Forbidden Planet > Avatar

This is how you do special effects, Cameron, you hack!
But Leslie Nielsen as anything other than hilarious is, well, hilarious.

Can you imagine how insanely awesome it would be if someone today were to take the most futuristic, avant garde music they could find and apply it to highly stylized images and effects in service of a story that leans heavily on contemporary psychology to express concern for the very soul of mankind in the face of massive technological advancement?

No, me neither. Guess we're stuck with Prometheus.

Matte paintings fit a riff on The Tempest, one of Shakespeare's most self-reflexive works, like a glove. And damn, what paintings: everything is transparently flat even as the use of perspective (especially of the scenes in the great machine) plunge into impossible depth. A counter to Cold War-specific '50s sci-fi in which nuclear power is invoked only as a means of quantifying the infinite power (and infinite possibilities for disaster) of the imagination and the soul. The enemy is within here, too, not in mindset but in the darker reaches of the heart.

It's better than I remembered. I think it stands above most of other sci-fi films of this era and it's not hard to see the influence this movie had on later films of the genre. The acting is decent, the robot is fun but the thing I liked the most was the set design elements. It makes a good double-bill with Robinson Crusoe on Mars.

I absolutely loved this movie. Leslie is so young and so great, top notch acting from all the cast. The plot may take a little while to take off, but once it does it's an absolute blast.

"Sorry miss. I was giving myself an oil job."

Great classic sci-fi! Not nearly as campy as I expected. The special effects are dated but still fun to see.

Recommended for all science fiction fans - you have to see this classic at some point in your life.

Perfect sci-fi

Matte paintings fit a riff on The Tempest, one of Shakespeare's most self-reflexive works, like a glove. And damn, what paintings: everything is transparently flat even as the use of perspective (especially of the scenes in the great machine) plunge into impossible depth. A counter to Cold War-specific '50s sci-fi in which nuclear power is invoked only as a means of quantifying the infinite power (and infinite possibilities for disaster) of the imagination and the soul. The enemy is within here, too, not in mindset but in the darker reaches of the heart.

Awesome old school camp sci-fi adaptation of the tempest.

AMAZING special effects.

On Blu. The look of this film is amazing and it brings the heavy thematic message (and Anne Francis in short skirts). A little ponderous in the middle, but top shelf 50's sci-fi otherwise.

''sorry, i was giving myself an oil job''.... you dirty robot Robby.

Started off well, then slowed down massively in the middle spending most of the time throwing up explanations left right and center. Visually though, stunning. Some great sets and wonderful ideas. Also some really nice effects for a film of this era. I wasn't bored but it seemed to promise a lot more than it actually gave. Enjoyable but not brilliant.

Forbidden Planet > Avatar

This is how you do special effects, Cameron, you hack!
But Leslie Nielsen as anything other than hilarious is, well, hilarious.