Must-see movies are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale. Written by James Rocchi.
Title: Forbidden Planet
Date: 1956
Vitals: William Shakespeare’s The Tempest gets a sci-fi spin in this retro-futurist classic, as a team of explorers stumble across Altair IV — a colony world now deserted but for a brilliant scientist, his beautiful daughter and a dark secret. The film’s best-known for introducing Robby the Robot to the world, but it actually holds up. …
Famous Names: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen (Cast).
Crunchy Goodness: 4
Elevator Pitch: “You know what Shakespeare needs? Robots and space aliens!”
Design Breakthrough: Forbidden Planet didn’t just give the world Robby the Robot; it also featured some stunning animation courtesy of the Walt Disney animating staff — and the first-ever all-electronic film score.
Life Lessons: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
