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Planet of the Apes (1968)

tomatometer

89

Average Rating: 7.5/10
Reviews Counted: 47
Fresh: 42 | Rotten: 5

Planet of the Apes raises thought-provoking questions about our culture without letting social commentary get in the way of the drama and action.

67

Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 2

Planet of the Apes raises thought-provoking questions about our culture without letting social commentary get in the way of the drama and action.

audience

80

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 99,254

My Rating

Movie Info

Originally intended as a project for Blake Edwards, the film version of Pierre Boule's semisatiric sci-fi novel came to the screen in 1968 under the directorial guidance of Franklin J. Schaffner. Charlton Heston is George Taylor, one of several astronauts on a long, long space mission whose spaceship crash-lands on a remote planet, seemingly devoid of intelligent life. Soon the astronaut learns that this planet is ruled by a race of talking, thinking, reasoning apes who hold court over a

May 1, 2001

20th Century Fox

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All Critics (47) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (5) | DVD (4)

As illuminatingly bleak a statement on human hubris as a Hollywood superproduction has given us.

July 6, 2011 Full Review Source: Time Out New York
Time Out New York
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Planet of the Apes is an amazing film.

April 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
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Planet of the Apes is one of those rare films whose historical impact outweighs its quality. It's a good film, but not a classic.

May 30, 2007 Full Review Source: ReelViews | Comment (1)
ReelViews
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Dismal SF deep think (1968) that gave birth to an equally dismal string of sequels and TV series spin-offs.

May 30, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comments (6)
Chicago Reader
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It is quickly paced, completely entertaining, and its philosophical pretensions don't get in the way.

May 30, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
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A dreadful film, a compendium of clumsy dialogue, one-dimensional characters, risible plot turns and long silences broken by incomprehensible meaningful looks.

August 16, 2001 Full Review Source: Salon.com | Comments (12)
Salon.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Somehow this melding of clever science fiction ideas with old-fashioned popcorn thrills just clicked.

July 6, 2012 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Back in 1968, this sci-fi, directed by Schaffner and penned by Wilson and Serling, was original, quite intelligent , and well executed, garnering a special Oscar for makeup.

July 30, 2011 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

This generational touchstone remains a playful widescreen fable of the bestiality that defines and destroys cultures.

July 3, 2011 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

Signifying Monkeys

September 1, 2009 Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

It's all about the closing scene. Cool!

November 7, 2008
ColeSmithey.com

A modern science fiction classic.

November 2, 2008 Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page
Sci-Fi Movie Page

A film rich with unforgettable imagery, killer lines and physical thrills.

April 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

Seminal simian sci-fi that blends satire with the drive and pace of an adventure story.

April 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

one of my all time favourites

February 28, 2008 | Comment (1)

A sci-fi classic that still holds up today and far surpasses Tim Burton's remake.

January 17, 2008 | Comments (2)
KPBS.org

Massive marketing notwithstanding, the original film is still quite an achievement.

May 30, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Dated now, but a lot of fun and the ending was a shocker - the first time you saw it. Science fiction and social commentary blended nicely.

January 27, 2006
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

edgy, intense and surprising

November 8, 2004
Shadows on the Wall

Basically a feature-length 'Twilight Zone' episode, with all that that implies for good and ill... flawed but worthwhile.

March 22, 2004 Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide
Decent Films Guide

If you need to see any of the Apes' films, this is the one to take in.

March 13, 2004 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Audience Reviews for Planet of the Apes

A classic that, unfortunately, does show its age, Planet of the Apes trucks with the big satires - think: Animal Farm - and is really about paradigm shifts and epistemological derivation of power in a society. It brings to mind especially the evolution vs. creation debates that some U.S. school boards are (somehow) still having. Charlton Heston borders on the ridiculous, but in another sense, this is an epic, like his other works - Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments - and so it requires that "big" approach. The ending is corny, but for the most part this is a well thought-out and valuable piece of speculative fiction, and a film I liked much more than its remake, which (unfortunately), I must now make myself rewatch.
June 18, 2007
danperry17

Super Reviewer

[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]

Planet Of The Apes is a true science fiction movie classic that's intriguing political objection and interesting social commentary doesn't get in the way of engrossing drama and visually arresting action sequences. It never attacks you with it's debate or assault you with noisy gun fights, it's slow pacing and laid back attitude is the most likely cause of this but it's true purpose is to entertain and despite the pacing it never gets boring no matter how many times you see it.
April 16, 2012
Directors Cat
Directors Cat

Super Reviewer

    1. Lucius: Why did you do that? Scrape off your hair?
    2. Cornelius: It makes you look somehow less intelligent.
    – Submitted by Ram C (41 days ago)
    1. Taylor: They blew it up! God, damn you! Damn you all to hell!!!
    – Submitted by Dutch E (3 months ago)
    1. Zaius: The Forbiddon Zone was once a paradise. Your kind made a wasteland of it, ages ago.
    – Submitted by Aaron S (5 months ago)
    1. Taylor: You maniacs! You blew it up!
    – Submitted by Jed G (8 months ago)
    1. Cornelius: [reading from the sacred scroll] Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle liar, for he is the harbinger of death.
    – Submitted by Dann M (15 months ago)
    1. Taylor: I can't help thinking somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man. Has to be.
    – Submitted by Dann M (15 months ago)

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Latest News on Planet of the Apes

May 13, 2011:
Weekly Ketchup: George Clooney as a Household Pet?
This Week's Ketchup comes to you as the Cannes Film Festival is in full swing in France, which means...
May 21, 2010:
James Franco in Talks for Planet of the Apes Prequel
Deadline reports that James Franco is in talks to star in Fox's upcoming "Planet of the Apes"...
May 7, 2010:
The Apes Will Rise in 2011
Fox has set a release date for its much-rumored "Planet of the Apes" prequel, tabbing June 24, 2011...

Foreign Titles

  • Planet of the Apes (1968) (DE)
  • Planet of the Apes (1968) (UK)
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