The Day the Earth Stood Still vs. Forbidden Planet

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classic against classic, my vote goes to Klaatu and Gort and The Day the Earth Stood Still

Perhaps the two greatest 'space' sci-fi flicks that predated Kubrick's 2001. Both of these films create an unreal, fantastic aura through simple-yet-effective set designs and a sparse landscape that always makes you feel that there is something just off screen. Though the ideas behind Forbidden Planet are, in my opinion, of greater weight and imagination, I have to give the nod to The Day the Earth Stood Still for sheer iconic wonder (the flying saucer design, Gort) and the effective expression of communist paranoia that was beginning to grip the U.S.

Both are great movies but I just found Forbidden Planet a tad more exciting.

Fantastic showdown of two of the best Sci-Fi's of the 50's. Not sure if there's a clear winner here. Forbidden Planet has a more intriguing plot while TDTESS is a tad more memorable for some reason.

Ah, this is a toughie. I think Day was just a little bit more enjoyable; it was pretty flawless and thrilling, very well crafted; I mean, almost nothing happens in the first 10 minutes and it's still very pleasant to watch; and imo, it just did everything right. From Michael Rennie as Klaatu, to its no-nonsense plot, and its legendary iconicness (Gort, klaatu barada niktu). Forbidden Planet was amazing in every sense of the word; from Anne Francis' legs to its sets and plot; The Day the Earth Stood Still is what got me into the sci-fi genre again and for such emotional appealing, I'm giving it the edge.

As far as classic science fiction goes, these 2 are giants. I'll go with Forbidden Planet. It just feels like it has a little better world building in it.

Forbidden planet is a fantastic movie in my opinion, but the day the earth stood still wins by a lot