MovieChat Forums > Forbidden Planet (1958) Discussion > Why a remake might be better

Why a remake might be better

posted 10 years ago by alisdairgordon
50 replies | jump to latest

I know there's another thread here but that one seems to quickly degenerate into the usual IMDB forum abuse and counter-abuse.

Recently watched this again several times on BBC here in the UK, and that's prompted me to post this.

So, what's wrong with the original, many of you'll ask, to justify a remake?

Well, firstly, there was nothing wrong with Infernal Affairs but the Departed was I think a better film (discuss).Maybe not the best analogy 'cos the aim with the Departed I suppose was to make a more accessible version of the original foreign-language film.

Seems to me you can remake with a view to improving and/or updating a classic. Doesn't have to be anything necessarily 'wrong' with the original. I would mention here the Lee Marvin version of the Killers which is, I think, just as good or maybe better than the Burt Lancaster original.

So to the faults..! (and there are quite a few)

The acting ain't great and is often downright hammy.

The special effects are pretty lame by today's standards, in contrast to the set design the scenes of the house and Krell lab etc are still pretty amazing.

Maybe not a fault, allowing for when the film was made, but it really stands out that in the distant future there will be no non-whites in space and no women either.

Robby the robot - well, cute, quaint, light relief etc but he doesn't really work now.

So here's my idea - same initial set-up but the captain is female or the first officer is, and the daughter Altaira finds herself attracted to both of them,so creating a storm of conflicted emotions. And maybe suggest the father has sublimated feelings for his daughter....

Make Robby an android.

So - anyone else got any ideas for a good remake?

BTW is this film really in development or is it in development hell? Anyone know?

[–] Harold_of_Whoa 10 years ago

This idea is so crazy it

just

might

work!!!

Seriously, though, I was initially annoyed by your concept, but when I thought about it for a few minutes, I have to say that I could see how it could work in modern culture somewhat along the same lines of gentle subversion that the original did.

If it were done exactly right, I think your concept could work well. (That's always the trick, isn't it?)

I suggest male captain, female Farmin/first officer, but it could work either way.

Altaira absolutely must be either definitely the source (or one source) of the Id monster, or at least a possible source.

Cheers!

"Morbius, something is approaching from the southwest. It is now quite close."

[–] desrozenko 9 years ago

I would love to see a remake on the one hand, but on the other hand, they go so overboard with the CGI effects that it destroys any and all focus on the storyline itself.

Let me breathe, Let me see if my therapist is on speed dial.

[–] weejockxxx 9 years ago

The reason I would NOT want a remake is because this film encapsulates 1950's science fiction before such things as warp drive and transporters and as such portrays a more innocent age. I would hate to see the constant bickering, sexual tension and stereotyping that occurs in 99% of modern films. There would have to be the obligatory kick-ass female and matrix style fights. Yes a remake could be brilliant but, as was the case with The Time Machine probably won't. Let's leave this one alone.
(Before I get pilloried for the remark, I have nothing against kick-ass females but not in this movie, please)

Oh gravity, thou art a heartless bitch!

[–] sonofagun 9 years ago

Funny but I've posted my remake concept on this board several times before. It suggests Doctor Morbius to be played by a woman (I want Sigourney Weaver) who feels attracted to Adams whose wife is the chief devisor (Quinn) of the crew. Morbius' Id monster kills Quinn (Mrs.Adams) out of jealousy but also to prevent the repair of the klystron modulator.

Morbius has a son who is attracted to one of the female Colonial Marines (from Aliens) who make up the crew.

Setting is approximately 100 years from now on a moon of Jupiter where the Krell machine and artifacts are found.

It will be another chance to see the Colonial Marines in action (pulse weapons against the Id monster) only they won't be such a brainless gung-ho bunch but more like special forces.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] sonofagun 9 years ago

"sigourney weaver would be a dreadful choice."

I'm sure she will appreciate that. She is part of the Colonial Marines franchise and certainly has star power as Pidgeon brought to the original.

