'Forbidden Planet' Apparently Not That Forbidden

Don't make the mistake of thinking that a new version of the 1956 sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet is headed our way because there's a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still coming to theaters in December. The truth is that they've tried to remake Forbidden Planet before and it just never panned out, even with James Cameron on board the project at one point. But The Hollywood Reporter says that we'll be getting that remake soon, thanks to writer J. Michael Straczynski, who co-created Babylon 5, is working on Silver Surfer and the Wachowski Brothers' Ninja Assassin, and whose latest flick, Changeling, is decidedly not science fiction. Because of his sci-fi background, however, Straczynski is the kind of writer you want for an update like this, provided you want an update like this. Warner Bros. and Joel Silver are steering Forbidden Planet, which focused on a reconnaissance mission to planet Altair-4 to find out what happened to a colony of scientists stationed there. The team (led in the original by Leslie Neilsen) discovers only two survivors after an unknown force decimated the rest of the team. It's also the movie with Robbie the Robot, who is just awesome.I know what people thought of War of the Worlds, and our readers are almost entirely united against The Day the Earth Stood Still, so I wonder if this one also irritates the hell out of you or if you think it's time to revisit the property.

Comments

[Len Berger]

You bet I am disapointed. I like most every film but there are some that are sacred and Forbidden Planet is one of them. As simple as the special effects are in this film you are drawn to the characters, the power of the "machine" and the story. A remake will contain spectacular special effects but will the effects drown out the story ? I guess l'll withold judgement until after I see The Day the Earth Stood Still (another classic where it didn't matter that the film was B&W). It won't be long until we have a colorized version of Citizen Cane followed by a remake. I can't wait.

[Brian Porche]

What a let down the remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" was to a classic movie that I can watch over and over again. Even with the LARGER robot, I was not impressed or thrilled as I was in the original. And I'm sorry but, Keanu Reeves is no Michael Rennie! The original just had this awe to it. I don't know, maybe it was the great FX in the movie for 1951 and the way you really got to know the Klaatu character as he chummed with little Bobby. The remake just didn't hit the mark! I know an even greater "Forbidden Planet" can be made, especially with the cheesy acting in the original. But will the re-makers consider all the aspects it will take to improve on an already classic sci-fi adventure.