A movie with a real and significant message

This is a Classic movie that was entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2013, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This film directed by Fed M. Wilcox from a screen play by Cyril Hume had many firsts and was a precursor to what was to come much later in this kind of film. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen and it featured Robby the Robot the first robot actor. Goggle Forbidden Planet and check out the Wikipedia write up. But that’s not why I am writing a review of a 58 year old movie. Back then I was very into science and engineering and I read every science fiction book I could get my hands on.  When I saw this movie I was impressed by both the special affects the plot and the hidden message which bears revisiting today for many reasons. As you may see after reading this review.

Set in the 23rd century, the United Planets Cruiser C57-D travels to the planet Altair IV, 16 light-years from Earth, sent to discover the fate of an expedition sent 20 years earlier. Soon after entering orbit, the cruiser receives a transmission from Dr. Edward Morbius played by Walter Pidgeon, the previous expedition’s master of languages and their meanings. He warns the starship to stay away, saying he cannot guarantee their safety; he also states further assistance is not necessary. The C57-D Commander John J. Adams, played by Leslie Nielsen ignores the warning and after receiving coordinates lands the starship.

After landing they are met by Robby the Robot, played by himself, who takes Adams, Lieutenant Jerry Farman played by Jack Kelly, and Lieutenant “Doc” Ostrow, played by Warren_Stevens to Morbius’s home. There, Morbius explains to them that an unknown “planetary force” killed nearly everyone and then vaporized their starship, Bellerophon, as the survivors desperately tried to lift off the planet. Only Morbius, his wife (who died of natural causes later), and their daughter Altaira, played by Anne Francis were somehow spared. Morbius fears that the C57-D and its crew will meet the same fate and they should immediately leave.

That night after posting sentries, equipment aboard the C57-D is sabotaged. Adams and Ostrow confront Morbius in the morning; where they learn he has been studying an extinct highly advanced native species, the Krell, a race that mysteriously all died about 200,000 years before, just as they were on the verge of achieving their crowning scientific triumph leaving no trace of their existence on the planet’s surface. Admitting to Adams he hadn’t been forthright Morbius shows Adams and Ostrow a secret Krell laboratory that he found, within it he shows them a device he calls a “plastic educator”, a device capable of measuring and enhancing intellectual capacity; he puts it on and uses it to display a three-dimensional, moving thought projection of Altaira.

Morbius tell them that the Bellerophon’s captain tried the machine and was instantly killed. Morbius also tried using this machine and he barely survived; later after recovering he discovered his intellect had been permanently doubled. His increased intelligence enabled him, along with information from a stored Krell library, to build Robby and the other “technological marvels” in his home. Morbius then takes them on a tour of a vast cube-shaped underground Krell machine complex, 20 miles (30 km) square, still functioning and powered by 9,200 super powerful thermonuclear reactors. Adams demands that the knowledge of the Krell be turned over to Earth supervision, but Morbius refuses, citing the significant danger that the Krell technology would pose to mankind if it were to fall into the wrong hands and misused.

While this is going on Altaira never have seen a man, other than her father, is becoming romantically attracted to the captain. Going back to the starship Adams orders a defensive force field fence set up around the starship for protection. Despite the precautions Chief Engineer Quinn is found dead the next morning. The next night, the C57-D’s crew is prepared they quickly discover that the creature is invisible as its roaring Lion like image becomes visible as it stands within the fence’s force field, further enhanced by the crew’s directed high-energy weapons fire. None of these precautions matter as the monoester kills several of the crew, including the ships navigator Jerry Farman. While the battle in the starship is going on back in the Krell lab, Morbius is startled awake by Altaira’s screaming; at that same instant, the large creature suddenly vanishes.

Returning to Morbius’s home Adams confronts him demanding an explanation, while, Ostrow sneaks away to use the Krell educator; where he is fatally injured. Before he dies Ostrow explains to Adams that the Krell Machine was built to materialize anything the Krell could imagine, projecting matter and energy anywhere on the planet. Then with his dying breath, he also tells Adams the Krell forgot one thing: “Monsters from the Id” and before he can say more he dies. Adams now understands what happened and asserts that Morbius’ subconscious mind, enhanced by the “plastic educator”, utilized the Great Krell Machine, recreating the Id monster that killed the original expedition when they tried to leave; Morbius steadfastly refuses to accept this conclusion.

By this time Altaira declares her love for Adams in defiance of her father’s wishes, and Robby detects the Id creature approaching the house. Morbius commands Robby to kill it, but Robby knowing it is a manifestation of his master develops a conflict with Morbius’ command since he his programmed to never harm a human and Robby shuts down. The ID creature power by all the thermonuclear reactors melts the indestructible metal doors of the Krell laboratory where Adams, Altaira, and Morbius have taken refuge. Morbius not accepts the truth: the creature is an extension of his own mind, “his evil self”.

He is fatally injured trying to stop the creature, which then disappears but before he dies Morbius directs Adams to activate a floor switch and warns them that all the Krell thermonuclear furnaces will now overload and destroy the planet; they must be 100 million miles away within 24 hours. Adams and Altaira along with Robby escape the lab and get back to the starship and leave later from deep space, with the C57-D safely on course back to Earth, they witness the destruction of Altair IV on the ship’s viewscreen.

The reason this movie is so significant is the message that to advanced a technology developed without understand of all the ramifications can destroy even the those that mean no harm. Maybe because if was so young at the time I was moved by that message and today as we move into genetic research where we will soon be able to modify are genes we had better make sure that we “really” know what we are doing or like the Krell we could destroy ourselves.