Rating: 
Summary: It's Gonna Be Great!!
Review: Re-release of the classic film Planet of the Apes!! I can't wait. You know this one is gonna be good! I can warrant giving it 5 stars already, cause I've seen the film many times and have enjoyed it emensly...It's just the extras we're worrying about here though.... With the 35th Anniversary release, we can look foward to some great extras on the DVD...Commentary by actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and others. Outtakes, Roddy McDowall home videos and I'm sure much, much more! This is surely a DVD to look out for!
Rating: 
Summary: Planet of the Apes: A Film of Images & Irony
Review: The impact of PLANET OF THE APES has unfortunately suffered a diminution because of the inferior sequels and a cartoonish television series. Nevertheless the original still resonates in ways that even now does not lose power after multiple viewings. Director Franklin Schaffner took a literate script from Rod Serling, who in turn adapted the monkey planet tale from Pierre Boulle, and brought to the screen a world turned upside down. In both the novel and the script, an astronaut (Charlton Heston) crashes his spacecraft on a world that he believes lies hundreds of light years from earth only to discover that it is apes who rule and human beings who serve. The plot, which details Heston's attempt to understand how this monkey ruling society could have evolved, allows Director Franklin both to entertain and to instruct. The entertaining aspect is connected to an often biting and humorous didacticism that pokes a not so gentle thrust at an anti-war, post-hippie society that was contemporary with the film's release date of 1968. The tri-part ape society of gorilla, chimpanzee, and monkey correspond to the pro-war military, the educated elite, and the silent majority respectively. Just as human society was rent by internal dissent during the Vietnam War so is simian society equally divisive due to the heavy handed way the gorillas run roughshod over the chimps and monkeys. The impact of PLANET OF THE APES inheres in a very nearly seamless melding of sight to sound. At the start of the film, Heston and two other earth astronauts are forced to wander this new world and are greeted first by an inhospitable desert, then by thieving humans, and then finally by brute gorillas who round up the humans in images of white slave catchers recapturing runaway black slaves. The scene involving the imprisoning of the humans still shocks in intensity, even after more than three decades. Later, other and similar scenes set up the beach finale that indicates at what point human society began to wither and simian society began to be ascendant. Much of the dialogue is rife with irony and wit that when spoken by apes about humans richly suggests the folly of ethnic egotism that is apparently not limited to humans alone. Heston's supporting cast is capable and even classically trained. Maurice Evans as the ape leader mouths platitudes with the certainty of a wounded Lear as he tries mightily to grasp why his own kind are taking the side of the humans. Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter are kindly scientists who can see that Heston is far more than the mutated freak that the gorilla leaders hold him to be. And then there is the obligatory piece of female eye candy, fetchingly played by Linda Harrison, as Heston's love interest. What PLANET OF THE APES points out is that if our contemporary human society suffers from mutually assured destruction, then the survivors may be indistinguishable from the brutish laws of a future ruling simian one.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore the Box
Review: The box cover is a bit of a spoiler. This is unfortunate, because the first time you see this film, the ending is a real shocker. Don't ask anyone what I mean; watch it without knowing the ending, and let yourself take the wild roller coaster drop when you see it. The casting is unusual and brilliant. Kim Hunter, best known for winning the supporting actress Oscar for A Streetcar Named Desire, plays Zira, a chimpanzee who is a psychologist studying human behavior. Former child star Roddy McDowell plays her husband, Cornelius. Charleton Heston is Taylor, a talking human who shakes up the ape society's view of itself as the species created in the image of god. The set design and costumes hint of "B" IAP movies, but this is not a B-film. It is a brilliant, heavy-handed, yet not didactic commentary on human society; it is as true now as it was when it was first released upon the Vietnam-era United States. Though there are sly backhands at the government that got us into Vietnam, and created the "generation gap," the larger commentary on race relations and the treatment of non-human animals is staggering. The ape make-up is pure art, and the film is watchable just for the human actors bringing the ape faces to life. But it's watchable for much more than thrills; watch it for its message: because of the ape allegory, the film makes many statements that couldn't be made directly. On top of it all, this is plain fun, science fiction, and a fantastic action film. Rated G when you could say "damn" in a G film, this film is something that children will love-- though there's so much in it, and adult won't pick it all up without repeated viewings. This is a buyable film; you'll want to watch it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER!
