the original four sequels to this, are all good to decent , they go in unexpected and weird places, but I don't know if they're going to draw an audience. you should definitely check them out on your own if you don't react to them.
The sequels get progressively worse. There are a few interesting ideas in there but if you stop now then you've seen the best of the franchise. And this movie is a lot more interesting if you think of Dr. Zaius as a flawed hero. Having seen how humanity had destroyed themselves he is desperately trying to keep his own people from going down that same path.
I saw this in 1968 and apart from the odd person....everyone was shocked at the ending...sure there were hints and clues, but we were too sucked into the story! It was on a double feature. Me and my buddy were so blown away, we decided to see it again (in those days you could sit and wait for it to start again)....so, we sat through the first movie (Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines) and then stayed to see PLANET OF THE APES again.....we, essentially spent 9 hours in the theater....and it was worth it!!!
@@anthonydandrea4376 Thanks for the response. I live in BC so I totally get that part as most of my nostalgic places have been torn down and replaced as well. Cheers.
I was born on 1971. I was a heavy science fiction consumer by age 6. My father took me to a 1985 rerelease when i was 14. I had no clue about the twist at the end. I was absolutely blown away by this film, and in total shock my the twist! I can still hear my fathers laugh while i picked my jaw up out of my bucket of popcorn. And we continued to discuss these movies for decades. This film is apart of the foundations of cinematic science fiction. 10 out of 10
I was born in 65. I saw this on tv in 75. The ending still has the same affect on me, its horrifying. Im still emotionally drained after watching it now as i was then. Thank you gentlemen for appreciating this masterpiece.
@@philjones45 The crew are all Americans. Recall the American flag Landon plants in the soil at the lakeside. The ship was assumably returning to it's preprogrammed landing site. Sometime in the future they must have installed a space port in New York City.
@@philjones45 LOL! Where would you like them to land instead? 🤨 Oh, please!!! Can you make out list of your top 100 films that are MUCH BETTER than this one, and have MORE INCONIC moments? We would really want to see that list... 🙄
I was 11 years old when the film played my Dad's theater. (He was the manager of our small hometown theater). I was totally blown away and watched it over and over during its run.
Don't forget Heston was also in True Lies as the head of the Spy organization wearing an eye patch and True Lies has also become a 90s spy thriller comedy classic.
Damn, I've only seen Planet of the Apes. I did see him in The Omega Man (based on I Am Legend) which was a pretty decent film. And of course, he's one of many famous actors to appear in Tombstone.
Rod Serling, the creator and host of the Twilight Zone helped write this. He was a brilliant science fiction writer and great at allegorical tales that offered social commentary. That could be an interesting series for you guys to review. The Original Twilight Zone series is lots of fun and still has a lot of relevant things to say about human nature and society.
Serling was _not_ responsible for the finished script. When he adapted the novel, his treatment was a very faithful adaptation, but it was too expensive to film. The book was very different, it was an advanced ape society set in a NYC-like metropolis. So, the other writer Michael Wilson (who's considered one of greatest screenwriters of all time) was brought in to scale down the story to a primitive ape society, which of course changed the whole theme of the story with apes living in a dogmatic society rather than a technologically progressive one. The whole story of Taylor being persecuted by this religious ape cult was based on Wilson's own experiences when he was blacklisted in Hollywood for his political views. The characters' names changed, all the dialogue was Michael Wilson's, the themes, the overall plot, the situations, the philosophical discussions etc. are all Michael Wilson. Even Serling credited 95% of the finished script to Wilson and said it wasn't really his movie. But the studio wanted to give him credit for his contributions. The only thing really credited to Serling was the idea for the ending, which he reused from a previous Twilight Zone episode. Although, the reveal of the Statue of Liberty was different in Serling's script. There was no "D you all to H" moment.
@@rustincohle2135 Thanks man. I didn’t mean to insinuate that he wrote it or anything. I’ve always seen him listed as a co-writer and I loved The Twilight Zone as a kid so I’ve always loved that he had a hand in POTA as well.
That ending, as you can imagine, really was a shocker with it came out. I saw it in the theatre, and it really had an impact. There was a lot of anti-nuke and anti-war sentiment among liberals at the time, so many of the embedded commentaries in the script hit close to home. Strange thing is, I’ve always been attracted to Zera. The desert scenes were filmed near where I live in Arizona. Also, I own the soundtrack to this film, and enjoy listening to it from time to time. Thanks for another good reaction. Your wide-open mouths at shocking moments frequently make me grin.
Zira was absolutely brilliant and I personally felt her actress, Kim Hunter, carried the story along better than Heston did. Heston's acting was a bit over-the-top for me, but I do acknowledge and understand how he was a well-earned legend for his time, whereas I grew up in a completely different one with different methods of acting.
I was 8 years old when this came out. The buildup before the release was amazing for a kid. Imagine no cable TV, no internet, just three TV channels. It was built up through magazines, rumors and comics, and most importantly for me-bubble gum cards. I collected the Planet of the Apes bubble gum cards that came out before release. A visit to the corner candy store always included search for new cards. But when I saw the film in 68 I had no idea about the wider issues. It's a film that has always been special...9.5 out of 10. Brilliant screenplay by Rod Serling!
People sometimes say that Star Wars was the first sci-fi property to be heavily merchandised, but in fact it goes back decades before that! The Gerry Anderson TV shows (e.g. Thunderbirds) are another example.
I turned 70 this past March so, yes Tom, you do have subscribers and viewers (from what I see in these comments) that remember this movie's first run. I was 15 when my sister and I went to see it on Easter Sunday at the palatial Palace Theater in downtown Cleveland, Ohio in the USA. I think once the doll was found at the excavation site, the audience was expecting the planet to be Earth but still were surprised at the reveal and confirmation. Cinema Rules is the first reaction channel I ever subscribed to; I really enjoy your reactions and commentary on the films and shows you view.
The four sequels are DEFINITELY worth watching. Just be sure to watch the extended cuts of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" and "Battle for the Planet of the Apes." The extended versions of both films contain scenes that really elevate the films.
Escape is the next best one despite a relatively low production value. I like the way having been to the Planet of the Apes in the first 2 movies really lets you see the story from the apes’ point of view (it’s literally the flip-side of the first movie).
This movie screams excellence in every aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. You wanted to know how it was for people at the time. I was born in ‘60 and saw this in the theatre when I was 8 with my parents. As a kid I was terrified of the apes and the action sequences. Seeing it again as a teenager and adult I was terrified and horrified by the socio-political, religious and philosophical implications of it. So many quotable moments in the writing, the story and characters are compelling, the music is atonal and anarchic, as is the story and philosophy. I still get chills watching various scenes throughout. The eternal question that you raised; is Zaius a sinister manipulator? Or the self-appointed savior of his people and culture? One of the most interesting antagonists in all of film.
I'm 56 years old and from the US. I saw this when I was a little kid, and I can tell you the end was a huge twist for most viewers back then - It was legendary!
