Planet of the Apes (1968)
February 7, 1968 in theaters
Astronaut Taylor crash lands on a distant planet ruled by apes who use a primitive race of humans for experimentation and sport. Soon Taylor finds himself among the hunted, his life in the hands of a benevolent chimpanzee scientist.
Cast
Director
TRAILER
QUOTE
"Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"
DID YOU KNOW?
The ending -- the Statue of Liberty buried in sand -- was kept secret from cast and crew until filming day.
THE VERDICT
Synthesized from published reviews
One of the defining science-fiction films of its era -- a parable about race, civilization, and human arrogance dressed in the aesthetics of pulp adventure. Charlton Heston's commitment to the material grounds a premise that could easily have tipped into camp, and the direction is assured and unsentimental. The final image remains one of cinema's most iconic shock endings. A film that has earned its canonical status many times over.
GALLERY
VIDEOS
