1m 82): An alien visitor tests human judgement, with patient suspense and little reassurance. Then [*Solaris*](https://film.one/film/solaris-1972) (1972, Fi1m 87): Space exploration runs into grief, memory and things scientific confidence cannot settle. ### Reviews we read (8) - **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): Jones calls it one of the finest science-fiction films ever made and an enthralling spectacle. He praises its superb monster effects and outstanding technology, including Robby the Robot. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ubug8z/forbidden-planet/) - **The New York Times**, Bosley Crowther (85/100, inferred): The headline indicates a strongly positive review of the film. It singles out the imaginative appeal of its journey through space. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1956/05/04/archives/screen-wonderful-trip-in-space-forbidden-planet-is-out-of-this.html) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (80/100, inferred): Variety considers the film a top offering in space adventure, praising its suspense and thrills. It singles out Robby the Robot for adding effective comedy touches. [Read](https://variety.com/1955/film/reviews/forbidden-planet-1200418069/) - **Empire**, Adam Smith (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film’s strengths easily outweigh its flaws and regards it as a major work. He particularly praises its prescient technology-out-of-control theme, while faulting some creaky dialogue and wooden performances. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/empire-essay-forbidden-planet-review/) - **Time Out**, GA (70/100, inferred): The review presents the film as an effective classic of 1950s science fiction. It singles out its surprisingly effective borrowing from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/forbidden-planet) - **Collider**, Andre Dellamorte (90/100, inferred): The critic calls Forbidden Planet a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic. They praise its hopeful spirit of adventure and exploration, along with its charming vision of the future. [Read](https://collider.com/mars-attacks-blu-ray-review-forbidden-planet-blu-ray-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (85/100, inferred): Kermode argues that the film remains an excellent and timeless adaptation of The Tempest. She particularly praises its striking visual effects, electronic score, and memorable monster. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/forbidden-planet-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (85/100, inferred): The critic gives the film and its Blu-ray a strongly positive verdict, calling it a must-buy for science-fiction fans. They single out the sharp picture, rich colours and wealth of special features for praise. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/forbidden-planet-blu-ray-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Fred M. Wilcox - **Director:** Fred M. Wilcox - **Screenplay:** Cyril Hume - **Story:** Irving Block, Allen Adler - **Cinematography:** George J. Folsey - **Editor:** Ferris Webster - **Music:** Bebe Barron, Louis Barron - **Production design:** Irving Block, Mentor Huebner - **Costume design:** Walter Plunkett, Helen Rose - **Producer:** Nicholas Nayfack - **Cast:** Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Edward Morbius; Anne Francis as Altaira Morbius; Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams; Warren Stevens as Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow; Jack Kelly as Lt. Jerry Farman; Earl Holliman as Cookie; Richard Anderson as Chief Engineer Quinn; George D. Wallace as Bosun - **Runtime:** 1h 38m - **Release (Portugal):** 8 July 1958 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Adventure - **Budget:** $2 million - **Box office:** $3 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jnHydCeYcc ## Where to watch in Portugal Not streaming, renting or buying in Portugal at the last check. Also available in: AU, CA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1957: Best Special Effects (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Day the Earth Stood Still* (1951), Fi1m 82: An alien visitor tests human judgement, with patient suspense and little reassurance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-day-the-earth-stood-still.md) - *Ikarie XB 1* (1963): A spacecraft becomes a workplace, with curiosity and unease sharing the corridors. - *Solaris* (1972), Fi1m 87: Space exploration runs into grief, memory and things scientific confidence cannot settle. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/solaris-1972.md) - *Fantastic Planet* (1973): Strange creatures and unfamiliar landscapes make human certainty look a little foolish. - *After Yang* (2021): A quieter encounter with artificial life, attentive to affection and ordinary loss. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/forbidden-planet