Great reaction guys!! I was 10 in 68 ,saw this with my brother and Dad. The ending was quite a surprise . The first big audience gasp was when the apes first appeared, when they were on horseback and turned back into the camera. The make up was so good and from what I have heard took hours for the actors to get into full costume. Keep in mind this was before Jaws or Star Wars and SyFy movies were not given the budget that subsequent SyFy films were. Never the less the merchandise from these films sold like hotcakes. From lunchboxes to dolls , Planet of the Apes merchandise was every where. They made 4 more films and a tv series from around 74 to 75. Of the 4 films, my favorites are number 3, Escape from the Planet of the Apes and number 4 Conquest for the Planet of the Apes, of course everyone will have different opinions . To be fair to all the 4 sequels , they had very low budgets to work with. If you look at the background actors playing apes, you can tell a huge difference in their facial makeup vs those actors who had speaking parts, especially in Conquest for the Planet of the Apes .
There used to be an accepted formula in the industry that each sequel would take one third less at the box-office than its predecessor, hence the reducing budgets. I haven't seen anyone mention it, but I suspect that what changed all that was home video. If you hadn't seen previous films you weren't likely to see a sequel. When home video arrived suddenly people could easily catch up with the previous films they had missed at the cinema in a way they couldn't before. As a consequence budgets for sequels started to actually increase as cinema audiences for sequels could easily be larger than the originals.
I was five when my parents took me to see it in 1968. It was sophisticated but a kid could still follow it. I remember murmuring in the theater at the end. My awesome parents took me to see all four sequels too. It's hard to impart to people today what a phenomenon it was back then. They were all very 70's too...these are ruthless films, all the way through. And way before Star Wars, THIS was the first big film to have a massive amount of merchandise, I had the comics, the action figures, model kits, etc. The fortunate thing is that all of this was based on a series that had literate, thought provoking scripts. Even though the budgets dropped, the *creativity* remained...
Very well said, especially "these are ruthless films". I couldn't have said it better. Also, in my youth, one Christmas I got the POTA treehouse playset with a couple of action figures, and I was over the moon with delight.
While knowing Heston from The 10 Commandments and Ben-Hur on TV in the 60's, I remember this and other Heston films of the time my parents took me to which were 'hard' films looking back now you mention it. Some I was one and done with like Marathon Man - not a fan of torture. Ruthless is a good word.
I was 7 when this was released in 1968 and didn't get a chance to see it until it was first broadcast on television in the early 70s. I loved science fiction and was somehow aware of the fantastic makeup. The reveal of the talking doll gave me the idea that man was once the dominant species. The final scene absolutely blew me away. Please continue the journey with the 4 sequels: Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. You will not be disappointed.
Great reaction, guys! The original sequels get progressively lower-budgets, but alomost all have some good aspects to them. Definitely BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES is the most fascinating (and the most sci-fi) of the sequels. Also thanks for noting the amazing score by Jerry Goldsmith -- it's worth noting that you've liked many of his other scores across the decades of his career: SMALL SOLDIERS, GREMLINS, THE OMEN, POLTERGEIST... to name a few. He won an Oscar for THE OMEN, and got nominated for PLANET OF THE APES. He also scored non-genre movies like PATTON. You guys are awesome -- keep up the good work!
I personally felt 'Escape' completed the trilogy in that those 3 explain everything. It was fun growing up with several of the greatest movie composers imo, few of whom remain.
@@terrylandess6072I just saw Beneath and Escape today. Beneath was a real sequel with fantasy. Escape is totally different, feels like a different genre.
I was two when I saw this at the local cinema from my dad’s lap. Although I didn’t understand the crux of the plot, the production, music and makeup sparked a lifelong love of this and the sequels. I’d love to hear your takes on the other four that completed the “old set” of the series. Sure, they have their flaws and faults but if you can overlook them, I think you’re in for a treat!
I was a Junior in High School when this came out ( 17 )! And the gasps and even shouts in the theatre were incredible at the ending! it was only a few seconds from the spikes on the crown becoming visable to the full blown realisation that it was Earth. "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" actually answers ALL the Questions. But because of the success at the boxoffice they created a whole continuing storyline .... which goes on and on and on and on.
In the book, the apes speak their own language so it's slightly more credible that it could be another planet. Plus, in the 60s and immediately after, we were all used to seeing Star Trek where they were constantly meeting aliens who looked exactly like humans and spoke English, with no explanation offered! Taylor should have figured it out though. ;)
Brilliant Review fellas, glad you got it out of the at the start that you both knew the ending already. Both your views on the film are great and as someone who has studied almost every facet of the film, even I can say you guys made me think about it in a different light and I thank you both for that. I hope you guys get into the sequels and have good time doing it.
I enjoy "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (3 and 4), just to see how their version of the ape takeover plays out. I think you'd find enough good moments in them to appreciate watching them, even if they are not as concise as this one.
Enjoyed your reaction guys! Saw this as a kid in the early 70s and it scared the crap out of me! I have always wondered why Taylor didn't recognize the star constellations as what we see from Earth? Maybe he never got the chance to view the night sky? Doesn't the moon still exist also? That would be a dead giveaway! Guess I am overthinking a great movie! Thanks for your reactions guys!
Astronaut Dodge refers to the "...cloud-covered night, that strange luminosity, yet there's no moon." Rod Serling probably was thinking about the night sky, same as you were, when he wrote the script...and he cut off that line of thought!
lol! This is the second POTA reaction where someone made that observation... I guess noise makers used for toys that use a reed, with a gravity weighted diaphragm, is a lost, advanced technology, never seen by today's generation 👶🙄🤣
Some people have a hang up with special effects and with this film some people have a problem with the make-up work. I do not. For it's time those prosthetics were cutting edge and did really look good emoting facial expressions. This film was done without CI and still holds up today. The fact that you guys found so much enjoyment in it and compelled you think so deeply is testament to its awesomeness. I really enjoyed your reactions to this!
Up to this point, in Hollywood, most alien planets somehow had humans... humanoids... (lot's of body paint and glitter) along with Southern California vegetation and terrain, so that wasn't so much of a stretch. The cave was the big giveaway, but somehow it didn't spoil the framing of that last shot. "You SEE!?! You SEE!?! Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" - "Eros" "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959)
If there's one thing from this movie that's always stayed with me is just the sound of the surf at the end, no music as it goes into the credits. Too often the score gets in the way. Having said that, the music throughout is killer.
To answer your criticism about the doll still working after a thousand years... We didn't have dolls that ran on batteries. The sound of the doll saying "moma" is actually a trick of the ear. The doll isn't actually saying "moma". It is actually a gravity whistle in the doll. As the ball falls through the doll it whisles a noise that tricks the human ear into thinking it hears the word "moma".
