Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Derry Herrera
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Marva-nova
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
MartinHafer
"The Invisible Boy" is one of the stranger films of the 1950s. It's an odd combination of a kids' film, sci-fi and horror! When the film begins, Dr. Merrinoe (Philip Abbott) lamenting that his son, Timmie, isn't of the intellectual caliber he wished he was. But Timmie certainly is about to surprise his overly intellectual dad! It seems that when Timmie is playing around his father's super-computer, the machine decides to help boost the kid intellectually. Soon, Timmie is a little genius and doing all sorts of impossible things...including assembling the robot, Robbie. He and Robbie have some rousing adventures and the film seems very much a kids' film at this point. However, nefarious things are lurking ahead, as the computer is super-evil and has plans for the robot...and that's why he got the kid to assemble it. The computer ALSO has plans...for global domination!!!This is a dated, old fashioned film that STILL is quite entertaining and fun. It is a strange combination of dark sci-fi and kids' sci-fi...but it somehow works.By the way, it WAS pretty funny in one scene, as a room of great intellects were meeting and Timmie (who was now invisible) sneaks in and plays pranks on them. One of these 'great minds' is played by Alvy Moore--the same guy who later was a regular on "Green Acres" and played the stupidest of all the characters...and that was no small feat!!!
DPMay
This film remains of interest to sci-fi fans because of its reputation as the "other" Robby The Robot film, though forever in the shadow of the classic "Forbidden Planet" which gave Robby his impressive debut.But although it gives Robby plenty of involvement, there's really very little to recommend it. I found the film exceedingly dull throughout, the only sequence that rises above the general tedium is that towards the end when Robby single-handedly engages a battalion (I pitied the poor actor in the Robby suit when all those explosions were going off right next to him).The plot has some credible ideas, including its central premise of a super computer looking to usurp the human race as the dominant life form on Earth, but just meanders, and the boy turning invisible is a superfluous plot device to give the film some comedy - except that it really isn't very funny.This isn't a cheap film; although lacking the colour of its more famous cousin, it looks quite polished with decent sets, acting, direction and (on the whole) special effects but it just lacks punch. And it can't seem to decide whether it's a light-hearted comic tale for kids, or a more dramatic sci-fi horror for an older audience: it's both, and yet it's neither. What audience was this film pitched at? The kids will find the serious stuff too technical and boring, the adults will find the film lacking depth with too much time devoted to the more whimsical elements.Overall, "Forbidden Planet" fans may enjoy seeing this as a curio, but other viewers may find themselves switching off before the end.
gkeithchesterton
In my judgment, this is an extremely underrated film. One of the other reviewers said that a lot of the respondents just didn't get the movie, and this is absolutely correct.The Invisible Boy is not typical science-fiction fare. And I think this is the cause of the complaints. After all, a high percentage of those who would watch this film would, no doubt, be science-fiction fans who expect a work that follows the typical sci-fi program. And that's not what they get from TIB.The film is interesting because it's so different. The first half is basically a child fantasy story that you could call "Beaver Meets Lost in Space Robot." It features an endearing little boy with a genius-scientist father. And while they seem to have a pretty good relationship — contrary to what some have indicated here — the father is frustrated with his son's inability to live up to the family's scientific pedigree. For the boy's part, he doesn't seem to care much; he's a typical young lad who just wants to have fun, and this is partially what causes him to become imperiled. But he never knows he's imperiled; he's just a Beaver type whose biggest concern is getting punished by his parents.And, I must say, I think the boy put on a stellar performance. His character, "Timmie," is bored with his white-picket-fence life and yearns for adventure, yet he largely is resigned to his plight. He also seems a bit cynical about things to which other kids might look forward, such as growing up. This attitude is endlessly amusing, and much of the dialogue between father and son — and boy and robot — is hilarious. It is masterful, dry humor and is the strength of the film.At the halfway point, the movie transitions into a more serious sci-fi story. But this change is seamless enough, and Timmie remains the naive child, oblivious to danger. And his childlike concerns are especially endearing when contrasted with the serious concerns of the adults who are worried about his fate — and that of the world.As some have said, parts of the film are far-fetched, but, well...did I say this was fiction? This isn't Schindler's List; it, again, is fantasy. It is a child's dream; it is an adult's nightmare. It's a fun movie, and perfect for what it is.If you're a sci-fi purist and expect The Invisible Man or The Day the Earth Stood Still, skip TIB. You'll be disappointed. But if you have a sense of whimsy and like Leave it to Beaver, if you want to see Mayfield go sci-fi, this film is for you.
StuOz
Oh Boy the memories! When I was a child of the 1970s this film was replayed on afternoon television every year at midday and I sat motionless watching every frame with huge joy! In those days there were no VCRs so I had to just record it on audio tape instead.I must say that some of these 1950s films did get stupid titles that do not really reveal what the film is all about: the invisible boy theme is only a small part of the film. The following year this problem would repeat itself with - Attack Of The Puppet People - which was a movie with no "Attack"? The Invisible Boy thrilled me so much, as a child, because Lost In Space (1965) re-runs were also doing the rounds in the 1970s and The Invisible Boy was viewed as a "companion" show to Lost In Space as both productions deal with a friendship between a boy and a robot.
