ARISE, YOU DAMN DIRTY APES!

Few movies had the impact on a young Monster Kid's cranium than did PLANET OF THE APES (1968). From the (then) spectacular rocket ship crash, to the torturous trek across the desert into the Forbidden Zone, to the first glimpse of the ape soldier on horseback and beyond, POTA was a sure-fire mental imprint of sci-fi/horror cinema that has remained indelible.

And for good reason: Who can forget the masterful and life-like John Chambers ape make-ups, the Rod Serlingesque cynical pontificating of the unlikely lead man Charlton Heston, nor the hip-wriggling of the buxomy, raven-tressed Linda Harrison? And, most of all, who was not stunned by the last moments of the film where it was revealed exactly why man was no longer the master of his domain?


"Me Tarzan -- er, Taylor -- you Nova!"

The success of PLANET OF THE APES ensured a string of sequels that followed -- some great, some good, but all worthy entries in the canon that fast became a successful franchise.

Years later (2001) came the remake by stylistic filmmaker Tim Burton. The result? An interesting movie, darkly brilliant . . . but not on par with the original neither in story or overall impact.


The remarkable final scene from the original PLANET OF THE APES.


Now comes RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, a "prequel" if you will, of Earth before the apes took over. I'm a sucker for lab experiments gone wrong movies and this looks like the mother of them all. I'm keeping my fingers crossed . . . and my opposable thumbs.

[ Official Trailer]

[Alternate Trailer]



[PLANET OF THE APES The Story]