As an 18 year old, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Everything about it is amazing and stunning! I was 12 when I saw it for the first time and I was shook by it! I will say I absolutely hated the second one… it just wasn’t good. But there’s some information you need in that one for the third one. The third one is amazing and my second favorite out of the original 5. So over all, I’d say, YES it’s worth watching the sequels. PLEASE WATCH THEM!! As a whole, they’re so good! You won’t regret it ☺️🙏🏼❤️
I'm glad I'm not the only one that disliked the 2nd. I think it's a matter of whether you like the concept or not and frankly I didn't, but that's not to say that that these 2 reactors wouldn't enjoy it. I absolutely loved the concepts behind the 3rd and 4th movies.
Honestly, you could have the ape actors wearing the cheapest Halloween ape masks, and the dialogue, acting, etc would still make this compelling viewing. Escape and Conquest are the best sequels in this series imho. It’s also great to see Roddy McDowell in his other great genre role, besides Peter Vincent in Fright Night.
You do, indeed, have viewers (& subs) who saw this when it first came out (& I'm not 70 yet!). I was 14, saw it on the big screen, was suitably shocked by the ending & enthralled by the whole movie. This was while Star Trek was on the air, in it's original first run & everyone my age watched it every week. It was fresh, full of new ideas & addictive. We also had spent our childhoods watching The Twilight Zone & The Outer Limits. Plus late night TV was always airing those great 50's creature features & "flying saucer movies". We were Sci-Fi kids, loved it all & "Planet of the Apes" took it a step further for us. I'm so glad you young gents appreciated this true classic. By all means, continue..the sequels are worthwhile even if not as good. Much love from Kentucky U.S.. 💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙
I’m old enough. We really didn’t know until the final moment. Also, I’ve been to the beach where the cave and statue scene take place. It’s in a state park north of Los Angeles.
I saw on it in theaters when I was 8 with my older brother. We had no inkling. Hadn’t heard about the ending. It was a big shock for everyone. That end scene still sticks with me to this day because of the emotional impact of it.
Typically in those days you didn't know of a film until the day it appeared in your local theater. On this particular day I had skipped high school to go downtown and buy a new pipe at a headshop. I did that, left the store, turned the corner and came face to face with a gorilla wearing a bandolero and carrying a rifle...it was a life-size cut-out stood in front of the theater playing a new movie called "Planet of the Apes". I took the pipe for a walk around the block, went in and the rest is history.
When the ship crashes it's not just random sounds and images. The ship's computer was preprogrammed to land using certain visual references (apparently close to New York City). But the nuclear war has so changed the landscape the computer can't navigate. It keeps trying to adjust but when it can't find the landing coordinates it ditches in the water. The weakest part of the plot is how they explain the moon away, saying the sky is always covered with some kind of luminescent cover, and that all three of them would strip naked and go swimming after they saw those "scarecrows" - prudence would have had one standing guard while the other two bathed.
That voice thing in the doll is old tech. Tucked inside each doll’s body was a cylindrical bellows device called a “crier” or a “cry box” that drew in air when the bellows expanded and forced it out when it contracted, in a way similar to an accordion.
Rod Serling of “The Twilight Zone” fame wrote one of the early drafts of this film. His draft isn’t the one they shot, as it was set in a far more advanced ape society with helicopters and things. But there’s other elements of this movie that you can just *feel* the influence of Serling in throughout. All the philosophical questions, the clashing beliefs of science and religion, the way the twist is revealed at the end of the film. I’ve always maintained the opinion that Planet Of The Apes is secretly the best episode of The Twilight Zone.
You are incorrect. Rod Serling was _not_ responsible for the finished script. When he adapted the novel, his treatment was a very faithful adaptation, but it was too expensive to film. The book was very different, it was an advanced ape society set in a NYC-like metropolis. So, the other writer Michael Wilson (who's considered one of greatest screenwriters of all time) was brought in to scale down the story to a primitive ape society, which of course changed the whole theme of the story with apes living in a dogmatic society rather than a technologically progressive one. The whole story of Taylor being persecuted by this religious ape cult was based on Wilson's own experiences when he was blacklisted in Hollywood for his political views. The characters' names changed, all the dialogue was Michael Wilson's, the themes, the overall plot, the philosophical discussions, the situations etc. are all Michael Wilson. Even Serling credited 95% of the finished script to Wilson and said it wasn't really his movie. But the studio wanted to honor him for his contributions. The only thing really credited to Serling was the idea for the ending, which he reused from a previous Twilight Zone episode. Although, the reveal of the Statue of Liberty was different in Serling's script. There was no "You blew it up, D you all to H" moment. All the things you're crediting to Serling was actually Wilson.
I was a kid who saw the movie when it premiered, and even though I figured out that they might be on Earth, it was still a shock to see the Statue of Liberty. The film did a great job in creating an other worldly landscape for a transformed New York. I also had got totally caught up in the level of detail of the ape society, and the hierarchy of orangutan, chimp and gorilla.
Hey, I’m an old guy that was around when this was originally released. It’s amazing how this film holds up over the decades. The ending was shocking to us and blew my preteen mind. Charlton Heston was also in another great sci-fi film from that era called the Omega man, which was remade, as I am Legend. Heston was also in True Lies as Arnold’s boss with the eyepatch.
I'm 55, so this movie came out when I was one year old. As a child I became obsessed with this movie, but mostly because of the apes. The story was way over my head. As a young adult I came to appreciate the depth of this movie. Taylor, the ultimate misanthrope and cynic ends up having to defend the very human race that he despises. The reading of the 29th scroll at the end is still my favorite part. Great reaction guys.
Sci-fi classic, still powerful today. I always love movies with shocking endings, that run credits with just sound from the movie, no music. It makes it more unsettling. Great reaction. ❤️❤️
Actually, it isn't "2000 years that they've been under." They're in suspended animation for only one year ship's time. The rest is relativistic time dilation, although for some bizarre reason they call it "Dr. Hesslein's theory."
The sequels are wild, and the new trilogy is really cool, but this film is a classic for a reason. So well done with the reveals and metaphors. Everything makes sense too. It is the best kind of sci-fi: rooted in real history and science. Of course there’s the fiction element, but everything around it works so well it makes it nearly believable.
I saw it in the theater, when it first came out. Everyone was completely floored by the ending. If I recall, the planet had 2 moons (maybe Man blew the Moon in two?) which helped keep Taylor from suspecting, that he was on Earth.
1968 was a renaissance year for literate sci-fi like “Apes,” actually. The genre began strong in the ‘50s, with films like “Day the Earth Stood Still,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Forbidden Planet,” then teens and drive-throughs got BIG, and the independents took over, churning out cheap alien and monster movies for teens necking in cars. The only bright spots in the early ‘60s were the Corman Poe movies, e.g., “Pit and the Pendulum,” and the cycle of Wells- and Verne-inspired films that began with the late ‘50s with “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” peaked with "The Time Machine" and closed out with the great “Mysterious Island” circa ’65. Then “Fantastic Voyage” came out in ’66, and suddenly big studios were willing to spend money on sci-fi again, and along came “Apes,” “2001,” and “Andromeda Strain.” The early ‘70s was the era of dystopian sci-fi films (which really began with “Apes”), e.g., “Omega Man,” “Soylent Green,” “THX-1138,” “Logan’s Run,” “Westworld,” “Stepford Wives,” and “Rollerball.” Then “Star Wars” came along in ’77 and changed everything.
