Planet of the Apes starring Charlton Heston
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner


Essential Actor / Actresses Here

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Many early science fiction films are now, quite inadvertently, (and in most cases undeservedly) objects of camp attention: we laugh at the silly makeup, tin-can special effects, and the naive "high-tech" dialogue. Planet of the Apes is no such film. Its intelligent script, frightening costuming, and savagely effective conclusion (which needs no big-budget special effects to augment its impact) remain both potent and relevant. When Colonel George Taylor (the fabulous Charlton Heston) crash lands his spacecraft on what seems to be an unfamiliar planet, he is captured and held prisoner by a dominant race of hyperrational, articulate apes. However, the ape community is riven with internal dissention, centered in no small part on its policy toward humans, who, on this planet, are treated as mindless animals. Befriended and ultimately assisted by the more liberal simians, Taylor escapes--only to find a more terrifying obstacle confronting his return home. Heavy-handed object lessons abound--the ubiquity of generational warfare, the inflexibility of dogma, the cruelty of prejudice--and the didactic fingerprints of Rod Serling are very much in evidence here. But director Franklin Schaffner has a dark, pop-apocalyptic sci-fi vision all his own, and time has not dulled the monumental emotional impact of the film's climactic payoff shot. If you don't know what I'm talking about here, you owe it to yourself to check out this stone classic, and even if you do, see it with fresh eyes; and don't be surprised if you get the chills all over again ... and again ... and again.
Synopsis
Complex sociological themes run through this science-fiction classic, about three astronauts marooned on a futuristic planet where apes rule and humans are slaves... The stunned trio discovers that these highly intellectual simians can both walk upright and talk. They have even established a class system and a political structure. The astronauts suddenly find themselves part of a devalued species, trapped and imprisoned by the apes. But one, Taylor, manages to break out and, aided by a pair of compassionate chimps, makes his escape to an uninhabited section of land. However, during the trek Taylor makes a startling, unsettling discovery about the planet -- and realizes he's come full circle...

Video Description
Astronauts on a deep space expedition land on an Earth-like planet only to find it ruled by apes who treat humans like animals. Heston holds up the banner of humanity with much-appreciated bravado. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle with a screenplay co-written by Rod Serling. Warning: Re-make is imminent! Sequel: "Beneath the Planet of the Apes." Academy Award Nominations: 2, Best Score, Best Costume Design.

 

 

 

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