A remake has to be somewhat different from the original with changes in the story elements. As usual I will cite Cronenberg's remake of The Fly as a prime example.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] sonofagun 9 years ago

A remake featuring Sigourney and the Colonial Marines will greatly help with the box office - everyone would love to see the C.M.s in another flic.

Aliens had similarities to FP - even to where Bishop was torn in two by the Alien Queen.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] BrickNash 9 years ago

I don't mind a remake if it uses the concept and some story under a different name but with lots of other tweaks and additions, like what Sergio Leone did with Yojimbo.

Unfortunately remakes aren't done for artistic merit, it's name selling for opening weekend grosses and as long as the effects are 'updated' to CGI it seems to be all that matters.

In fairness there HAS been good remakes done in the past, there's no denying that but I can't think of one that actually surpasses the original. Everyone say's The Thing which is a brilliant remake but I still prefer Howard Hawk's original.

C.B. DeMille's Ten Commandments is another one that get's brought up but I feel that was more of an update as both the 1923 and 1956 versions were done by DeMile himself which is ok.

Personally I don't think Forbidden Planet needs a remake. It's vintage, a beautiful museum piece and half it's charm is that it is a product of it's time. I not only watch it for the storytelling but for the wonderful practical effects of the time, the vision of the film makers as to what the future might be like and the whole vibe of the 50's as well as the fantastical element.

As I say, remakes aren't necessarily a bad thing, but I just wish that studios were brave enough to do an honest take with a new name and some good creative effort into producing a quality product rather than relying on past glories of other film makers which, in my opinion, is tantamount to stealing their work.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] weejockxxx 9 years ago

I totally agree with you on 'The Day The Earth Stood Still'. The original was very primitive obviously but it was 100 times better than the soul-less remake.
Oh gravity, thou art a heartless bitch!

[–] bjlevine 9 years ago

Six words: The Day the Earth Stood Still

👷👳
Bob the Builder and Hadji walk into a bar...

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] skrall-991-949327 9 years ago

There are a couple holes in your plot. LOL?

One of the main reasons for no remake? You really trust Hollywood? How many modern remakes do they get right? DTEST? Broderick's Godzilla? There's a bigger list of f ups than successes.

You want to improve the original...how? By mixing up genders and different skin colors? I am not totally opposed to it, but to do it just for the sake of doing it is silly. Yes, I understand you are trying to reflect modern or future social dynamics. Fine. But take great care in making wholesale character changes.

I think there is a GREAT risk in remaking this movie. It deals with issues that modern society cares nothing about. You are pretty much going to have to change the whole scenario and storyline to get anyone top care as much about it.

So make THAT movie...call it something else. Leave Forbidden Planet alone please.

[–] Deluge69-663-991830 9 years ago

I always pondered a worthy remake. There are a few too many corny moments and silly dialogue which gets in the way of the real story of the Krell Experiemts and Morbious's obsession with it, leading to the creation of his Id Monster.

I always thought it was stupid to have had the planet and Krell lab conveniently destroyed at the end. Just too neatly tied up, so Adams and Alta can now live happily ever after-at least for a few weeks.

Leave it open for a possible sequel.

Not sure about a prequel concerning the Belerathon Tragedy.

[–] SkaterDave 9 years ago

As with other remakes Hollywood would ruin it. The cast would all be young and hot. Way too many obviously CG special effects, fight scenes more then likely, less emphasis on a good story and more on action.

[–] TVholic 8 years ago

For 1956, the cast was considered "young and hot," except for Pidgeon. 26-year-old Anne Francis was eye candy for men and Leslie Nielsen was still only 30, close enough for teens to idolize but much too young to be an actual captain. Or didn't you notice that all the male characters on the ship were all cast with slim, young, more or less good-looking men? Aside from Pidgeon, the oldest actor was Warren Stevens at the ripe, old age of 36.

Too much CGI? The original already overused special effects. Did we really need an entire minute of glow for deceleration? Sorry, but CGI would be a definite improvement over what the old movie provided. The invisible "footprints" with loose dirt collapsing into holes after boards were pulled out from underneath aren't fooling anyone. How much animation did we see in the movie? The landing beam. The disintegrator pistol beams used on the Krell door and the tiger. The flashing lights inside Robbie's dome whenever he was conflicted. The thought "hologram" of Alta. Plus the other effects like the bent steps and the Krell power shaft. The movie was already jammed full of gratuitous effects. This movie seemingly pioneered that, long before today's blockbusters. That's not even counting the minutes on end of the big monster attack. Going CGI would just be swapping one technique for some very dated ones which were even less convincing.

Honestly, can anyone here tell me that they were frightened even a tiny bit by the Id Monster, even as a child? It looked like the cartoon that it was, almost like the Tasmanian Devil.

The basis of the story was okay, but the pacing was really leaden. Face it, can you look at Cyril Hume's filmography and tell me that he was a great writer? Most of his scripts could most charitably be called trite and hokey, even for their time. Fred Wilcox's specialties were mostly B-movies and kids' movies. And as others have noted, the dialog was stilted and the acting mostly wooden. Some of Leslie Nielsen's acting was laughable, and I don't mean in a Naked Gun sort of way.

Would they screw up a remake? Sure, chances are good. But guys like you absolutely refuse to admit that improvement is even possible, as if this movie was perfection.

[–] NewDivide1701 9 years ago

Though the C57-D was a good idea for 1956, I think the Angel's Pencil from Larry Niven's The Warriors would be better for the ship. Let me show you:

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/8255/spencil.jpg

or

http://paul-lloyd.deviantart.com/art/Angel-s-Pencil-still-WIP-517145943

Figure the ring would be the Alcubierre warp drive with time dilation capabilities where for every second that passes on the ship, say 2 hours pass in the universe. The ship is powered by Helium-3 that they get from stars and they have to constantly refuel.

The shuttle is the lander that can support.... say the same number of crew on board the original C57-D.

The Krell machine is not powered by thousands of thermonuclear reactors, but some sort of dimensional shift that collects power from the star Altair itself. And boasts that instead of the C57-D having to refuel, all they need to do is to tap into the star and never have to worry about fuel again.

As well it keeps the ability to convert thought into practical objects especially to create their towers of glass and adamantium steel that dwarfed anything we ever had.

I would kill the jail bait. Captain JJ Adams and Altera not becoming lovers, but Altera reminds JJ Adams of either his sister or niece for whom we was very close to and was killed around Altera's age by.... say a drunk driver or distracted driver. Making Adams approach her while allowing a member of his crew to woo her allowing there to have both male and female crew members of different races.

And an easier time keeping their pants on because though the voyage took say 2 years, only a week passed on JJ's ship thanks to time dilation.

JJ Adams, Altera and Morpheus are running from the ID, but Adams orders C57-D to lift off and warp out of the system while they still can despite the survivor's objections.... and what happened to the Bellerophon.

The ID is destroyed the same way, mortally wounding Morpheus. And HE sets the planet to blow, not JJ, and uses the Krell machine to be used as a type of transporter and beams JJ Adams, Altera and Robbie the Robot to C57-D. Leave it a mystery if Morpheus actually used the Krell machine as a transporter, or if the trio are living recreations that were transplanted onto the ship while the originals died on Altair 4 when their dimensional solar reactor blew up the planet.

OH, and a dark twist to space travel, it began after the War Of The Worlds where they went to space to originally hunt down the aliens, only then evolved into colonization and space exploration.

The C57-D lander, named Endurance after the ship on Interstellar. And the ring ship with the warp drive, of course named Enterprise.

Plus Will Smith plays JJ Adams. Mostly because of the way he, Altera and Robbie beams on board the ship, the trio in shock that they are alive and off of Altair 4, and the crew also shocked over what happened. He snaps out of it long enough to say, "Well don't just stand there, warp us out of here!" Right before Altair 4 explodes.