Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Captain John J. Adams (Leslie Nielsen) leads a crew of 18 to the planet Altair to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some settlers. Upon arrival, the crew is warned not to land (which they ignore) and are greeted by Robby the Robot. The only two survivors left on the planet are Dr. Edward Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his beautiful daughter Altaira (Anne Francis), but what happened to the rest?

While the special effects are nothing special and the pacing is on the slow side, I found the story is entertaining. You can see how Gene Roddenberry was influenced by this and many other 1950s sci-fi films for Star Trek. While the human actors do an admirable job, Robby the Robot steals the show and went on to become one of the most famous robots in movie history appearing in an additional 20 movies and TV shows over the past 50 years.

Video Highlights

• VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-25 disc
• Nearly flawless print
• Excellent contrast and black levels
• Banding in matte paintings

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
• Improved audio compared to previously released HD DVD
• Surprisingly engaging surround presentation
• Great use of panning effects

Warner does an amazing job restoring old classics and here's another notch in the studio's belt. While it lacks the spit and polish of a modern release, fans will be mesmerized by the rich color saturation and nearly perfect print. The remixed audio is quite good for such an old audio track with ample use of the surround speakers and intelligible dialog.

Bonus Materials

• Deleted scenes and lost footage
• The Invisible Boy featuring Robby the Robot
• The Ting Man TV Series episode Robot Client
• TCM Original Documentary Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us
• 2 Featurettes
• Excepts from The MGM ParadeTV Series
• Theatrical trailers

While dated by today's standards, the film is very entertaining and our current writers/directors could learn a thing or two from these type of films from the 1950s about relying on the story and less on the special effects. Regardless, this is a must own for any sci-fi fan.

Release Date: September 7, 2010
Studio: Warner

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics