AmateurMovieReviews.com

By Christina VanGinkel

When we purchased our first DVD player a few years ago, the one request that I had was to be able to buy the complete set of the Planet of the Ape DVD's. I was all of four years old when the first Planet of the Apes show was made back in 1968, and I grew up watching the classic in the making as the show progressed from episode to episode. What follows is my own accounting of the first episode, Planet of the Apes, as it sets up the storyline for the rest of the shows, including Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Be warned though, that if you watch the first show, you are destined to watch them all, for you will want to know how the story continues, each ending in waiting for the next to begin.

Starring Charleston Heston and Roddy McDowall, the original Planet of the Apes is set in a time that spans across the ages. The story starts when a manned ship with four astronauts aboard, three men and one woman, turns itself over to full automatic via computers after being in deep space for six months. However, by their calculations, they figure the earth has aged seven hundred years since they first took off from Cape Kennedy, as they have been traveling by the speed of light and that the people who originally sent them on the expedition are long gone.

When they land, three of the four astronauts are alive. The fourth, the woman Stuart, has aged and died and resembles a mummy more than a human being. They find that they have crashed into a body of water and must race to escape before their ship sinks. Once they determine it is safe, they blow the hatch and abandon ship. Before they do, Taylor, played by Charleston Heston, sees the clock on board, and it says it is the year 3978, much further into the future than they had expected it to be.

As the men paddle away from the ship, they watch it sink into the abyss, and realize that wherever it is they are at, they are there to stay. Unsure of where they are, other than being three hundred light years away from where they began, they have no clear idea where they have crashed. They paddle until they reach a shoreline that is rocky and desolate looking. They take stock of what they have as far as supplies go, which includes a pistol and a medical kit, and they also figure they have food for three days; though they do not have a clue how long a day is under the present circumstances. They run a soil test and determine nothing will grow where they are at, so they had better go in search of somewhere that food will grow.

Landon (Robert Gunner), Dodge (Jeff Burton), and Taylor set out to see what they can find, with no clear design of where they are headed. They encounter thunder and lightning with no rain, cloud cover at night, a strange luminosity, but no moon, and are quickly running out of water as tensions start to rise.

The first sign of life they find is a flowered plant, which gives them the spirit to continue their search for whatever may be out there. Before they find anyone though, they encounter what looks like scarecrows. The forms are apparently a warning of some kind, but when they reach them, they also encounter trees and water. The appeal is too much and they surge on, throwing themselves into the pool of water at the base of a waterfall. On the far shore, they find footprints, and then their clothing is stolen. There are other people about. Now they are in a strange land and naked. They follow as best they can, finding their belongings scattered about and recover enough to cover themselves.

They find a group of people in a cornfield. They do not appear quite normal though, and Taylor thinks they are mute. As they watch the people, a horn sounds in the distance and the people try to run for cover. The horn was announcing the coming of apes on horseback and on foot patrolling the cornfield. The apes use nets to catch the people, Dodge is shot dead, Taylor is shot in the neck and captured. He comes to just long enough to hear an ape talk as he takes a picture of some fellow comrades standing over a pile of dead people.

The next time he comes to, he is strapped on a table as two apes, apparently doctors, are discussing him as if he were nothing more than an animal. Afterwards, he is moved to a cage where the female doctor (Dr. Zira played by Kim Hunter) he remembers from his first encounter is trying to get some other caged humans to talk. Another ape, Dr. Zaius (portrayed by Maurice Evans), belittles her for trying. She gives him the name of Bright Eyes. He leaves, and Dr, Zira gives him a treat, a female human (Linda Harrison) who he eventually names Nova.

When next we see them, Taylor and Nova are in a cage outside with several other humans. As the apes stand by, a fight breaks out amongst the humans. Zira tells the other apes not to hurt Taylor. As Dr. Zaius walks away from the encounter, he spies writing on the floor of the cage where Taylor was just removed. He scratches it out with his cane.

Taylor grabs Zira and hands her a piece of paper that he has written his name on. Before she realizes this though, one of the ape guards beats Taylor. Zira reads the note though, and calls for a leash and collar for him and takes him back to her home. Zira's fiance, Cornelius, played by Roddy McDowell, questions him as he writes down answers. Cornelius at first thinks it is a trick. As they discuss what to believe or not believe, Dr. Zaius comes to the home asking them if they forgot their appointment, and he has Taylor returned to the lab.

Back in his cage at the lab, he overhears that Dr. Zaius has ordered him gelded. When the ape guard enters his cage, he knocks him unconscious and escapes. He runs into a building where apes are worshipping, and is seen by a child ape who points him out to the others. He again runs through the encampment of apes, and though caught temporarily, he soon escapes again. He finds himself in a museum of sorts, where he discovers Dodge has been stuffed like an animal. Back outside, he is once again captured.

As Zira comes forward to ask why they have him, that he is her charge, she is told that he is no longer, and Taylor at that time speaks for the first time, his throat healed enough for him to tell the apes to let him go and to take their dirty hands off him. All of the apes in hearing range are shocked to hear a human speak.