Review: I saw Planet of the Apes as a kid in the 70's and this is still one of my favrite movies ever. I still remember how fightened I felt when I first saw the gorillas on horses coming over the hills!! Charlton Heston is an amazingly great actor. He plays every role with such great emotion and makes it real, too bad there are no movies like this made today. It's a classic!
Rating:
Summary: AN UNDENIABLE CULT CLASSIC.
Review: 4 and a half stars actually. "Planet Of The Apes" is a sci-fi movie that despite of the years, still holds the entertainment factor, even if the costumes, the effects and the makeup might seem a bit old on these days. Astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston) and his crew are sent to the space on a long mission. When they try to return to Earth, they actually land on another planet with an environment similar to the Earth's atmosphere, but with a huge difference: on this planet, the apes are the lords and masters and the humans are considered beasts without intelligence. The apes like to hunt humans and in one of those hunts, Taylor is captured and kept as a slave, until he shows his abilities to speak and to think. When Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) finds out that Taylor is a smart human he tries to eliminate him for a reason that he only knows. The only Taylor's friends on these planet are Sira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Rody McDowall), a couple of scientist apes. So now Taylor must fight for his life. "Planet Of The Apes" is a classic because of its magnificent story and the issues that presents, such as: the hate, the discrimination, the religious fanaticism, the secret that Dr. Zaius keeps, and the final scene. This movie was followed by a bunch of sequels and a remake, some of them are entertaining and some are pathetic, but none of them is even close to the greatness of this movie. "Planet Of The Apes" is a very amusing sci-fi movie with suspense, action, mystery and also invites to reflect about the issues that presents. The DVD extras are very poor, but the movie by itself is excellent and is enough to justify the money spent. Widely recommendable.
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Summary: Planet of The Apes: Apes Rule!
Review: This is defenetly one of the best movies of its time,even it's sequels are pretty good! Charleton Hesten plays the astronaunt Taylor, who he and his crew members from today go on a space mission to the future, and end up on a strange, yet like-Earth planet ruled by apes who treat the local humans like dirt. Two of his crew members are killed and the third's brain is taken out,making him senseless and as native as the locals,giving him no future.But Taylor manages to get past all that, and to the apes, is a missing link. He and some friendly apes bust him out of the cages after a long series of testing of smartness and where he came from. They take him out to the Forbidden Zone, a place no ape dares to go upon. He there is free to go and find his place and destiny. Finally, at the shocking ending of the movie, he finds out at the edge of the Forbidden Zone coast the rusty remains of the Statue of Liberty in the rocks, realizing what the reality really is.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Like The Original
Review: Embedded within the deep layers of what appears to be a simple science fiction flick from the 60s, Planet of the Apes delves into the issue of existence and evolution without turning into a documentary. One must marvel at Franklin J. Schaffner's ability to make something this scientific and controversial work on the big screen. One of the great aspects of the film is the slow build up of tension at the film's outset. Taylor (played by Charlton Heston) is aboard a spaceship with a few other explorers as the ship careens slowly through space. The gloomy outlook that Taylor possesses on existence (he says mechanically "I feel lonely") is only outweighed by the mysterious existence of time travel. The ship lands in the year 3978 in the waters of some land, and those who survive are left to discover exactly where they are and what time they are living in. Although it is a physical journey, there is also a philosophical journey for Taylor. He adopts the standpoint that "life is meaningless", appearing rebellious against the human spirit. Seemingly, he is not only escaping time but, in his bitterness, looking for something better than mankind. The progression of discoveries in the first part establishes a mood of slight creepiness. This is not a movie that rushes the critical points of background information so it can cut to the chase; instead, the viewer is experiencing the journey of a new land with the travelers. The crew begins to find small existences of life (waterfall, plant life, footprints). Ultimately, they discover that humans are there, but this discovery is truly ironic. We eventually discover that there is a twist to this society. The role-reversal is that apes rule people. Not only are humans ruled, but also kept captive and treated as the inferior race ("beasts" is what one of the apes says when referring to a human). Apes believe humans are dirty. The apes are doctors, scientists, guards, philosophers and leaders while humans are lacking intelligence and the ability to speak (except for Taylor). Also within this topsy-turvy world many of the expressions are reversed to fit the apes' world ("Human see, human do."). The question of origin is the movie's main subject. Cornelius, one of the apes, announces to one of the leaders his theorem that "ape evolved from man", based on his findings in The Forbidden Zone (a land that is seclude from society of apes). This viewpoint is naturally construed as ridiculous and impossible by many of the apes. Taylor searches for a way to escape, and, at the same time, tries to come to terms with an understanding of how society evolved this way. In one form, the movie is a commentary on both evolution and individual and societal identity (or lack thereof). Taylor's ultimate discovery is a subject of irony and devastation, his destiny being his ultimate fear. Masterfully put together, Planet of the Apes mixes a blend of sci-fi, action, creepiness and commentary that not only produce a good movie, but an intelligent one as well.
