It is one of the most influential and still-innovative science-fiction films of all time, which has spawned four sequels, a TV series – and two reboots, first in 2001 and the more recent RISE / DAWN / WAR trilogy.
PLANET OF THE APES, originally released in 1968 and adapted from Pierre Boulle’s novel MONKEY PLANET by Michael Wilson (BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI) and Rod Serling (the creator of the classic TV series THE TWILIGHT ZONE), tells of Taylor (Charlton Heston), the head of a team of deep space explorers who crash land on a mysterious planet thousands of years into the future, where apes are the superior beings and humans are the primitive ones. Captured and studied by two ape scientists, Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH), there are plans to have his brain removed, but when he escapes, he reveals his intelligence to the community.
The head of the ape community, Zaius (Maurice Evans) is not convinced, but a journey to the ‘Forbidden Zone’ on the far reaches beyond the ape city, is about to reveal a few shocking truths to Taylor….
If you have never seen this before, then please avoid any recent DVD covers and see it cold for the truly revealing ending that remains as shocking and surprising as it does on a first viewing.
John Chambers won an Academy Award for the extraordinary ape make-up which allowed the actors inside to speak with animated purpose. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is another winning element of this classic from the 1960s, which is one of the all-time great sci-fi films – and suitable for all.