1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Planet of the Apes

#499- Planet of the Apes (1968)
Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner


Plot Summary: Astronaut George Taylor and his crew are in deep cryogenic hibernation when they crash onto an unknown planet in the year 3978. After abandoning their sinking spacecraft, they explore the planet and realize they are not alone. Taylor and his astronauts, Dodge and Landon, discover a group of mute and primitive humans, when they are captured by a group of intelligent, talking apes and taken to Ape City. Taylor, having been shot in the throat, is unable to speak but still finds a way to communicate with animal psychologist Zira, who saved his life after he was captured. Zira and her fiance, Cornelius, are fascinated by Taylor, whom they have nicknamed "Bright Eyes," and listen to him intently to discover the origins of where he came from. Taylor finds out that not all apes are this compassionate, however, as many of his attempts to prove of his origins are swatted away by one of the most respected elders in Ape City, Dr. Zaius.


With Dawn of the Planet of the Apes being released next Friday in theaters, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to look at the original Planet of the Apes film. Often looked at as one of the most influential science fiction films ever made, it took the world by storm when it was released, spawned a handful of sequels, a crappy Tim Burton remake, and is currently in a new, rebooted franchise. Thanks to the star power of actor Charlton Heston, a groundbreaking idea adapted from a French novel by Pierre Boulle, and a famous twist ending, Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic films in history, but all icons have their fair share of problems and this film is no exception.

Charlton Heston stars in one of his most iconic roles, astronaut George Taylor. This wasn't the greatest of introductions to Heston as a leading man, as his portrayal of Taylor in the beginning had him come off as either creepy (thanks to some really bizarre sequences of his laughter) or antagonizing as he bullies his fellow astronauts after they've landed. I also found it very confusing why Taylor would be calm that they traveled 2000 years into the future (he accepts it REALLY quickly). Once he's amongst the apes, he becomes our window into this mystifying world. We understand what Taylor knows, and his proof of where he came from (such as knowledge of flight, writing, and speaking) makes sense to us, but not to the apes. Still, I can't help but feel that there's something off about Heston's portrayal, and I know there are better roles out there that he has played that I just haven't watched for myself yet.

Of course, what's a review of a movie called Planet of the Apes without talking about the apes? In looking at the key characters, there are really three worth mentioning. The first is the main antagonist, Dr. Zaius, played by Maurice Evans. Perhaps the most intriguing part of his character is found in his motivations to preserve the history of the apes (making him a hero in his own mind). Zaius is the kind of generic, intolerant villain the audience would expect in a film like this, so he's nothing TOO spectacular to discuss. The ape that helps Taylor the most is Dr. Zira, played by Kim Hunter. There's playfulness in Zira's curiosity about the human and her sympathy and compassion towards him is very genuine. Her fiance, Cornelius, played by Roddy McDowall, is my favorite character of the film. Cornelius serves as a character that is torn between loyalties. He wants to remain loyal to Zira (and by extension Taylor) based on the proof that he has seen, but remains reluctant for the first half of the film and sides with Dr. Zaius out of fear and respect. He is responsible for a number of fun zingers toward Taylor (many of which caused me to respond with a "HA!").

Remember when I said this film had its share of problems? Well the biggest is that a majority of the effects haven't aged the greatest, particularly in the sets and the ape effects (most of the mouth movements don't sync up). Because of this, Planet of the Apes has the look and feel of a cheesy science fiction film from the '60s. Most film enthusiasts would disagree with that claim of course, but if you were looking at the film purely on an effects budget, this film would just BARELY be greater than your SyFy Channel movie of the month (ok, that's a pretty BIG exaggeration, but you get my point). Thankfully, the story and interactions between the main characters make up for some of the goofy (and I'd dare to say cheap) production quality.

The most appealing facet of the film is its contributions to the science fiction genre. Right off the bat, we are put into the normal world that Taylor and the rest of the astronauts are in. Then, after the opening credits, we are transported directly into this bizarre world that is ruled by apes. Nothing is explained and it is up to the audience, through Taylor, to figure out how this planet came into existence. Obviously, the answer comes to us at the end, in one of the most iconic twist endings in film history (I won't spoil it, but you probably already can guess what happened). Even if some of the effects are campy, they still add to the allusion of this unfamiliar world, and give the film a form of sincerity and charm, as you can tell they are doing their absolute best to make bring this unique story to life.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I think for a movie like Planet of the Apes, you really need to be in the right mindset for it. With a new one on the way, this seems like a perfect opportunity to give the original a watch out of curiosity. If you can accept that a lot of the original hasn't aged well by today's film standards, then this should be a fairly entertaining DVD rental.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

Planet of the Apes and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox