MovieChat Forums > The Invisible Boy (1957) Discussion > Possible inspiration for Terminator?

Possible inspiration for Terminator?

posted 18 years ago by NeuroEngin
10 replies | jump to latest

Sure you can say this is a silly 50's sci-fi film, and it is, but look at the main plot here. A supercomputer wants to move itself to a satellite to take over the Earth. That is pretty much Skynet from the Terminator movies. Even toward the end, when Robbie the Robot saves them, I thought about Sarah Conner's line in T2, "If a machine can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too."

The other Jim Cameron movie I say was inspired by a 50's film was Aliens. Watch that movie then the 50's classic 'Them!' and you will see a number of similarities.

Not to knock James Cameron, I love his movies, but its just kind of cool to watch these other films to see where he got his inspiration.

[–] whotony 18 years ago

thanks for giving away the ending jackass.

[–] King-Grim 18 years ago

The plot of Terminator 2 is ripped off completely from a 60s sci-fi movie, Cyborg 2087.

[–] warren-1976 18 years ago

I just watched this, as one of the extras to Forbidden Planet, and I have to say... I'd never read or heard anything about The Invisible Boy (And I'm a big fan of classic SF movies, don't know how I missed this one!) and watching it, not knowing any of the possible Terminator links... about half way through I started thinking... "Wait! This is Terminator!" Even the speech about how it isn't clouded by pity or remorse or human values... and the general plot... well, It's Skynet, and Robby as the Terminator! lol Robby even supposedly came from the future! And then near the end, as the father leaves the machine, he even says "I'll be back!" :-D

I thought the Invisible Boy was great fun, even if it was typical cheesy 50s kids SF. The ideas in it were pretty good. It's quite funny when you see a lot of Cameron's influences... as someone said, stuff like Them! and Saturn 3 heavily influenced Aliens as well.

Time enough for the earth in the grave!

[–] Barbara-4 18 years ago

>>>I just watched this, as one of the extras to Forbidden Planet

Have you watched The Thin Man episode, The Robot Client? An interesting take on the atomic paranoia of the late 1950s...

If only Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk had had the same chemistry as William Powell and Myrna Loy....

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[–] webboffin_uk 18 years ago

I watched this too as the extra from Forbidden Planet and I have to say the story could of gone a bit better. I mean the boy has turned invisible as air and he sits down to supper and when his parents discover his invisiblilty they act like this is just some normal everyday humdrum prank the boy is up to and that it is best they ignore his attention seeking. W-W-What!??
The boy, Timmie, is given awful script and has some kind of lazy speech problem.
The after Timme safely returns to Earth from the orbiting rocket against his father's wishes (who I suppose understandably wanted him to remain in orbit for a year) the Dad wants to spank the boys backside for making it back early.

This movie even for 1950's is bad
The story could of had better promise if they got rid of the dutiful wife and the little urchin boy.

Okay, I think my two pence is up and I have to hang up now.

[–] Aticusfinch 17 years ago

Like other commentators, I also got this movie as an extra from "Forbidden Planet" and I had never even remotely heard about. Despite its obvious limitations I found the movie kind of enjoyable.

But most of all I was amazed on how "The invisible Boy" anticipates many of the ideas that have dominated science-fiction for the last decades. Basically it´s the theme of intelligent machines, that end up becoming self-conscious, taking over and turning against their human creators. It´s not only "Terminator", it´s also "2001", the Super Computer reminds pretty much of Hal - even though I doubt that Kubrick ever would admit it-. And those lines about "unclouded by pity..." are also the same lines, that a robot character recites in "Alien" - refering to the monster. I may be wrong but TIB seems to be the first Hollywood movie that adresses this idea.

[–] neuronboy 10 years ago

I agree with you. Just watched this movie and I found it very silly, even annoying. Almost got a headache from rolling my eyes so often. And YES the scene where the parents found out their son is invisible is beyond ridiculous. I think the film makers wanted to make the movie really appeal to children as well as adults. Unfortunately the juxtaposition of both approaches really made the movie a mess.

[–] zaphod1957 16 years ago

I don't know if the idea for Skynet came from this film or more likely from "Colossus: The Forbin Project" which was 1966 book and 1970 movie about a intelligent supercomputer that uses its control over nuclear weapons to take over the world.

Of course, there is always the possiblity that the guy the wrote "Colossus" got the idea from "The Invisable Boy." Harlan Ellson also takes some credit for the "robot-goes-back-in-time" idea as it appears in his Outer Limits episode "Demond with a Glass Hand" He was able to successfully sue the Terminator franchise over it.

I've always liked this movie although the script has alot of plot holes in it I think it has some of the ideas are very interesting. This would be a good canidate for a remake with a well-written script. Some of the things I like about it:

-----SPOILERS--Do not read further if you have not seen the film-------------

-A poor father and son relationship which the supercomputer realizes it can exploit to further its aims.

-Using the boy to build/reactive the robot.

-A growing relationship between boy and robot.

-The robot having to choose between obeying the supercomputer and hurting the boy.

-The supercomputer finally thinking at the end that it has gotten the upperhand and ordering the robot to destroy the boy and father only to suddenly realize the robot has walked right past them and it is going to smash the computer's AI banks.

[–] Barbara-4 14 years ago

I was thinking Wargames....

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[–] retrolatex 13 years ago

There are certainly a lot of plot similarities to Terminator 2 and 3 , a virtually indistructable robot from the future programmed to obey and protect the boy , the father of the boy also the creator of a self aware world controlling super computer coming to the realisation that the only way to protect mankind is to distroy said super computer . the super brain itself plotting first to enslave mankind and then ultimately wiping all life from the face of the planet ,even the iconic catchfrase from Terminator 1 ,,,, I'll be back! There are also many similarities in Cyborg 2087 to the terminators as well.I dont think the idea of trawling through obscure books and movies for interesting plots and ideas is one that can be laid solely at the feet of Mr Cammeron although he does seem to be quite good at it ,theres also a lot of plot points i Titanic shared with the 1930's Nazi version of the film...I fact even this film seems to have borrowed the idea of using transistor implants in the back of peoples necks to control or ultimately kill them. that theme appeared in the mid fifties version of Invaders from Mars. The real shame about this film for me is the main theme of the movie seems religated to the sub plot and what should be the sub plot with boy and the bit of comedy relief in it has been allowed to dominate the film has been handled very badly and crippled by a bad script and poor performances and direction........After spending so much money on Robbie in the first place and a fine debut performance he deserved a better thought out showcase for his second big screen appearance .