Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3547 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-08
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The original Planet of the Apes is that rarity of the genre: a science fiction film that has dated not one bit: 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 rational, articulate apes. However, the ape community is riven with internal dissension, centred 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 finger prints of The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling are very much in evidence here. But director Franklin Schaffner has a dark, pop-apocalyptic sci-fi vision all of his own, helped along by Jerry Goldsmith's terrifyingly avant-garde score. And time has not dulled the monumental emotional imp act of the film's climactic payoff shot. --Miles Bethany, Amazon.com

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 anamorphic 16:9
Sound: 5.1 Surround
Photo Gallery
Original Theatrical Trailers
Language: English
Subtitles: Hard of hearing English, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Icelandic, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish

Synopsis
Complex sociological themes run through this science-fiction classic about three astronauts marooned on a planet where highly intelligent apes rule and humans are slaves.The astronauts suddenly find themselves part of a devalued species, trapped and imprisoned by the simians. But one, the defiant Taylor (Charlton Heston), 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 he makes a very unsettling discovery about the planet.
The film, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle with a screenplay co-written by Rod Serling, led to four sequels, a TV series, and remake in 2001 by Tim Burton. "Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"

Customer Reviews

The movie's surprise ending is not as surprising as the book
Astronauts are sent to a distant plane and crash. They find a barren wasteland and look for a place to survive. They fond more than the bargain for when the tables are turned and Apes rule the day.
Will they make friends or be sliced and diced?
Can the ever get back?
What would you do?

Now after that radical statement I know different media calls for different handling of the story. And most movies do not live up to the book. However some exceed the book. Surprise this is the "don't live up to the book" one. If you thought that the movie was insightful, surprising and shocking the first time you saw it. Then you defiantly have lower expectations than the reader does. Especially with such a botched ending; the ending changed the whole purpose and mystery of the story.

I did like the idea of having a movie where the woman was not talking all the time. (Just kidding) And the makeup for the simians was excellent. I suppose if you haven't read the book that this would be a pleasant time passer.

See Roddy McDowall again in "Lord Love A Duck" (1966) where he monkeys around with Tuesday Weld.

Classic Sci Fi Film
"Planet of the Apes" was made over 40 years old and as a result it has a somewhat dated feel to it. However it has still much to recommend it. Charlton Heston is excellent as the time traveller from Earth who lands on a planet ruled by walking ,talking ape like creatures who hunt humans for sport and generally treat them like scumbags. He gets captured by these creatures before escaping thus avoiding likely castration and a lobotomy. The truth of the ape run planet is revealed in a dramatic ,iconic closing sequence. "Planet of the Apes" of course relies on the discredited theory of evolution as its foundation but is there anyone left who seriously believes that the human race has evolved from apes and that walking ,talking apes such as those seen in this film could evolve from present day simians ?

Film + Documentary + Price = *****
One of the previous reviewers is being a little uncharitable in saying there are no extras in this excellent DVD set. Sure on the main 5 film discs there are very few extras. However disc 6 contains an superb 2 hour+ documentary on the making of the films. So may there be no extras but there is an extra disc!

The first film is a classic. Both entertaining adventure story and classic Sci-fi rolled into one. Watching the documentary you will see film critics reading in social messages about race and the political times in the US in 1968. However quite a few other people (including the producer) say there was no attempt to put messages into the film! Whatever your view on this the performances of the cast and the make-up are quite superb. Remember the make-up is all for real - no CGI in the 1960's.

The later films do decline in quality and their budgets were progressivly reduced as the films went by. The first and second sequels (Heston appears briefly at the start and end of the first) are both decent. The last two are pretty poor.

As a set though, and at the right price (search around 'cause this is available ridiculously cheap at the moment) this is worth it for the first film and documentary alone.