The 4th film in the original series, Conquest of The Planet of The Apes is the SECOND best of that lot. The R rated version is super dark and cool as hell.
Born in 1966…Remember being taken to the Drive-In Theatre by my parents and watching it. Saw it and the 4 sequels on television in the 1970’s. Loved it then, love them now. Each sequel gives more info on how the fall of man occurred and it all leads back to Taylor and his crews visit to the future.
When this movie came out, we hadn't even landed on the moon yet. Space Travel and traveling faster than the speed of light to other planets was all Science Fiction. The ending of the movie floored us all. We had no idea, nor ever even thought of it. Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame, was one of the 2 writers of the movie. The ending was the twist that he put in the movie.
Surprisingly, this movie was never meant to be continued. But, when it was such a success the studio demanded a sequel. Charlton Heston really didn't want to return and only agreed to do so if his character was hardly in the movie and killed at the end. And don't yell at me about spoilers. You had over 50 years to watch it. Side Notes: The first sign of life the crew find (the flowering plant) they dig it up and kill it? And why didn't Taylor think it was strange that on an alien world (he thought it was an alien planet remember) the apes read, wrote and spoke perfect English? And Doctor Zaius was a great villain because...he wasn't wrong.
I agree with many people who have commented. Those who saw this in 1968 had no idea how this movie was going to end. Now people can't be surprised because so much of this movie has been referenced on tv shows and movies. Charlton Heston talked about how this was a sociology lesson for him. Many of the actors were friends and ate lunch together. After awhile he noticed all the humans ate together, gorillas ate together, orangutans ate together and so on. I found that very interesting. He felt it was because of their makeup and how each group had to eat differently.
This is such a powerful film, so many themes, theocracy vs democracy, democracy vs fascism, science vs religion, racism... It is such a classic piece of sci-fi, the arrogance from both the apes and the taylor character, the reveal at the end, the dialogues (hats off to the writers) i mean omygad! SUCH a god dam classic !! masterpiece !
As someone you guys' age, aka. not someone who watched it back in the day, I've never understood why people say the ape-effects look dated. Maybe other people assume they should look more like actual apes, but I always viewed them as having evolved to look more human-like and with that in mind they look pretty good, especially for the time.
This is a great movie ! Even though you already knew the ending the script and acting and entire production are first class. The apes aren’t supposed to be modern apes , they are obviously evolved almost human like apes. In fact it’s more believable to have humanoid apes than actual apes.
"Original viewers would be in their 70's or 80's", cheeky young whipper snappers. I seen it 68 or 69 when I was 10 and had no idea what was going to happen at the end, but then I was a kid.
The planet of the apes films are literally the only movies that I find ever freaking one of them fantastic. To the old ones, all the way up to the new ones.
This movie still works when the audience is young or unaware enough. Showed this to my nephew a few years ago when he was 12 and he was blown away by the ending reveal that it was Earth the whole time.
Very cathartic movie for me. My favorite part is the beginning when you first see the apes, and you don't see them right away. And because they emote as humans, they were more threatening. I have all the discs. The second one is silly, but it goes into the background of the ape religion. It's more like weird StarTrek vibe. The third one, not as silly, but good tension. I think the final ones are similar to the newer trilogy. I love them, mainly for nostalgia. Thank you!
If this video gets enough love, we’ll cover the sequels
Hi old as dirt person here. Yes I saw it and yes it was a shock that it was the planet earth at the end. The assumption was it was another.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes is the 2nd one, and it's good. I can't vouch for the others, I saw them when I was 5 or 6.
Please do some of Charlton Heston's other popular films, you will love them.
the original four sequels to this, are all good to decent , they go in unexpected and weird places, but I don't know if they're going to draw an audience. you should definitely check them out on your own if you don't react to them.
The sequels get progressively worse. There are a few interesting ideas in there but if you stop now then you've seen the best of the franchise.
And this movie is a lot more interesting if you think of Dr. Zaius as a flawed hero. Having seen how humanity had destroyed themselves he is desperately trying to keep his own people from going down that same path.
I saw this in 1968 and apart from the odd person....everyone was shocked at the ending...sure there were hints and clues, but we were too sucked into the story! It was on a double feature. Me and my buddy were so blown away, we decided to see it again (in those days you could sit and wait for it to start again)....so, we sat through the first movie (Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines) and then stayed to see PLANET OF THE APES again.....we, essentially spent 9 hours in the theater....and it was worth it!!!
Sounds like such a terrific memory. Do you happen to know the exact theatre of which you both watched it in?
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines? "Flight is a scientific impossibility!"
@@AdamtheGrey02 It was the Weston theater on Weston Rd in Toronto, Canada. Of course, like most of my past...it is no longer around.
@@anthonydandrea4376 Thanks for the response. I live in BC so I totally get that part as most of my nostalgic places have been torn down and replaced as well. Cheers.
@@AdamtheGrey02 Cheers!
I was born on 1971. I was a heavy science fiction consumer by age 6. My father took me to a 1985 rerelease when i was 14. I had no clue about the twist at the end. I was absolutely blown away by this film, and in total shock my the twist! I can still hear my fathers laugh while i picked my jaw up out of my bucket of popcorn.
And we continued to discuss these movies for decades.
This film is apart of the foundations of cinematic science fiction. 10 out of 10
Did he laugh like Charlton Heston when his crew mate planted the American flag?
I was born in 65. I saw this on tv in 75. The ending still has the same affect on me, its horrifying. Im still emotionally drained after watching it now as i was then. Thank you gentlemen for appreciating this masterpiece.
The ending is the most iconic moment of movie history. Also the most parody used scene ever 😂
There's much better films, and more iconic moments. Why did he land in America??
@@philjones45 The crew are all Americans. Recall the American flag Landon plants in the soil at the lakeside. The ship was assumably returning to it's preprogrammed landing site. Sometime in the future they must have installed a space port in New York City.
@@philjones45 LOL! Where would you like them to land instead? 🤨
Oh, please!!! Can you make out list of your top 100 films that are MUCH BETTER than this one, and have MORE INCONIC moments?
We would really want to see that list... 🙄
@@Tony-Plinkett easily
@@philjones45 Just as I figured....
"Some apes are more equal than others." Straight out of George Orwell's, Animal Farm.
I thought it was from Merle Shain's "Some Men Are More Perfect Than Others". Just kidding, don't go ballistic.
I seriously doubt they were taking the quote from that source...
I was 11 years old when the film played my Dad's theater. (He was the manager of our small hometown theater). I was totally blown away and watched it over and over during its run.
Heston really elevated a good movie to a classic. The Omega man is another one, and Soylent Green of course.