Back in his cage with Nova, he talks to her, even though she does not understand him. He is trying to teach her to say the name Nova. The apes come and take Nova away, using a hose to control them. They move her to another cage. The apes are obviously fearful of a human that can talk.

Several apes come back and take Taylor from the cage, using a collar and leash; they lead him to a room where Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zira, and Cornelius, await, amongst others. It is a hearing to determine what shall become of him. As he stands naked before them, Cornelius asks what the tribunal is for. When Zira tells the others that Taylor should have the right to know what the charges against him are, she is told that he has no rights, as he is not an ape. When Taylor talks, trying to defend his self, orders are given to silence him. One ape claims that his brain was tampered with by the ape doctors and that is why he can speak. Taylor hands Cornelius a piece of paper and asks that he read it out loud or him, as he ahs been banned from speaking. He only reads a few words when he is stopped, that the claim that he arrived from outer space is ridiculous.

The apes nonetheless decide to go and check out all the apes caught the day Taylor was, to see if there are any others that talk. He recognizes Landon, but it is too late, his brain has been cut into and his ability to speak is gone. Taylor is dragged back to the hearing, and when he tries to speak out, he is gagged. While Cornelius does not believe that he came from outer space, he does believe that eh came from the forbidden zone as Taylor's earlier description matches his own memory of when he once traveled there with permission to explore.

Zira and Cornelius are charged with various penalties for speaking out in favor of Taylor. Taylor is told by Dr. Zaius that he has been placed in his custody. He tells him that he plans to do experiments on him. He will spare him he says, if he tells him where he really came from. Taylor stands his ground and says he knows nothing of this world, only that he came from another planet. Dr. Zaius tells him he has six hours to tell him the truth before he starts experimenting on him, and has him returned to his cage.

When an ape by the name of Julius comes to get him to put him in a zoo, saying that he has been spared, the ape guard does not believe the order. Julius is really Dr. Zira's nephew and he helps Taylor escape. He takes Nova with them. By the dark of night, they go to Dr. Zira. She puts them in a cage on a back of a wagon and heads out of the village.

Outside of town, they meet up with Cornelius who has horses and supplies ready. Cornelius tells Taylor that he is in charge of this expedition, but Taylor tells him only he is in charge of himself, and that he does not plan on being caught again. Cornelius and Zira must prove their theory, or face their accusers.

When Cornelisu asks Taylor if he has any proof of the things he said, Taylor said all the proof he has is maybe a flag or a deflated raft. They travel to the forbidden zone with the horses and the wagon. When the terrain gets too rough for the wagon, they load what they can onto the horses. Taylor asks Cornelius why it is called the forbidden zone, but he has no real answer, other than it always has been. When they come to a river, they follow it. It leads to an ocean. Along the shore is where Cornelius had found proof of what he said was an earlier time. As Cornelius is about to show Taylor what he found the first time he was there, other apes arrive along with Dr. Zaius. Guns are drawn and Taylor tells Dr. Zaius if anyone comes closer, he will be the first one shot. Cornelius tries to tell Dr. Zaius that the cave along the shore holds proof of what they believe. He goes with them up tot eh cave. They leave Zira's nephew to stand guard.

In the cave, Cornelius shows Dr. Zaius his evidence, including proof of a culture that was more or at least equal to their intelligence. The main piece of evidence is a human doll, a doll that says mama. Taylor asks Dr. Zaius if an ape would make a doll that talks.

When they hear shooting outside, they all run out of the cave except for Dr. Zaius. Taylor fakes that he has been shot, Dr. Zaius tosses the doll that he has been holding down into the cave, and when Dr. Zaius comes out of the cave, Taylor grabs him and takes him hostage. He tells him to tell the other apes to pull back. They use the opportunity to make a trade, Dr. Zaius for a horse and enough food and water to last a week for him and Nova, and fifty rounds of ammo. Meanwhile, he ties up Dr. Zaius, much to the chagrin of Dr. Zira and Cornelius. He asks Dr. Zira and Cornelius to go with them, but they decline.

Before Taylor leaves, Dr. Zaius has Cornelius read something that talks of a harbinger of death, man. Taylor bids them farewell, and as he tells Dr. Zira that he would like to kiss her goodbye, she says ok, but that he is so damn ugly. Dr. Zaius admits to Taylor that he has known about man all along. Taylor and Nova ride off. The ape soldiers begin to follow, but Dr. Zaius calls them off, telling them to let him go. He then orders them to seal off the cave, and tells Zira and Cornelius that any evidence inside of the cave that would clear them must never be seen, and that they will stand trial.

The show ends as we see Taylor and Nova following the shoreline until they come to what remains of a shattered and broken Statue of Liberty. Taylor realizes that he is home, that he is on the planet Earth. He curses humanity as the waves wash in around him. If this peeked your interest, be sure to check out the rest of the Planet of the Ape movies.