ThiefHott Too much of everything

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

dimndman1 To the genre buffs - I'm watching a movie called "The Invisible Boy" that was included as an extra on the Blu-ray of "Forbidden Planet" that I bought recently. I knew in the past about the "Tobor the Great" movie (Robot spelled backwards) that used the "Robby" robot prop because I saw it on WGN-Chicago as a kid. And I know that a "Robby" variant was used in the original "Lost in Space" TV series, which is detailed in the "Forbidden Planet" extras disk that I'm watching. But its been roughly 40 years since I saw the "Tobor" film, and there is no mention of it in the extras on the Blu-ray that I'm watching. My WIKI/IMDb search mentions the "Tobor" movie and gives a plot synopsis that is vaguely similar to the movie I'm watching, but the character names have changed. Is this a case of studio manipulation, or are the movies distinct? BTW, the Blu-Ray version of "Forbidden Planet" is beautifully done, as Ridley/Lucas/Spielberg/Cameron point out in the extras. I have a std. DVD and this is worth the upgrade. I wish that I'd seen it as a kid in a theater rather than just TV. The included extras are excellent, and you can understand how monumental this film was as an MGM classic that really was an inspiration for S.Kub's 2001. I've shown this film to XGens & Melms who aren't into SF and even they were blown away by effects that were done in the '50s. If you're into SF & haven't seen this the Blu-Ray is the best choice. I'd give it 10 if I'd gotten an answer to the above question.

ferbs54 Baby boomers of a certain age may recall being entertained, back in 1965, by the latest Japanimation product at that time, a TV program called "Tobor the 8th Man," which had its origins in a manga comic in 1963. But almost a full decade before the 8th Man's initial appearance, another Tobor was thrilling baby boomers in America's movie palaces, via 1954's "Tobor the Great." In this surprisingly likable film, the elderly Prof. Nordstrom builds a mechanical simulacrum, operated telepathically; a robot designed to take the place of a human being in the first, ultrahazardous rocket voyage into space. The professor and his 11-year-old grandson, Gadge, soon become the targets of foreign spies, however, so it's a good thing that Tobor is prepared to meet ALL emergency situations! Anyway, "Tobor" is a perfect film for adults to watch with their kiddies. The film has been well directed by Lee Sholem (the man responsible for 1951's "Superman and the Mole-Men"!) and features some very competent acting (especially by Taylor Holmes as the professor and Charles Drake as his assistant) and a compact (the whole film runs only 77 minutes in length), fairly intelligent script; don't believe the wet blankets at Maltinville who claim these latter two aspects are "terrible." As far as Tobor itself is concerned, comparisons to Robby the Robot, in 1956's "Forbidden Planet," are hard to avoid. Tobor might be a taller and thus more imposing creation, which is not to say cooler looking. And lacking the power of "speech," it doesn't have 1/10 the personality of Robby. Still, it is a wholly endearing construct, and the final shot of the big galoot at the controls of Earth's first space rocket is fairly touching. In all, "Tobor" is good, lighthearted sci-fi fun, and demonstrates that a film doesn't necessarily require the resources of an Industrial Light & Magic complex to fashion a memorable robotic character. Tobor might not be Robby or R2-D2, but it sure is a good dude to have on one's side when the chips are down!

dinky-4 True, its budget is small, its special-effects minimal, its appeal somewhat juvenile, but there's a directness and innocence about this boy-and-robot adventure which -- when seen from a modern-day perspective -- is quite appealing. I agree, however, with the author of "Keep Watching the Skies" that the ending is a curious and rather unsettling miscalculation.

cornjob-2 Made during the 1950s, Tobor the Great tries to deal with many of the decade's hot topics. Space travel is represented as evil for humans in several scenes (though for no apparent reason), science is given the chance to go wrong, and those evil Russians are trying to steal Tobor (roboT spelled backwards). Forgettable.