The script alone makes it more than a "good movie".
Don't forget Heston was also in True Lies as the head of the Spy organization wearing an eye patch and True Lies has also become a 90s spy thriller comedy classic.
10 Commandments is pretty good.
@@rustincohle2135 what I was about to say, let alone the other acting (like the doctor), the music, the sets, camerwork.
He's the classic leading man.😎
Charlton Heston is a legend, he is in FOUR of my favourite films ever.
Ben-Hur, El Cid, Planet of The Apes and Soylent Green.
Damn, I've only seen Planet of the Apes. I did see him in The Omega Man (based on I Am Legend) which was a pretty decent film. And of course, he's one of many famous actors to appear in Tombstone.
And of course The Ten Commandments. Heston once remarked that for much of his acting career, he didn't need trousers.😂
I'm not religious but the filmmaking artistry in Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments are off the hook.
Soylent Green is mandatory viewing and much more so in current times.
@@excalibur2024guy almost 70 years old,The Ten Commandments is still what movies should look like !
Rod Serling, the creator and host of the Twilight Zone helped write this. He was a brilliant science fiction writer and great at allegorical tales that offered social commentary. That could be an interesting series for you guys to review. The Original Twilight Zone series is lots of fun and still has a lot of relevant things to say about human nature and society.
Serling was _not_ responsible for the finished script. When he adapted the novel, his treatment was a very faithful adaptation, but it was too expensive to film. The book was very different, it was an advanced ape society set in a NYC-like metropolis. So, the other writer Michael Wilson (who's considered one of greatest screenwriters of all time) was brought in to scale down the story to a primitive ape society, which of course changed the whole theme of the story with apes living in a dogmatic society rather than a technologically progressive one. The whole story of Taylor being persecuted by this religious ape cult was based on Wilson's own experiences when he was blacklisted in Hollywood for his political views. The characters' names changed, all the dialogue was Michael Wilson's, the themes, the overall plot, the situations, the philosophical discussions etc. are all Michael Wilson. Even Serling credited 95% of the finished script to Wilson and said it wasn't really his movie. But the studio wanted to give him credit for his contributions. The only thing really credited to Serling was the idea for the ending, which he reused from a previous Twilight Zone episode. Although, the reveal of the Statue of Liberty was different in Serling's script. There was no "D you all to H" moment.
@@rustincohle2135 Thanks man. I didn’t mean to insinuate that he wrote it or anything. I’ve always seen him listed as a co-writer and I loved The Twilight Zone as a kid so I’ve always loved that he had a hand in POTA as well.
Rod Sterling was wonderful at weird story telling. Stories that made you think.
@@glennthompson1173 Serling was wonderful at that, yes, but he did _not_ write this story. Read my above comment.
I hope you guys will consider reacting to more 60s and 70s genre films.
In my opinion, you can tell that many modern filmmakers refuse to watch films made before the 80s. It really shows in their disappointing films.
That ending, as you can imagine, really was a shocker with it came out. I saw it in the theatre, and it really had an impact. There was a lot of anti-nuke and anti-war sentiment among liberals at the time, so many of the embedded commentaries in the script hit close to home. Strange thing is, I’ve always been attracted to Zera. The desert scenes were filmed near where I live in Arizona. Also, I own the soundtrack to this film, and enjoy listening to it from time to time. Thanks for another good reaction. Your wide-open mouths at shocking moments frequently make me grin.
Zira was absolutely brilliant and I personally felt her actress, Kim Hunter, carried the story along better than Heston did. Heston's acting was a bit over-the-top for me, but I do acknowledge and understand how he was a well-earned legend for his time, whereas I grew up in a completely different one with different methods of acting.
I was 8 years old when this came out. The buildup before the release was amazing for a kid. Imagine no cable TV, no internet, just three TV channels. It was built up through magazines, rumors and comics, and most importantly for me-bubble gum cards. I collected the Planet of the Apes bubble gum cards that came out before release. A visit to the corner candy store always included search for new cards. But when I saw the film in 68 I had no idea about the wider issues. It's a film that has always been special...9.5 out of 10. Brilliant screenplay by Rod Serling!
People sometimes say that Star Wars was the first sci-fi property to be heavily merchandised, but in fact it goes back decades before that! The Gerry Anderson TV shows (e.g. Thunderbirds) are another example.
@@ThreadBomb Very true, the promotions were done through, besides what's mentioned, lunch boxes, school supplies, action figures and other toys.
When a movie from 1968 can STILL captivate people 56 years later in 2024, that just shows what a truly magnificent film it is.
One of the greatest Sci Fi movies ever made! It even changed the way we looked at the genre forever.
Rod Serling delivers,as usual.😀
I turned 70 this past March so, yes Tom, you do have subscribers and viewers (from what I see in these comments) that remember this movie's first run. I was 15 when my sister and I went to see it on Easter Sunday at the palatial Palace Theater in downtown Cleveland, Ohio in the USA. I think once the doll was found at the excavation site, the audience was expecting the planet to be Earth but still were surprised at the reveal and confirmation. Cinema Rules is the first reaction channel I ever subscribed to; I really enjoy your reactions and commentary on the films and shows you view.
Having only the sound of the eternal surf behind the credits gives the impression that even the movie itself is stunned at what it's just put over. 😎
I was born in 1964, but I remember seeing it at a young age. My friends and I were obsessed with this movie. The ending for us was a total suprise.
This film made me a fan of Roddy McDowell. He is in so many great films and plays. He is amazing!
Fright Night was my favorite vampire film 🧛♀
The four sequels are DEFINITELY worth watching. Just be sure to watch the extended cuts of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" and "Battle for the Planet of the Apes." The extended versions of both films contain scenes that really elevate the films.
Escape is the next best one despite a relatively low production value. I like the way having been to the Planet of the Apes in the first 2 movies really lets you see the story from the apes’ point of view (it’s literally the flip-side of the first movie).
I like all of the original ones, some are better than others, but part 3, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, is one of my faves.
This movie screams excellence in every aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. You wanted to know how it was for people at the time. I was born in ‘60 and saw this in the theatre when I was 8 with my parents. As a kid I was terrified of the apes and the action sequences. Seeing it again as a teenager and adult I was terrified and horrified by the socio-political, religious and philosophical implications of it. So many quotable moments in the writing, the story and characters are compelling, the music is atonal and anarchic, as is the story and philosophy. I still get chills watching various scenes throughout. The eternal question that you raised; is Zaius a sinister manipulator? Or the self-appointed savior of his people and culture? One of the most interesting antagonists in all of film.
I'm 56 years old and from the US. I saw this when I was a little kid, and I can tell you the end was a huge twist for most viewers back then - It was legendary!
Great reaction guys!! I was 10 in 68 ,saw this with my brother and Dad. The ending was quite a surprise . The first big audience gasp was when the apes first appeared, when they were on horseback and turned back into the camera. The make up was so good and from what I have heard took hours for the actors to get into full costume. Keep in mind this was before Jaws or Star Wars and SyFy movies were not given the budget that subsequent SyFy films were. Never the less the merchandise from these films sold like hotcakes. From lunchboxes to dolls , Planet of the Apes merchandise was every where. They made 4 more films and a tv series from around 74 to 75. Of the 4 films, my favorites are number 3, Escape from the Planet of the Apes and number 4 Conquest for the Planet of the Apes, of course everyone will have different opinions . To be fair to all the 4 sequels , they had very low budgets to work with. If you look at the background actors playing apes, you can tell a huge difference in their facial makeup vs those actors who had speaking parts, especially in Conquest for the Planet of the Apes .
There used to be an accepted formula in the industry that each sequel would take one third less at the box-office than its predecessor, hence the reducing budgets.
I haven't seen anyone mention it, but I suspect that what changed all that was home video. If you hadn't seen previous films you weren't likely to see a sequel. When home video arrived suddenly people could easily catch up with the previous films they had missed at the cinema in a way they couldn't before. As a consequence budgets for sequels started to actually increase as cinema audiences for sequels could easily be larger than the originals.
@@johnnhoj6749 I don't know about this "accepted formula" stuff. Can you name any other ongoing film series of the same time?
I was five when my parents took me to see it in 1968. It was sophisticated but a kid could still follow it. I remember murmuring in the theater at the end. My awesome parents took me to see all four sequels too. It's hard to impart to people today what a phenomenon it was back then. They were all very 70's too...these are ruthless films, all the way through. And way before Star Wars, THIS was the first big film to have a massive amount of merchandise, I had the comics, the action figures, model kits, etc. The fortunate thing is that all of this was based on a series that had literate, thought provoking scripts. Even though the budgets dropped, the *creativity* remained...
Very well said, especially "these are ruthless films". I couldn't have said it better.
Also, in my youth, one Christmas I got the POTA treehouse playset with a couple of action figures, and I was over the moon with delight.
While knowing Heston from The 10 Commandments and Ben-Hur on TV in the 60's, I remember this and other Heston films of the time my parents took me to which were 'hard' films looking back now you mention it. Some I was one and done with like Marathon Man - not a fan of torture. Ruthless is a good word.
I was 7 when this was released in 1968 and didn't get a chance to see it until it was first broadcast on television in the early 70s. I loved science fiction and was somehow aware of the fantastic makeup. The reveal of the talking doll gave me the idea that man was once the dominant species. The final scene absolutely blew me away.
Please continue the journey with the 4 sequels: Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. You will not be disappointed.
Great reaction, guys! The original sequels get progressively lower-budgets, but alomost all have some good aspects to them. Definitely BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES is the most fascinating (and the most sci-fi) of the sequels. Also thanks for noting the amazing score by Jerry Goldsmith -- it's worth noting that you've liked many of his other scores across the decades of his career: SMALL SOLDIERS, GREMLINS, THE OMEN, POLTERGEIST... to name a few. He won an Oscar for THE OMEN, and got nominated for PLANET OF THE APES. He also scored non-genre movies like PATTON. You guys are awesome -- keep up the good work!
I personally felt 'Escape' completed the trilogy in that those 3 explain everything. It was fun growing up with several of the greatest movie composers imo, few of whom remain.
@@terrylandess6072I just saw Beneath and Escape today. Beneath was a real sequel with fantasy. Escape is totally different, feels like a different genre.
I was two when I saw this at the local cinema from my dad’s lap. Although I didn’t understand the crux of the plot, the production, music and makeup sparked a lifelong love of this and the sequels.
I’d love to hear your takes on the other four that completed the “old set” of the series. Sure, they have their flaws and faults but if you can overlook them, I think you’re in for a treat!
I was a Junior in High School when this came out ( 17 )! And the gasps and even shouts in the theatre were incredible at the ending! it was only a few seconds from the spikes on the crown becoming visable to the full blown realisation that it was Earth. "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" actually answers ALL the Questions. But because of the success at the boxoffice they created a whole continuing storyline .... which goes on and on and on and on.
This and 2001 came out a few months of each other in 1968. Quite the year. And yes, the ending surprised.
Soylent Green, boys.
Saw at the theater, great movie still holds up, thanks guys
In the book, the apes speak their own language so it's slightly more credible that it could be another planet. Plus, in the 60s and immediately after, we were all used to seeing Star Trek where they were constantly meeting aliens who looked exactly like humans and spoke English, with no explanation offered! Taylor should have figured it out though. ;)
Brilliant Review fellas, glad you got it out of the at the start that you both knew the ending already. Both your views on the film are great and as someone who has studied almost every facet of the film, even I can say you guys made me think about it in a different light and I thank you both for that. I hope you guys get into the sequels and have good time doing it.
That's brilliant putting the main reveal / spoiler on the poster and DVD cover.
Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter brought those roles to life and played agsinst Heston's role.
I enjoy "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (3 and 4), just to see how their version of the ape takeover plays out. I think you'd find enough good moments in them to appreciate watching them, even if they are not as concise as this one.
Enjoyed your reaction guys! Saw this as a kid in the early 70s and it scared the crap out of me! I have always wondered why Taylor didn't recognize the star constellations as what we see from Earth? Maybe he never got the chance to view the night sky? Doesn't the moon still exist also? That would be a dead giveaway! Guess I am overthinking a great movie! Thanks for your reactions guys!
By all means, continue to overthink.
Perhaps he came from West coast, and the stars are different?
Astronaut Dodge refers to the "...cloud-covered night, that strange luminosity, yet there's no moon." Rod Serling probably was thinking about the night sky, same as you were, when he wrote the script...and he cut off that line of thought!
@JonCombo the stars differ according to latitude not longitude
The doll didn't have batteries. It worked like a dog's squeaky toy.
lol! This is the second POTA reaction where someone made that observation...
I guess noise makers used for toys that use a reed, with a gravity weighted diaphragm, is a lost, advanced technology, never seen by today's generation 👶🙄🤣
its mechanical.
Some people have a hang up with special effects and with this film some people have a problem with the make-up work. I do not. For it's time those prosthetics were cutting edge and did really look good emoting facial expressions. This film was done without CI and still holds up today. The fact that you guys found so much enjoyment in it and compelled you think so deeply is testament to its awesomeness. I really enjoyed your reactions to this!
Wait, no! Not fair! I had something else to watch but I’m desperate for classic Apes reactions! 😂😭
Haha sorry! It’s just too good
I’d love to see someone react to the whole original series.
@@AtomicVampire1 maybe we’ll do that 👀
Movies with Mary will drop her Planet of the Apes reaction tomorrow!😀
The female actress was married to the head of the studio. He insisted she be in the film, thus she just stands around and doesn't talk.
This quote from the movie is #66 on AFI's "100 Years...100 Movie Quotes": "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"
For Dr.Zaius, it's pure lovecraftian horror, his career is basically At The Mountain Of Madness.
