Planet of the Apes poster & wallpaper

Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter

An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

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80% liked it

93,084 ratings

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89% liked it

44 critics

PG, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner

Release Date: April 3, 1968

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DVD Release Date: May 1, 2001

Stats: 3,965 reviews

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Goodbye kiss Linda Harison Roddy McDowall in Planet of the Apes Nova Planet of the Apes French Poster Dr. Zaius Taylor and Zira In the Forbidden Zone Planet of the Apes Planet of The Apes (1968) The final scene in the film Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes Kim Hunter (as Zira) and Maurice Evans (as Dr. Zaius) in 'Planet of the Apes' Planet of the Apes
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Flixster Reviews (3,965)

  • SirPant
    September 18, 2009
    SirPant
    Classic sci-fi. I love the Planet of the Apes films, they're an integral part of modern cinema and they've got Monkeys in them!!! Brilliant!
  • TheMachinist
    May 29, 2009
    TheMachinist
    "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"

    This film had a huge impact on me when I saw it for the first time several years ago. 'Planet of the Apes' is still, even though the film is over 40 years old, a strong social commentary of our past and present world, and a...( read more) landmark of cinematic excellence.

    The film starts with a monologue by Charlton Heston's character called Taylor. In that speech, he pretty much sums up the problems of our world; war, hunger and selfishness of men. When the film really hits off, when the group of 3 men and a woman crashland on a foreign planet, the analysis of our world still continues but 'Planet of the Apes' doesn't forget the Sci-fi audience. In my opinion, this film is one of the greatest movies in its own genre and still a very effective piece of entertainment.

    When talking about the film, the technical achievements can't be put aside. First of all, the score is one of the best I've ever witnessed. Generic in no way, Jerry Goldsmith ('The Omen', 'Alien' etc) has once again produced a highly brooding and effective score that is a key element of the movie. The score is almost constantly there, even when it is on the background it helps build up the suspense of the ongoing and following scenes.

    The make-up is another winner. Nowadays, I've still seen much worse make-up effects. The apes have been made very much realistic, the way they express their feelings, how they talk and so on. A great achievement and still highly impressive.

    'Planet of the Apes' was a success and produced several sequels and a remake by Tim Burton. None of them came even close to the level of this original film by Franklin J. Schaffner, a talented filmmaker who during a short period of 5 years gave us three magnificent films, 'Patton', Papillon' and this one. I recommend all of you who haven't seen these films to watch 'em.

    The ending is one the most unforgettable and depressing ever seen on the big screen. I realize why Tim Burton chose not to put it in his version because that would've been a big sacrilege. Once you've seen it, it stays in your head giving a haunting experience of how mankind could easily destroy itself. Nuff said.

    "Oh my God. I'm back. I'm home. All the time, it was... We finally really did it."
  • lewiskendell
    April 19, 2009
    lewiskendell
    This movie is pretty awesome. It seems like an idea that would spring from the mind of a stoner (oooooh, what if men were like apes and the apes were in charge!), but it works marvelously well.

    Planet of the Apes made me think a lot while I was watching it about things like hold...( read more)ing on to established dogma in the face of contrary scientific evidence and how animals should ethically be treated. And when I was tired of thinking about stuff like that, I was treated to Charlton Heston being awesome and fighting off the simians.

    Mostly though, I enjoyed being reminded of how much I hate monkeys, apes, and any of their ilk. That's worth four stars, at least.
  • sononothing
    April 5, 2009
    sononothing
    Planet of the Apes is about a U.S. space crew led by Taylor (Charlton Heston) that land on a desolate planet while studying the effects of light speed travel and its relationship to time travel itself. There is a problem with this planet, though. It's inhabited by highly evolved ...( read more)apes and humans are little more than animals that roam the prairie and are used for the apes slave labor and experiments. The crew is eliminated except for Taylor who intrigues the apes due to his ability to talk and higher intelligence than the other humans on the planet, leading to altercations that span from religious to political to scientific.

    The film boasts landmark make up for the era, leading to an onslaught of make up artists who would exploded to the screen with Star Wars a decade later. The Three Stooges ape costumes wouldn't work in this film- the audience would have to believe that apes ruled the land and it succeeds. Charlton Heston is great as Taylor, mainly from the fact that he is set against type during the first part of the film. Taylor is probably the most cynical protagonist ever to grace a film screen at that point. He hates people and laughs at a fellow crew member planting an American flag upon the new planet. This isn't Moses or Ben Hur, but a cynic even before cynicism was hip. The real stars of the show are the apes, particularly Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowell. You have to remember that these actors and actresses are working through a ton of make-up. They exhibit the emotions even through the layers and layers of plastic and latex giving the apes more personality than they might otherwise have had.

    The thing about Planet of the Apes is that it isn't just a kids sci-fi film. There are messages deeper in this film than Charlton Heston running around in a loin cloth fighting apes. The first you get is the whole persecution aspects between the apes and humans expressed in the slave labor and medical experiments of the humans, which in some ways we have done to apes for years. But as a whole the film is a commentary about if man continues on the path he is following he will eventually screw everything up. Even the most powerful species will fail themselves into mediocrity and new races will rise.

    Sure, it's heavy stuff for a G rated sci-fi film but Planet of the Apes is a classic fantasy that takes you to a new world sort of. Rich performances and an interesting story radiate in this film that ushered in a new era of science fiction while embracing the old one.
  • kenstachnik
    November 15, 2008
    kenstachnik
    Love that spoiler free poster
  • neopol313
    November 20, 2009
    neopol313
    One of the greatest Sci Fi movies of all time. And one of the driving forces behind New Yorks almost annual annihilation by Hollywood thanks to the rather famous ending... The social commentary on animal treatment and the conflict between science and society is still just as rele...( read more)vant today as it was in 1968. This is an absolute MUST SEE for film and Sci Fi fans alike
  • GreenGoblin92
    November 7, 2009
    GreenGoblin92
    I hate films in the 60s and back, but this film is an exception. It's fast, thrilling, fun and entertainment. An amazing achievement.
  • duffy2u
    November 5, 2009
    duffy2u
    Bad even for the '60s
  • totalefreiheit
    November 4, 2009
    totalefreiheit
    COMO ESTA NINGUNA. Mucho mejor que el remake que hicieron hace poco...
  • sweetcutegirl2002
    November 3, 2009
    sweetcutegirl2002
    interesting how human and apes get togetther

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Critic Reviews

May 30, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It is quickly paced, completely entertaining, and its philosophical pretensions don't get in the way. full review

View more Planet of the Apes reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • TheMightyCelestial
    June 18, 2008
    TheMightyCelestial
    "You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!"
  • rayman0071
    February 3, 2008
    rayman0071
    The original and the one that started it all when it exploded in theatres in 1968.

    The 40th Anniversary of a timeless science fiction classic.
  • gibbo24
    August 26, 2007
    gibbo24
    yer i have :)
  • MurderCapital
    June 28, 2007
    MurderCapital
    Hello, I'm a huge PotA fan, have you picked up the ultimate DVD collection?
  • gibbo24
    May 4, 2007
    gibbo24
    hi im Carl (lookin for other ape heads out there)=)

    " comment me" Gibbo24
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