Social Icons

Planet of the Apes (1968)



Planet of the Apes (1968)



8/10



Starring
Charlton Heston
Roddy McDowall
Maurice Evans
Kim Hunter


Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

Here’s a Sci-Fi classic that everyone should see, especially if you’re a Sci-Fi fan. Planet of the Apes is one of those movies that I think can stand the test of time as an ongoing classic. The great thing about the movie isn’t the graphics or the costumes—which were great but could be better—it’s the story. The depth of the story goes deep, right up to the very end.

The height of this great movie is the interaction; the dialogue between the characters is more captivating than the screenplay itself. The movie is based on a 1963 science fiction novel named La Planète des singes, meaning Planet of the Apes or Monkey Planet in English. The novel was written by Pierre Boulle. The story, both in the novel and the movie, is built on a strong foundation similar to that of the Biblical creation of man. The tweaks to fit the creation of man to that of apes are spectacular, and it’s something you have to see for yourself.

The plot follows three astronauts who crash-land on a planet where apes run the whole show, and humans are uncivilized and speechless. The apes are in charge and can speak, while humans are treated like animals.

Taylor (Charlton Heston) and two other astronauts come out of deep hibernation to find themselves on this strange planet. Taylor sustains a throat injury that makes him unable to speak, leading the apes to believe he’s just as uncivilized as the rest of the humans. But when his throat heals and he speaks, all hell breaks loose on the ape planet.

Considered one of the best movies of our time, Planet of the Apes was a huge commercial success and received higher critical acclaim than any of the other four films in its series. The franchise was revisited in 2001 by Tim Burton, with the movie bearing the same name. While it was a financial success, 20th Century Fox didn’t continue with it. Instead, they rebooted the franchise in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. A second part of the movie was released in 2014.

This movie is excellent, and it’s one that you won’t mind seeing. It’s so captivating that from the get-go, you’ll be drawn in to see how it ends. The twist ending has remained in cinematic history as one of the best there is—and I agree.


0 comments:

Post a Comment

Disclaimer

All images featured on this site are the property of their respective copyright owners. They are used solely for illustrative and commentary purposes under fair use principles. This site is a personal blog, unaffiliated with or endorsed by any copyright holders. If you are the copyright owner of an image featured here and wish to have it removed, please contact me directly, and I will address your request promptly.