#245: Planet of the Apes

Whether it's Alien, Star Wars, or something more obscure like Dark Star, I always find something to like in a sci-fi movie. The fantasy of deep space travel is something I’ve always found intriguing. So naturally I was excited to see Planet of the Apes on the Top 250, albeit near the bottom. Planet of the Apes is one of those films that many find too cheesy or cornball to be considered ‘good’ sci-fi. One of the reasons for this may be the fact that it has one of the worst-kept-secret twist endings in movie history (to go along with The Sixth Sense and The Empire Strikes Back). This could also be the reason why it has a habit of bouncing from the 230-240’s range of the Top 250 to off of the list all together.

The film begins as four astronauts travel many light years into deep space. They awake from their sleep to find they have crashed on a mysterious planet. Upon exploring the planet, they find that talking apes, not humans, are the superior species. The apes treat humans the way that we currently treat apes, and in many cases worse. They hunt humans for sport, keep humans as slaves, and perform exploratory brain surgery on them in the name of “science.”
The story follows astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) as he learns the ways of the ape life on the mysterious planet. Taylor eventually befriends a fellow human named Nova (played by the breath-taking Linda Harrison) and a couple of kind apes; Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) and Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter). With his new-found friends he explores the planet’s secrets. The driving force behind Planet of the Apes is the story; the role reversal for Taylor to see what an animal feels like in our world. There is also the typical sci-fi storyline involving corruption and cover-up in government (although this time it’s the ape’s government) that furthers the violence and misunderstanding of humans.

Although the movie has that weird 1960’s feel to it, it is still effective in its storytelling. The ape costumes are high-quality, especially for the cheesy sixties, and not distracting to the story. There is plenty of adventure and exploration at the beginning and end, with some ape society politics sandwiched in between. This is more of an adventure film than it is an action one (unlike the 2001 remake). Charlton Heston steals every scene as the over-the-top leading man. When he screams, “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” – You believe in the power behind his voice. I cannot think of anyone better to headline this movie. Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter both turn in good performances in supporting roles, and the rest of the cast is adequate in their roles.

As a science fiction film, Planet of the Apes is a must-see, and probably lands in the top 20 sci-fi movies of all time. Its story is classic, its lead actor legendary, and it’s a fun movie to watch. As a Top 250 film, it’s easy to see why it’s near the bottom; corny 60’s flair, reused story, recent remake. But in the end, the pros far outweigh the cons. 8/10