i should say at the outset there be many and many thing i love about forbidden planet and yes and i certainly consider it a classic science fiction film for many reason . but the adulation it have receive over the year go a bit over the top in my opinion . no less an authority than leonard maltin say forbidden planet . be one of the most ambitious and intelligent movie of it genre . ambitious . without a doubt . intelligent . depend on what part of the film youre talk about . it certainly be the most prestigious and highly budget science fiction flick to that point . at a cost of nearly $ 2 million ( this be 1956 and remember ) and mgm pull out all the stop to produce a dazzling and eye popping out space adventure unlike anything see on the big screen before and even employ artist from the disney studio for some of the more elaborate special effect . charming be not usually a word use to describe special effect in sci fi movie and yet that be the one that seem most appropriate here . even the dreaded monster from the id be only a well rendered cartoon figure by the disney people and unlikely to frighten anyone over the age of 8. when i see the various set and take note of the art design and model and costume and etc . and i be remind of nothing so much a the wizard of oz and with it gorgeously saturate color and elaborate if not always convince effect . so much work have go into these film that one be incline to smile in admiration at the effort regardless . forbidden planet be wonderful to look at . the scene take place on obvious stage set that be fabulously decorate and matte painting of planet and space in the background and and intricately design miniature sand dune and so forth to give the illusion of depth . it a bit like watch the most elaborately produce stage play you would ever see . the most believable and convincing scene be probably the one inside the massive krell complex and where shot show the vast depth and width of this inner space be well do and credible . but then we get to the actor and darn it . the performance be almost uniformly awful and though in fairness one have to say the dialogue hardly ever transcend the level of adolescent locker room humor and except for some passage of barely adequate scientific technobabble . even the great actor walter pidgeon be reduce to give such a hammy performance and it lugubrious at time . a very young leslie nielsen star a the spaceship commander j. j. adam and and doesn not convey an ounce of believability or conviction in the entire film . he seem to instinctively know and thirty year ahead of time and that his true forte lay in comedy and a there be time he seem barely able to keep a straight face recite his line . every forced reaction and whether it be anger or passion or solemn meditation and look right out of a high school play . anne francis and also very young and fare a little good a the supposedly innocent alta and whom we be to believe have never see a human male other than her father until the crew of the spaceship show up . ( alta morbius and now there a name for you . ) unfortunately and even at this early age and anne francis seem about a virginal and naive a elizabeth taylor in butterfield 8. there be a good story here and bury somewhere beneath the crew mat leer comment about alta and yet another juvenile subplot concern earl holliman cookie and ship cook . ( holliman turn in a horrendous performance too . i be guess all these actor go straight from this movie to act school . ) base on shakespeare the tempest and the story of a dead race and the krell and and the fantastic world of machine they leave behind be what most people tend to remember about forbidden planet and and for good reason . for a few minute here and there and you can forget about the rest of the movie and be dazzle by the disney artists conception of the krell underground complex . be it enough to make up for the rest of the film shortcoming . you will have to decide that on your own . oh and and of course there robby the robot and every 1950 ten year old idea of what a robot should look and talk like . he funny . in place . so and forbidden planet to me be a very and very mixed bag . it deserve credit for be the inspiration for a whole wave of sci fi film and tv show that follow and not least of which be star trek . but i would suggest that anyone who think it more than well stag comic book sci fi go back and watch it again .