1968
Directed by Franklin Schaffer
Isn't there yet another sequel coming out soon? Ugh. Give it a rest already. It is good, it's not that good!
A crew of astronauts have been traveling for eighteen months through hyperspace (so it has actually been like a thousand years because science...) when their spaceship crash lands on an unknown planet. After a group of humans raid their camp, they quickly realize that apes in charge of the entire planet, while humans are hunted, killed, or captured. Guess which one happens to the black guy! Guess which one happens to the heroic white guy! Go on, guess!
If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you might already know how I feel about Charlton Heston. He is a boring actor to watch, even when he is competing with Al Pacino for the Most Overacting Actor of All Time. That being said, this was probably the best film I have seen him in. The fact that this movie isn't just unforgivably silly because of the costumes is a great accomplishment. I even thought some of the apes were hot. Too much information?
In any case, this is a great and entertaining film, even if you aren't into science fiction as a rule.
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
One of the first films to profit heavily from merchandising.
Ingrid Bergman was offered the role of Zira originally but turned it down, a decision she regretted in later years.
I'd passed this one by as I felt I'd nothing much to add too any discussion.. but this morning, (just browsing to see if there were new comments), the title caught my eye, as last night the (remake) of ;'Rise of the PotA' was on telly.
ReplyDeleteAs for this film> Well, it's fine, I guess.. At the time it must have been mind blowing to see the ape costumed.. and the way the faces moved to show emotions and character. The story is highly acceptable as well.. and it's a pleasant watch.
How come all that sounds like a criticism? .A good example of 'Damning with faint praise'? I guess so.. but why do I feel the need to hang back and be a bit guarded in my appraisal of it?
I hope you didn't hope for an answer to that question, as I don't know the answer..
Perhaps because i agree with your comments about Mr. 'cold dead hands' Heston? Fine at standing there looking hunky in something like 'Ben Hur', but otherwise?? Well, no worse than lots of others of that sort of erw I guess.
As for finding some of the apes hot.. Too much information? Well not really.. a bit too little if anything - such as which ones. I'd start to worry if ... well, perhaps I'd best not say...
Haha I was trying to remember why I said that by looking at pictures of the film on the internet and I got nothing! I guess there must have been one that I thought had a good body?? What possessed past Amanda to be such a creep?? We may never know.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... So you like hairy guys...? interesting...
ReplyDeleteAlas, I agree with you, for once Heston actually works well. I suppose his natural arrogance fits the role perfectly. A part of me knows that this was just too silly, come on, they all speak and write English, no questions asked, but those two hours passed super fast and that does not happen too often.
I guess. Or else they had a certain je ne sais quoi that I liked.
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