Forbidden Planet

Author: Fred M. Wilcox

Star Trek inspired many of the science fiction writers of the late 20th century, and it was Forbidden Planet that inspired Star Trek. A gloriously full-color space opera retelling of William Shakespeare's The Tempest, we're presented with the amazing planet of Altair IV, where Commander John J. Adams leads his team to discover the fate of the last team sent to the planet. Meeting the only surviving member of the original team, Dr. Morbius, his daughter Altaira, and their robot servant, the team begins to discover the secret of the planet, and why the rest of the team was lost. The gorgeous EastmanColor and CInemaScope shooting, tied with the incredibly strange early electronic score, gave Forbidden Planet a feeling of being far ahead of its time. Disney even lent an animation team to assist in the production of one of the most terrifying creatures of the 1950s – the Monster from the Id! Why it's on the list The influence on a generation of filmsmakers, and the amazingly powerful script all make this a film that deserves a high spot on any list.