Planet of the Apes (1968)

"It's a mad house. A mad house.", 11 December 2005

I have always found it easier to write about the junky, cheesy movies I watch than it is to write about why a certain movie works flawlessly with me. I find that I enjoy my favorite movies for personal reasons that are difficult to put into words. For me, Planet of the Apes is one of those flawless movies. Everything works perfectly – the plot, the acting, the special effects, the locations, and the action. Charlton Heston is an actor who could chew the scenery with the best of Hollywood. But in Planet of the Apes, it works for me because for long stretches of the movie, he's the only human with a line of dialogue. The movie might have become dull with an actor with less of a screen presence. The ape makeup is fantastic. Like a lot of fans of the movie, I went to see Tim Burton's re-imaging. And while the apes may have looked more ape-like, I'll take Roddy McDowell in a latex mask any day. The music is otherworldly brilliant and fits every scene. Oh, I could go on and on for pages, but I'll stop here. As I said, it's difficult for me to explain why I enjoy Planet of the Apes so much, I just know that I wouldn't change a thing.

There are certain images and moments in Planet of the Apes that will always stick with me. I look forward to revisiting them each time I get the chance to re-watch the movie. The final scene is iconic and needs no further explanation. Other favorite bits from the movie include: the "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" courtroom scene, Heston trapped in the net, and Heston's goodbye kiss with Zira. But one of my favorite moments is the first images of the gorillas on horseback. Heston and a few other humans are in the cornfields crotched low. A horse and rider gallop past and make a quick turn. The rider's face comes into frame and we see not a man, but an ape. It's an amazing moment in cinema!

10/10