Up to this point, in Hollywood, most alien planets somehow had humans... humanoids... (lot's of body paint and glitter) along with Southern California vegetation and terrain, so that wasn't so much of a stretch. The cave was the big giveaway, but somehow it didn't spoil the framing of that last shot.
"You SEE!?! You SEE!?! Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" - "Eros" "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959)
Glad you guys are still going strong with this!
If there's one thing from this movie that's always stayed with me is just the sound of the surf at the end, no music as it goes into the credits. Too often the score gets in the way. Having said that, the music throughout is killer.
To answer your criticism about the doll still working after a thousand years...
We didn't have dolls that ran on batteries. The sound of the doll saying "moma" is actually a trick of the ear.
The doll isn't actually saying "moma". It is actually a gravity whistle in the doll. As the ball falls through the doll it whisles a noise that tricks the human ear into thinking it hears the word "moma".
As an 18 year old, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. Everything about it is amazing and stunning! I was 12 when I saw it for the first time and I was shook by it!
I will say I absolutely hated the second one… it just wasn’t good. But there’s some information you need in that one for the third one. The third one is amazing and my second favorite out of the original 5. So over all, I’d say, YES it’s worth watching the sequels. PLEASE WATCH THEM!! As a whole, they’re so good! You won’t regret it ☺️🙏🏼❤️
I'm glad I'm not the only one that disliked the 2nd. I think it's a matter of whether you like the concept or not and frankly I didn't, but that's not to say that that these 2 reactors wouldn't enjoy it. I absolutely loved the concepts behind the 3rd and 4th movies.
I didn't care much for Escape. It feels too light hearted. Conquest was better. Battle was the weakest.
Honestly, you could have the ape actors wearing the cheapest Halloween ape masks, and the dialogue, acting, etc would still make this compelling viewing. Escape and Conquest are the best sequels in this series imho. It’s also great to see Roddy McDowell in his other great genre role, besides Peter Vincent in Fright Night.
You do, indeed, have viewers (& subs) who saw this when it first came out (& I'm not 70 yet!).
I was 14, saw it on the big screen, was suitably shocked by the ending & enthralled by the whole movie.
This was while Star Trek was on the air, in it's original first run & everyone my age watched it every week. It was fresh, full of new ideas & addictive.
We also had spent our childhoods watching The Twilight Zone & The Outer Limits. Plus late night TV was always airing those great 50's creature features & "flying saucer movies".
We were Sci-Fi kids, loved it all & "Planet of the Apes" took it a step further for us.
I'm so glad you young gents appreciated this true classic. By all means, continue..the sequels are worthwhile even if not as good.
Much love from Kentucky U.S..
💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙💫💙
I’m old enough. We really didn’t know until the final moment. Also, I’ve been to the beach where the cave and statue scene take place. It’s in a state park north of Los Angeles.
Any time I see Heston, I find myself craving some Soylent Green.
PLEASE DO THE SEQUELS ALSO! THEY NEED MORE ATTENTION! Even if they’re not as good
If this video get enough love, we’ll do the sequels 😊
I really loved Escape myself.
@@ninjabluefyre3815I like Beneath more, it's true to the spirit of the first film.
Great movie, a classic. Great reaction and commentary. Love you guys 😘
Awesome! My evening viewing is getting better by the second! Can’t wait for your reaction.
Planets of the Ape is sci-fi writing at it's best!
Just smoking a cigar inside the spacecraft. The 60's.
I saw on it in theaters when I was 8 with my older brother. We had no inkling. Hadn’t heard about the ending. It was a big shock for everyone. That end scene still sticks with me to this day because of the emotional impact of it.
"He can talk!
He can talk!
He can talk!"
"I. CAN. SIIIIIINNG!"
Dr Zeus, Dr Zeus !!
I was a baby when this came out but watched all the films as a kid and had the action figures and plastic models.
"A doll that talks?"
Must be disinformation! 😂
Typically in those days you didn't know of a film until the day it appeared in your local theater. On this particular day I had skipped high school to go downtown and buy a new pipe at a headshop. I did that, left the store, turned the corner and came face to face with a gorilla wearing a bandolero and carrying a rifle...it was a life-size cut-out stood in front of the theater playing a new movie called "Planet of the Apes". I took the pipe for a walk around the block, went in and the rest is history.
This is intelligent sci-fi. The ideas presented in it are brilliant.
When the ship crashes it's not just random sounds and images. The ship's computer was preprogrammed to land using certain visual references (apparently close to New York City). But the nuclear war has so changed the landscape the computer can't navigate. It keeps trying to adjust but when it can't find the landing coordinates it ditches in the water. The weakest part of the plot is how they explain the moon away, saying the sky is always covered with some kind of luminescent cover, and that all three of them would strip naked and go swimming after they saw those "scarecrows" - prudence would have had one standing guard while the other two bathed.
That voice thing in the doll is old tech. Tucked inside each doll’s body was a cylindrical bellows device called a “crier” or a “cry box” that drew in air when the bellows expanded and forced it out when it contracted, in a way similar to an accordion.
Ohhh I’m a Planet Of The Apes fan! I’d love to see more of the sequel reaction!!! 👍Hopefully you guys will enjoy it too. Cheers to Cinema Rules!!! 🤗
Rod Serling of “The Twilight Zone” fame wrote one of the early drafts of this film. His draft isn’t the one they shot, as it was set in a far more advanced ape society with helicopters and things. But there’s other elements of this movie that you can just *feel* the influence of Serling in throughout. All the philosophical questions, the clashing beliefs of science and religion, the way the twist is revealed at the end of the film. I’ve always maintained the opinion that Planet Of The Apes is secretly the best episode of The Twilight Zone.
You are incorrect. Rod Serling was _not_ responsible for the finished script. When he adapted the novel, his treatment was a very faithful adaptation, but it was too expensive to film. The book was very different, it was an advanced ape society set in a NYC-like metropolis. So, the other writer Michael Wilson (who's considered one of greatest screenwriters of all time) was brought in to scale down the story to a primitive ape society, which of course changed the whole theme of the story with apes living in a dogmatic society rather than a technologically progressive one. The whole story of Taylor being persecuted by this religious ape cult was based on Wilson's own experiences when he was blacklisted in Hollywood for his political views. The characters' names changed, all the dialogue was Michael Wilson's, the themes, the overall plot, the philosophical discussions, the situations etc. are all Michael Wilson. Even Serling credited 95% of the finished script to Wilson and said it wasn't really his movie. But the studio wanted to honor him for his contributions. The only thing really credited to Serling was the idea for the ending, which he reused from a previous Twilight Zone episode. Although, the reveal of the Statue of Liberty was different in Serling's script. There was no "You blew it up, D you all to H" moment. All the things you're crediting to Serling was actually Wilson.
Taylor wasnt arrogant. Nobody was telling him he was on Earth to have him deny it in the first place. He didnt know til the end.
Yup... I was a kid seeing this in the 70's. It blew everyone's mind.
