Planet of the Apes (1968) Review

Planet of the Apes


Release Date: 3rd April 1968 - USA


Production Companies
20th Century Fox
APJAC Productions

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 107 minutes


Budget: $5,800,000

Box Office Gross: $32,599,488 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
George Taylor is an astronaut who crashes into an unknown world where apes rule over humanity as they use them for sport and experimentation. Soon, Taylor is in captivity when he discovers he is among the hunted. Taylor meets a chimpanzee scientist as his life is now in her hands. He soon discovers that the planet is not as alien as he thought.


Cast
Charlton Heston - George Taylor
Kim Hunter - Zira
Roddy McDowall - Cornelius
Maurice Evans - Dr. Zaius
James Whitmore - President of the Assembly
James Daly - Honorious
Linda Harrison - Nova
Robert Gunner - Landon
Lou Wagner - Lucius
Woodrow Parfrey - Maximus
Jeff Burton - Dodge
Buck Kartalian - Julius
Wright King - Dr. Galen
Norman Burton - Hunt Leader
Paul Lambert - Minister

Crew
Director - Franklin J. Schaffner
Based on the Novel - Pierre Boulle
Screenplay - Michael Wilson and Rod Serling

Additional Dialogue - John T.
Kelley (Uncredited)
Associate Producer - Mort Abrahams
Producer - Arthur P. Jacobs
Art Directors - William J. Creber and Jack Martin Smith

Set Decorations - Norman Rockett and Walter M. Scott
Costume Designer - Morton Haack

Creative Makeup Designer - John Chambers

Director of Photography - Leon Shamroy

Assistant Camera - Lee Crawford, Thomas Del Ruth and Martin Rohde (Uncredited)
Special Photographic Effects -

L.B. Abbott, Art Cruickshank

and Emil Kosa Jr.

Film Editor - Hugh S. Fowler

Sound - David Dockendorf and

Herman Lewis

Music Supervisor - Lionel Newman (Uncredited)
Music - Jerry Goldsmith


Awards

1969 Academy Awards
Honorary Award - John Chambers (Won)
----------------------
Best Costume Design - Morton Haack (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Score - Jerry Goldsmith (Nominated)


Review

It's been several years since I last watched the original PLANET OF THE APES on DVD. This movie began a classic franchise referenced in pop culture and remade countless times, including the recent trilogy. PLANET OF THE APES is an old relic of science fiction, and any viewer should know that this classic is way better than the 2001 remake by Tim Burton. Everything about the movie has stood the test of time, though it surprisingly contains an allegory that addresses a long-standing social conflict between science and religion. The ending adds a massive twist to the storyline. You can guess what it is. Unsurprisingly, this movie draws on an obscure novel by Pierre Boulle, the man who wrote The Bridge on the River Kwai. The writers Michael Wilson and Rod Serling have cleverly devised their structure to make the viewers suspend their disbelief in a world where apes rule over man.

Other vital components made the film worthwhile from the get-go, such as the direction by Franklin J. Schaffner and the terrific cinematography by Leon Shamroy. The makeup design for the apes was extraordinary compared to the motion capture used in the recent trilogy. Actors like Roddy McDowall, Maurice Evans and Kim Hunter were incredible in their roles as Cornelius, Dr. Zaius and Zira. While over-the-top, Charlton Heston's performance as the astronaut George Taylor makes us emphasise him as he faces this "upside-down" world. Jerry Goldsmith's score has an appropriately simian and tribal feel to the movie with its orchestrations.

The science-fiction genre had never looked the same since those early days. This version came out in theatres nationwide, and its popularity has continued over the past 50 years. While a harrowing experience, PLANET OF THE APES is still worth viewing and highly recommended for all film-buffs, even fans of the classic and newer series.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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