Rating:
Summary: An essential classic of sci-fi cinema
Review: "Planet of the Apes," directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, tells the story of an astronaut named Taylor (played by Charlton Heston), who lands on a planet where talking apes rule and human beings are mute savages. Taylor struggles to survive and uncover the secrets of this strange world. POTA is truly one of the seminal classics of sci-fi cinema: it gave birth to a genuine franchise (sequels, TV series, a high profile remake, etc.). But the film truly stands on its own as a complete and compelling piece of art. It's a rousing blend of sci-fi adventure and social satire, supported by an intelligent script and superb performances. It's full of iconic images and unforgettable lines. Every element in the film is crafted with care and intelligence: costume design, sets, etc. The stunning visuals are perfectly complemented by Jerry Goldsmith's eerie, unearthly score. All these elements come together to create a world both oddly familiar and truly alien. Heston is perfect as the sarcastic, misanthropic Taylor, who wonders if something better than man exists in the universe. He has great chemistry with his "simianized" costars; his verbal sparring with Maurice Evans (as imperious orangutan Dr. Zaius) has real bite. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter provide the film's warm heart as chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira. POTA is a true classic: one of those films you can watch again and again, savoring every memorable moment. The film offers memorable perspectives on science, religion, authoritarianism, the nature of humankind, and the quest for truth. After all these years, POTA still packs a real punch.
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Summary: An Evolution in Creature Make-up designs....
Review: Planet of the Apes has a lot to say about it, but it is also noteable here that it won an honorary Oscar for the ape make-designs by John Chambers. It was really the first time in a science fiction movie where actors looked like apes which was done in a very effective and crediable way. They don't quite look like apes as we would see them in a zoo, but rather as Simians that have evolved to speak and so they have the "more advanced look that we see in this film, acheived by using make-up and prostheic designs that Chambers developed through hard work, research, and designs through skecthes. Creature make-up designs took a great step forward thanks to the work in this movie and John Chambers returned to do the ape make-up designs in all the Apes sequals that followed.
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic !!!
Review: Planet of the Apes is a really good film. With any doubt the best sci-fi film of the sixties (no I'm not forgetting 2001-space odissey).This is an exciting film, with a good directorial work by F. J. Schafner, a great scrip and good special efects and make up, for the those days of course.
The film about a strange planet where Apes are the rulers and Man are the slaves, provides an excuse to meditate on the stupidity of the human race, and the dangers of weapons of mass destruction, you can even say it is a anti- war film, and yet is star is Charlton Heston, of all american actors the one most attaked by critics since Duke Wayne, and only because of his political opinions. However they tend to forget the fact that like Wayne He is one of the best american actors who ever lived, only a great actor could play Ben-Hur, Mickael Angelo,El Cid,a few generals, an astronaut, several cowboys and two cops with, in my opinion extreme credebility!
Yes Mr. Heston deserves my deepest respect and if this film as many others of his carrer really work and remain so entertaining is because of is great contribution to them and is skill as an actor.
A great film by a great actor whose opinions also deserve to be respected !!!
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