Forbidden Planet

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Forbidden Planet

G,

1956,

1h 38m,

Sci-Fi

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Watchlist

93%

55 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In this sci-fi classic, a spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius and his daughter, Altaira, who was born on the remote planet. Soon, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors.

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Critics Consensus

Shakespeare gets the deluxe space treatment in Forbidden Planet, an adaptation of The Tempest with impressive sets and seamless special effects.

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Budd Wilkins

Slant Magazine

Oct 2, 2026

Forbidden Planet is one of the most intellectually ambitious examples of 1950s-era science fiction, and one that pushes against some of the dominant tropes of the genre.

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TIME Magazine

Jul 26, 2011

[A] nifty interstellar meller.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Jul 26, 2011

An engaging 1956 science fiction gloss of Shakespeare's Tempest.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Sep 28, 2026

3.5/5

Forbidden Planet remains an all-time classic of the sci-fi genre thanks to its Oscar-nominated special effects, a fantastic cast, and an intelligent screenplay by Cyril Hume that deals with deeper themes than other films of its type did at the time.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Sep 25, 2026

... not likely to transform any well-established minds, it’s certainly a film that can be used to show younger, less-experienced, budding cinephiles what storytelling can be and how the use of the imagination can be as powerful ...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Mar 12, 2026

3.5/4

One of the undisputed classics of sci-fi cinema, Forbidden Planet is a far-flung adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, with a smattering of Freud tossed in for good measure.

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Anakin P

Mar 26, 2019

A remarkable sci-fi movie that did star trek years before star trek. Reminiscent of At the Mountains of Madness at times. truly the best Science Fiction ever made.

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Anakin W

Mar 14, 2019

Will this movie ever get remade with the latest in sfx cinematics?

Hagrid M

Mar 12, 2019

Still is fascinating today for its 1950s take on space, space travel, and scientific observations. Naturally, their conquest can only legitimately find another vehicle from Earth -- it would be too imaginative and they would have been accused of being ridiculous had they modeled another evolutionary species from a different solar system. They played it safe and went for a discredited Freudian idea. Casting aside the "id", the idea that the unconscious could lash out like this under different circumstances is somewhat novel. The budget for this sci-fi allowed it look and feel realistic, thus leading many to label it the grandfather of science fiction.

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Rey W

Mar 3, 2019

Great 50's Sci Fi movie.

Jan 26, 2019

The best sci-fi movie ever made! With the best movie score ever composed!

Theodore R

Dec 29, 2018

Forbidden Planet is a fantastic film. It is about a starship crew goes to investigate the silence of a planet's colony. Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis give amazing performances. The screenplay is good but a little slow in places. Fred M. Wilcox did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the drama and adventure. Forbidden Planet is a must see.

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Fred M. Wilcox

Director

Walter Pidgeon

Dr. Edward Morbius

Anne Francis

Altaira Morbius

Leslie Nielsen

Commander John J. Adams

Warren Stevens

Lt. "Doc" Ostrow

Jack Kelly

Lt. Jerry Farman

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Synopsis

In this sci-fi classic, a spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius and his daughter, Altaira, who was born on the remote planet. Soon, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors.

Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Producer: Nicholas Nayfack
Screenwriter: William Shakespeare, Irving Block, Cyril Hume
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: G
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2008
Runtime: 1h 38m

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