Planet Of The Apes

Author: Franklin Schaffner

The original Monkeys take over the world picture, Planet of the Apes is too often remembered for the final scene, and though it's one of the best finishes in the history of film, the entire flick is wonderful. Charlton Heston is the quintessential tough leader of a space mission, and Roddy McDowell, even under all the Ape make-up, is decidedly human as the Chimpanzee Cornelius. The make-up and art direction here are incredible, winning an Oscar for the film for the unbelievably time-consiuming process of making up the hundreds of apes every day. The camera work is powerfully stylistic, and the score by Jerry Goldsmith might be the most forward-looking piece of cinematic music of the 1960s. Coming at the tail end of the 60s, Planet of the Apes tackles real issues of the day, such as racism, class stratification, and misuse of science, while still being an exciting adventure into a world that is so foreign. Why it's on the list Spawning several sequels, re-makes, and a television series, Planet of the Apes is probably only behind Star Wars and Star Trek for franchise impact.