a fly saucer man ( literally ) by a crew of about 20 male space explorer travel hundred of million of light year from earth to check in on a colony found some 25 year ago on a forbidden planet . what they find be a robot more advanced than anything imaginable on earth and a beautiful and totally socially inept young woman and and her father and a hermit philologist haunt by more than the demon of the ancient civilization he have immerse himself in . on the surface and this story be a pulp scifi murder mystery . some compare it to shakespeare tempest and but this be a stretch and and and in some way and an insult to the scifi genre . strip of what make it a scifi film and sure and it the tempest and but how many hundred of film can you say something similar about . underneath and this be a cautionary tale about progress and technology and the social evolution necessary for it appropriate and safe use . yet the film still proceed with all the hopefulness for our future that we have come to expect from show like star trek . anne francis be not the only reason why this film be best describe a beautiful . the special effect and and even the aesthetic of the backdrop be powerful enough to make the uninspired directing and uneven act almost unnoticeable . if it be not for the goofy retro art deco ness of 1950s sci fi prop and you might think you be watch a 1960s piece . this be a classic of that very special sub genre of sci fi i like to call 1950s sci fi and and and though not and in my opinion and the best it be certainly a must see for anybody interested in sci fi film and special effect . the clever plot and now render trite by it reuse in six or seven episode of star trek and lose in space and and even farscape and be worth pay attention to and and will sustain the interest of most scifi fan . trekker will be particularly interested in the various aspect of the film which seem to have inspire theme of star trek original series air about 12 year later and though they may find themselves disappoint by the ( relatively mild ) 1950s sexism and the lack of any kind of racial integration . while i do not mean to nitpick and the lack of social progress manifest in this film be the one major problem i have with it . some will probably see this film simply to catch a glimpse of young and good look leslie nielsen in one of his first starring role . unfortunately and nielsen performance be only average and and at time down right poor ( especially at the climax of the film ) . walter pigeon and though quite excellent in other film and over act his role as well . ms francis and earl holliman and and the amazing robby the robot be the stand out actor in this crowd and though on the whole the character actor fill in the ensemble do a good job . the problem with the featured performance and i think and be as much the fault of the director and the editor and a anything . though they certainly get most of the film quite right .