I was a kid who saw the movie when it premiered, and even though I figured out that they might be on Earth, it was still a shock to see the Statue of Liberty. The film did a great job in creating an other worldly landscape for a transformed New York. I also had got totally caught up in the level of detail of the ape society, and the hierarchy of orangutan, chimp and gorilla.
Hey, I’m an old guy that was around when this was originally released. It’s amazing how this film holds up over the decades. The ending was shocking to us and blew my preteen mind.
Charlton Heston was also in another great sci-fi film from that era called the Omega man, which was remade, as I am Legend. Heston was also in True Lies as Arnold’s boss with the eyepatch.
This is a classic!!!
Everyone knows the classic ending without even seeing the film, that’s how good it is!
I'm 55, so this movie came out when I was one year old. As a child I became obsessed with this movie, but mostly because of the apes. The story was way over my head.
As a young adult I came to appreciate the depth of this movie. Taylor, the ultimate misanthrope and cynic ends up having to defend the very human race that he despises.
The reading of the 29th scroll at the end is still my favorite part.
Great reaction guys.
You should watch another great film from this era (with the same star), Soylent Green. It's timely because it's set in the far off year of 2023.
Love this series of movies.
- This 8 y.o. kid loved it then, and this 63 y.o. kid loves it now still! :)
Loved all the films. They used to be on television on Saturday afternoons. The ape's masks are still great.
Sci-fi classic, still powerful today. I always love movies with shocking endings, that run credits with just sound from the movie, no music. It makes it more unsettling. Great reaction. ❤️❤️
Actually, it isn't "2000 years that they've been under." They're in suspended animation for only one year ship's time. The rest is relativistic time dilation, although for some bizarre reason they call it "Dr. Hesslein's theory."
The sequels are wild, and the new trilogy is really cool, but this film is a classic for a reason. So well done with the reveals and metaphors. Everything makes sense too. It is the best kind of sci-fi: rooted in real history and science. Of course there’s the fiction element, but everything around it works so well it makes it nearly believable.
I saw it in the theater, when it first came out. Everyone was completely floored by the ending.
If I recall, the planet had 2 moons (maybe Man blew the Moon in two?) which helped keep Taylor from suspecting, that he was on Earth.
1968 was a renaissance year for literate sci-fi like “Apes,” actually. The genre began strong in the ‘50s, with films like “Day the Earth Stood Still,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Forbidden Planet,” then teens and drive-throughs got BIG, and the independents took over, churning out cheap alien and monster movies for teens necking in cars. The only bright spots in the early ‘60s were the Corman Poe movies, e.g., “Pit and the Pendulum,” and the cycle of Wells- and Verne-inspired films that began with the late ‘50s with “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” peaked with "The Time Machine" and closed out with the great “Mysterious Island” circa ’65. Then “Fantastic Voyage” came out in ’66, and suddenly big studios were willing to spend money on sci-fi again, and along came “Apes,” “2001,” and “Andromeda Strain.” The early ‘70s was the era of dystopian sci-fi films (which really began with “Apes”), e.g., “Omega Man,” “Soylent Green,” “THX-1138,” “Logan’s Run,” “Westworld,” “Stepford Wives,” and “Rollerball.” Then “Star Wars” came along in ’77 and changed everything.
The 4th film in the original series, Conquest of The Planet of The Apes is the SECOND best of that lot. The R rated version is super dark and cool as hell.
Born in 1966…Remember being taken to the Drive-In Theatre by my parents and watching it. Saw it and the 4 sequels on television in the 1970’s. Loved it then, love them now. Each sequel gives more info on how the fall of man occurred and it all leads back to Taylor and his crews visit to the future.
You were only two in 1968
How could u understand and see it!? In a drive in. .
Everyone talks about the iconic ending (which it is) but I love the soundtrack - it’s so brilliant. An early one by Jerry Goldsmith.
When this movie came out, we hadn't even landed on the moon yet. Space Travel and traveling faster than the speed of light to other planets was all Science Fiction. The ending of the movie floored us all. We had no idea, nor ever even thought of it.
Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame, was one of the 2 writers of the movie. The ending was the twist that he put in the movie.
Surprisingly, this movie was never meant to be continued. But, when it was such a success the studio demanded a sequel. Charlton Heston really didn't want to return and only agreed to do so if his character was hardly in the movie and killed at the end. And don't yell at me about spoilers. You had over 50 years to watch it.
Side Notes: The first sign of life the crew find (the flowering plant) they dig it up and kill it? And why didn't Taylor think it was strange that on an alien world (he thought it was an alien planet remember) the apes read, wrote and spoke perfect English?
And Doctor Zaius was a great villain because...he wasn't wrong.
I agree with many people who have commented. Those who saw this in 1968 had no idea how this movie was going to end. Now people can't be surprised because so much of this movie has been referenced on tv shows and movies. Charlton Heston talked about how this was a sociology lesson for him. Many of the actors were friends and ate lunch together. After awhile he noticed all the humans ate together, gorillas ate together, orangutans ate together and so on. I found that very interesting. He felt it was because of their makeup and how each group had to eat differently.
This is such a powerful film, so many themes, theocracy vs democracy, democracy vs fascism, science vs religion, racism...
It is such a classic piece of sci-fi, the arrogance from both the apes and the taylor character, the reveal at the end, the dialogues (hats off to the writers) i mean omygad!
SUCH a god dam classic !! masterpiece !
Seeing the Statue of Liberty back in the 1960s.... or in the 1970s when I was a kid... was mind blowing.
Some pretty good batteries in that doll
My favorite movie franchise of all time!
As someone you guys' age, aka. not someone who watched it back in the day, I've never understood why people say the ape-effects look dated. Maybe other people assume they should look more like actual apes, but I always viewed them as having evolved to look more human-like and with that in mind they look pretty good, especially for the time.
This is a great movie ! Even though you already knew the ending the script and acting and entire production are first class. The apes aren’t supposed to be modern apes , they are obviously evolved almost human like apes. In fact it’s more believable to have humanoid apes than actual apes.
"Original viewers would be in their 70's or 80's", cheeky young whipper snappers. I seen it 68 or 69 when I was 10 and had no idea what was going to happen at the end, but then I was a kid.
The planet of the apes films are literally the only movies that I find ever freaking one of them fantastic. To the old ones, all the way up to the new ones.
This movie still works when the audience is young or unaware enough. Showed this to my nephew a few years ago when he was 12 and he was blown away by the ending reveal that it was Earth the whole time.
Very cathartic movie for me. My favorite part is the beginning when you first see the apes, and you don't see them right away. And because they emote as humans, they were more threatening. I have all the discs. The second one is silly, but it goes into the background of the ape religion. It's more like weird StarTrek vibe. The third one, not as silly, but good tension. I think the final ones are similar to the newer trilogy. I love them, mainly for nostalgia. Thank you!
I am 55 and i remember watching this movie at the drive in. I was only 1 when it came out. You would enjoy the next one also