Full Title: Planet of the Apes
Year: 1968
Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Screenwriters: Michael Wilson, Rod Serling
Based on a Novel By: Pierre Boulle
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
My Five Star Rating: 5 stars

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A Movie I’d Take to Mars

If I was going to blast off to Mars on a rocket ship, and they told me I could only take one movie with me, the original Planet of the Apes would be the one I’d choose. I love this movie.

Why This Movie is Special

In 1968, I was five years old. Yes, I’m that old so no jokes please. Anyhow, I must have been a few years older when I saw this film–probably seven or so. Nevertheless, this is the movie that started it all for me. It captured my imagination and made me an instant fan of the science fiction genre, so it makes sense that this is my first review ever.

Star-Studded Cast

I am happy to say that now at the age of 61, I am still a huge SciFi fan, and the original Planet of the Apes is still one of my favorite movies. Not only was one of the screenwriters Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame, but the array of notable actors is incredible.

Including the three mega stars above, this film also has Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison, James Daly, and James Whitmore to name a few.

A Classic SciFi That Isn’t Too Dated

A classic from the late 60s, the original Planet of the Apes is one of those movies that doesn’t feel too dated, even today. The story begins with three astronauts, led by Colonel George Taylor (Charlton Heston), marooned on a deserted planet 300 light years form Earth.

According to the ships clock, the intrepid explorers have been in stasis for 2000 Earth-years. They have not only traveled a great distance through space, but they have gone forward in time at least 20 centuries.

Marooned on a Distant Planet

Who can forget that powerful scene when the astronauts come across the scarecrows as they are traveling through the desert where they landed. Finding signs of life on a planet you’re marooned on is frightening enough, but finding 20-foot-tall scarecrows covered with fur is downright terrifying. For me, this is one of the creepiest scenes in cinematic history.

They soon find a tribe of mute, primitive humans, but before they can fully blend in, an attack on the tribe forces them all to flee into the jungle. To the astronauts’ surprise, the attackers turn out to be a group of gorillas on horseback.

Many of the tribe get killed, many get injured, and still many are taken prisoner to be used as subjects for medical experimentation. At this point, our astronauts get separated, the story now focusing on Heston’s character.

Chilling Similarities Between Worlds

Heston gets shot in the throat during the attack and cannot speak throughout half the movie. That’s fine, because on that planet, only apes can speak, humans cannot. Soon, he is noticed by a kindly chimpanzee psychologist (Kim Hunter). She saves him from the researcher’s scalpel and makes him her pet project since he seems to be remarkable for his species.

Satisfying but Poignant Ending

During this movie, the filmmakers highlight the similarities between worlds and the way we have treated animals for medical testing, which is quite eyeopening. In one of the major scenes, Heston finally regains his power of speech, shocking the apes that a human actually spoke.

Spoiler Alert: The ending of this movie is quite surprising, but in the end it makes sense when you consider who one of the screenwriters was.

My Take

All-in-all, a terrific movie. I’m sure there are many of you out there that have never seen this film, especially you younger fans. This is not one to be missed. It is substantially different than some of the newer “ape” movies, but in my opinion, it is in a class all its own. If you’re looking for a hidden gem, don’t pass this one up.

I give the original Planet of the Apes a five out of five stars, but you know me. This film holds a special place in my heart.

Trivia

The original Planet of the Apes was shot at many different locations, but the area where the astronauts first land was filmed at Lake Powell, Arizona. The spectacular rock formations and desert scenery make an incredible backdrop. They couldn’t have chosen a better place.