FORBIDDEN PLANET

PLOT SUMMARY

The Bellerophon, sent on a scientific expedition to the fourth planet of the main sequence star Altair, has never reported back to Earth. Now United Planets Cruiser C57D, JJ Adams commanding, is arriving at Altair IV to find out why. First the ship is scanned by radar, and then someone identifying himself as Doctor Morbius directs them to land at specific coordinates. There, a small vehicle driven by a robot rushes out to meet them. There are only two seats in the vehicle. Captain Adams and Ostrow, his ship's doctor, take them. The robot, Robbie, conveys them to a comfortable house where Doctor Morbius, a linguist, and his daughter Altaira reside. They are the only survivors of the Bellerophon expedition, Altaira having been born after the landing. Morbius's wife had later died of natural causes.

Asked about the other members of the expedition, Morbius answers in cryptic fashion, saying that most had been killed in their beds by a "strange planetary force" and that the Bellerophon was vaporized when the three crewmen who remained tried to leave. This places Captain Adams in a difficult position: he must communicate with Earth for further instructions — despite Morbius's request that he return to Earth to make his report. He assures the Captain that he and his daughter will be quite safe. Naturally, Adams is not convinced.

Back at his ship, Adams sets up a security perimeter and then assembles a long-range communicator — involving "a matter of short-circuiting the continuum on a 5- or 6-parsec level." That night, strange things start happening. A vital part of the communicator is sabotaged, but nobody has seen a thing. The electronics tech manages to rebuild the part. The next night he is killed. Again, there was no sign of an intruder; but outside the ship, incomprehensible footprints are found.

When Ostrow and the Captain again visit Morbius, the linguist distracts them by showing artifacts left by the Krell, extinct natives of Altair IV. The artifacts include a hugely impressive underground machine twenty miles on each side. He displays on a screen some of the Krell knowledge base, explaining that by deciphering a small part of it he was able to construct Robbie, then speculates that the great machine was related to a project that would have crowned the entire history of the Krell: "Total lack of instrumentality." Ostrow understands: this would mean that Krell minds could summon and reshape matter and energy for any purpose desired, anywhere on the planet. Yet, Morbius tells them, the Krell were wiped out in a single night on the brink of completing this project, their cities demolished, everything above ground smashed into dust. The tale is fascinating, but it does nothing to explain the loss of the Bellerophon party or the death of Adams's crewman. The Captain makes the logical decision to evacuate Morbius and his daughter; but Morbius will not agree. Finally Adams and Ostrow return to the ship and prepare for defense and departure.

That night, the ship is attacked by what appears as a large animal form. It is hard to describe, for it is invisible, seen only in the glare that results when proton beams from the ship's main batteries strike it. Those beams ought to be able to pulverize a mountain, yet the creature withstands them for minutes, until suddenly it's just not there. Adams reassures his crew, but he knows it just went away for some reason. Which makes it the ultimate priority to get some answers out of Morbius, or to use the brain-boost machine — another Krell wonder Morbius showed them.

Adams and Ostrow head for the house, in their own tractor this time. Arriving, they find Robbie on guard, refusing to let them in. But Altaira cancels Robbie's instructions, and soon Morbius confronts them. In the midst of this heated discussion, Robbie informs them that "Something is approaching from the southwest." Morbius seals the house, but it does no good; the something easily breaks in. The three run into the Krell laboratory,1 and Morbius closes its doors: an even more formidable barrier. It takes some time, but whatever is outside begins to melt those doors. Faced with doom at last, Morbius acknowledges the truth.

Capsule review: This film belongs on the "Top 20" list of every science fiction film fan. It is one of the classic works of the genre, and holds up very well today despite being put "in the can" more than sixty years ago.