Search - Planet of the Apes on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Profanity Movie Release: 1968 DVD Release: 08/21/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 52 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Science Fiction, Sci-Fi Action See Also: Planet of the Apes [Widescreen] [35th Anniversary Collector's Edition], Planet of the Apes [Fullscreen] [35th Anniversary Edition], Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes [Widescreen] [40th Anniversary] [Blu-ray]

Originally intended as a project for Blake Edwards, the film version of Pierre Boule's semisatiric sci-fi novel came to the screen in 1968 under the directorial guidance of Franklin J. Schaffner. Charlton Heston is George Taylor, one of several astronauts on a long, long space mission whose spaceship crash-lands on a remote planet, seemingly devoid of intelligent life. Soon the astronaut learns that this planet is ruled by a race of talking, thinking, reasoning apes who hold court over a complex, multilayered civilization. In this topsy-turvy society, the human beings are grunting, inarticulate primates, penned-up like animals. When ape leader Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) discovers that the captive Taylor has the power of speech, he reacts in horror and insists that the astronaut be killed. But sympathetic ape scientists Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter) risk their lives to protect Taylor -- and to discover the secret of their planet's history that Dr. Zaius and his minions guard so jealously. In the end, it is Taylor who stumbles on the truth about the Planet of the Apes: "Damn you! Damn you! Goddamn you all to hell!" Scripted by Rod Serling and Michael Wilson (a former blacklistee who previously adapted another Pierre Boule novel, Bridge on the River Kwai), Planet of the Apes has gone on to be an all-time sci-fi (and/or camp) classic. It won a special Academy Award for John Chambers's convincing (and, from all accounts, excruciatingly uncomfortable) simian makeup. It spawned four successful sequels, as well as two TV series, one live-action and one animated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charlton Heston - Taylor
Roddy McDowall - Cornelius
Kim Hunter - Zira
Maurice Evans - Zaius
James Whitmore - President of the Assembly

With Tim Burton directing a remake of Planet of the Apes it was timely for Fox to release the original movie on DVD. Though lacking an anamorphic transfer, the image still looks fantastic. Fortunately, the picture is framed at the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, and other than a few moments at the end of the film, which are minuscule, there are no distracting elements at all. The sound, on the other hand, doesn't come off as well. Though it has been remastered into Dolby Digital 5.1, it's weak, and rarely takes advantage of the entire sound field as well as it could have. There is rarely any distinct separation up front, and the use of the back speakers is so minimal that viewers might not even know it's there. Even though Fox probably used the best tracks they had available to them, the sound is a bit tinny, not reproducing the kind of range most viewers appreciate. The disc also has an English and French four-channel Dolby Digital track, plus subtitles in both English and Spanish. While the Planet of the Apes box set does have an excellent two-hour documentary, there have to be a few things that Fox could have included on this disc. Sadly, all there is are five trailers for the different Apes films, and a brief photo gallery with some behind-the-scenes shots concerning makeup and costume, and some production pictures. Even though this disc is a relative disappointment, fans of this film have reason to be happy, especially with the job Fox did on the picture. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide