Planet of the Apes Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this must-own Blu-ray release
Three astronouts after a crash landing find themselves stranded in an upside-down planet--a
place where talking apes are in charge and mute humans are hunted and enslaved by the
tyrannical primates.
Take your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!
A world of confusion, fascination, fear, and startling discovery await audiences on the Planet of
the Apes. The 1968 Science Fiction classic starring Charlton Heston (The Omega Man)
remains today a landmark of cinematic achievement. The film offered audiences overtones of social
commentary presented in such a way as to seamlessly blend into the action and adventure,
allowing audiences to focus on the film's plot and excitement. Only later, after your heart slows,
your nerves settle, and you no longer bite your finger nails, may you begin to contemplate the deep
political and social messages offered by the film. The film is also a technical
achievement, nominated for two Oscars for both its costuming and score, and presented an
honorary award for its seamless makeup effects.
The truth now Zaius -- did you borrow my shampoo and conditioner?
George Taylor (Heston), captain of a deep space exploration vessel, is preparing to enter
cryo-sleep for the extended journey home, 700 years after he and his crew left Earth.
The ship crash-lands on a mysterious world sometime after Taylor enters cryo-sleep. According to
the ship's internal clock, the time is 2,000 years after initial take-off. While Taylor and two
crewmen awaken to escape the crashed ship, they discover a fourth crew member's desiccated
body shows signs of having been long dead, certainly since Taylor entered cryo-sleep. Taylor and
the two other astronauts escape the sinking vessel. They begin a long search, trekking across
rocky desert and mountainous terrain, looking for life, water, and perhaps civilization. After
reaching vegetation
and water, Taylor and his crew soon find themselves -- along with a primitive,
human-in-appearance tribe -- on the run from armed, intelligent apes atop horseback, hunting
down and herding the humans like cattle. The apes capture Taylor, but not before shooting him
through the neck, leaving him unable to speak, and, the apes assume, as mute and unintelligent
as the other humans in ape captivity.
Nevertheless, Taylor manages to begin communicating with two ape scientists -- Cornelius
(Roddy McDowall) and Zira (Kim Hunter) -- who slowly but surely begin to accept him as an
intelligent individual rather than as a scientific curiosity. When Dr. Zaius -- an ape with more
knowledge of who Taylor is and where he may have come from -- learns of his ability to
communicate, he does all he can to silence the human, and ensure ape superiority across the
land.
Any analysis of Planet of the Apes lends itself to a discussion of a deeper social meaning
that is not-so-subtly veiled behind the film's action and drama, the film a fine example of true
Science Fiction, a genre that most commonly functions as a messenger for social sense or
implication. With the space shuttle returning to Earth, his crew in deep sleep and
himself preparing to settle in for the long journey home, Taylor speaks his thoughts into the ships
flight recorder, wondering what kind of world he will return to -- and contemplating the world he
left behind, now hundreds of years past. He speaks of war and famine, offering none-to-subtle
insights into what was, at the time of the film's release, a world of great upheaval, of chaos, of
conflict both internal and external, fighting enemies and ideologies both halfway around the
globe, and halfway down the street. The simian society Taylor discovers is one resembling various
stages of mankind's development -- dealing with issues of societal order, slavery, equal rights,
scientific discovery and religious belief. He begins to piece together a world none too different
from his own, contrasting with his own externally, but bearing a striking resemblance beneath
the immediate superficialities of simian culture and appearance.
Planet of the Apes is a commentary on social order, one that considers the importance
the apes atop simian society place on maintaining their status, a right and privilege they hold
above all else, to the exclusion of scientific discovery or proven or counter-proven postulates of
religion that may threaten their standing. Ape
society revolves around a scripture-based religious text that is strikingly similar to the Bible in
some regards, recounting a creation story not much different than that told in the Book of
Genesis, but also one foretelling of the coming of a man who may upset the order of the ape.
Meanwhile, those scientists who speak contrary to the creationist theory -- instead espousing a
theory of evolution, in this case a theory postulating that ape evolved from man -- is viewed as
sacrilege. Like all good Science Fiction, Planet of the Apes offers social commentary in the
guise of
action and adventure in a world similar to our own but with obvious changes that reflect and
exaggerate the issues the film comments on. As such, it is no wonder that the film is hailed as
brilliant Science Fiction, one of the genre's finest offerings and an important film both
cinematically and culturally.
Aside from its brilliant integration of social commentary, Planet of the Apes is also a
stunning
achievement from a technical perspective. The filmmakers have created a fascinating and
believable world of simian existence, one that complements the secrets of ape and man revealed
by Dr. Zaius throughout the dramatic third act. The apes use a mixture of primitive and crude
technology while employing some quasi-modern tools and techniques. Primitive transportation
methods are used regularly in simian society while they regularly perform complicated yet
somewhat experimental surgeries with evolved medical equipment and techniques; apes house
human animals in crude cages yet regularly employ modern cartridge-based rifles. Nevertheless,
concepts such as flight confuse the apes; the concepts involved in folding and flying a simple
paper airplane is as foreign to them as, say, a working teleportation device may yet be to modern
man.
The make-up used to create the apes is remarkable, remaining even today as a landmark of
cinematic trickery, the film's artists creating beings unlike any ever seen before, and never once
is the audience taken out of the film because of poor or phony makeup. Nominated for the Best
Costume Design Oscar and presented an honorary award by the Academy for John Chambers'
outstanding makeup design, Planet of the Apes remains a visually stunning hallmark film
even 40 years after its theatrical release.
Planet of the Apes reveals its secrets on Blu-ray in what is an exceptional 1080p,
2.35:1-framed transfer, no surprise coming from Fox. Detail reproduction throughout the film is
exceptional. The film's opening sequence occurs inside a space shuttle, a set that is sparse,
pedestrian, and nearly monochromatic, but functional. In hindsight, it looks extremely outdated
and goofy, but like the sets on the original
"Star Trek" television series, there is a certain charm to it. Despite its uninteresting visual
appearance, the disc shows off all of the nuances of the set well, from the black and silver
metallic
captains chairs to the overly large and antiquated buttons and readouts. After the ship crash
lands,
the disc never falters in revealing the natural detail and beauty of the mysterious planet. The
rock
cliffs, the dirt-laden and rocky desert floor, and the water itself look marvelous. As more life and
vegetation is discovered, the transfer continues to look sharp. The dense greens fill the screen
with the first-seen bold and abundant colors. They look bright and
natural, each sporting individuality and distinctiveness one from the other, simply not appearing
as a smudge of green pigment. Facial detail is marvelous; the beards, the fine detail, and even
the
sweat glistening off the skin of the crashed survivors is lifelike. Flesh tones, too are rendered
with a natural appearance. Ape makeup has never looked better; even under the 1080p
spotlight, the seamlessness remains remarkable. Save for a few long-distance shots later in the
film during the court room scenes, the imagery lacks any hint of softness. There are
some small pops, speckles and stray hairs on the print, but nothing to be concerned about. If
anything, they add to the old-time feel of the visuals and the nostalgia of the film. Planet of
the Apes also features a fine layer of grain, and the overall experience is theatrical in feel.
This is yet another film that begs to be displayed on the largest of screens, particularly
considering the quality of this Blu-ray release.
Planet of the Apes arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and Fox
has also included the film's original mono soundtrack. The DTS track is fairly good, perhaps a bit
rough around the edges and sometimes ear-piercingly loud at reference volume, but it supports
the
original material very well. Nevertheless, despite the 5.1 monicker, this is a very center
channel-centric soundtrack. Rarely does the track spread out across the front, let alone into the
rears. The crash-landing sequence is loud and high-pitched, almost an annoyance at reference
volume, but considering the disoriented and confused visuals, it works well to add to the sense of
panic and to the out-of-control, foreboding moment. As the film moves on, sound effects start
to
spread around the soundstage if only reservedly; a brief thunderstorm as the astronauts search
for
civilization is the most engulfing moment of the early part of the film outside the crash.
Regardless, there isn't much in the way of subtle environmental nuances in support of the action
or discrete rear-channel effects. That's not a bad thing; a poorly done, "forced" multi-channel
remix that throws sound around just for the sake of making listeners turn their heads would
ruin
the experience. Dialogue reproduction is fantastic, clearly the strongest element to be found on
the disc. Likewise, Jerry Goldsmith's (First Blood)
Oscar-winning soundtrack is rendered exceptionally well. As long as listeners don't expect from
Planet of the Apes a rip-roaring,
head-turning, action movie extravaganza soundtrack, and instead prefer one that remains
faithful to the original intent of the mix, Planet of the Apes's Blu-ray audio presentation
is not only adequate, but is probably the best the film is ever going to sound.
Planet of the Apes swings onto Blu-ray as a jam-packed special edition. An animated ape
introduces viewers to the plethora of supplements that await. Before the film begins, viewers
may
choose to view the film with an introduction from the animated ape Lawgiver (1080p, 0:24).
Leading things off are two feature-length audio commentary tracks, the first featuring actors
Roddy
McDowall, Kim
Hunter, and Natalie Trundy, joined by makeup artist John Chambers. The track doesn't begin
until
more than 3 minutes into the film, allowing Charlton Heston's soliloquy to be heard without
interruption. The track is compiled from individual interviews with the participants, though
expertly
so, without sacrificing the flow or haphazardly jumping from one subject to the next. Composer
Jerry Goldsmith provides the second audio commentary track. Unfortunately, the composer's
comments are sparse, though he offers some insightful information along the way. This track
would have been better served as a single audio interview piece rather than its current state,
broken up and only playing here and there over the length of the film. Also included is a
text-based commentary track by Eric Greene, author of 'Planet of the Apes' As American
Myth. While interesting, the text moves at breakneck speed, a blink of an eye will interrupt
the flow and coherency of the text. Science of the Apes Bonusview is a Blu-ray profile
1.1 feature that presents viewers with a series of video-based footage that plays over the film.
Topics include the purpose of space exploration, the science behind space travel and some of the
ideas presented in the film, speculation into the future of the planet, the similarities between
human and apes, natural selection, inter-species interaction, and more. Also available separate
from the film for those without BonusView-enabled players, all 31 featurettes are available from
the disc's main menu, each presented in 480p standard definition, and play for 38:53.
Beyond the Forbidden Zone Adventure Game is a text-based game where players must
navigate a character through the planet of the apes by answering various science- and
survival-related questions. A Public Service Announcement From ANSA (1080p, 6:06) is
a mock PSA that informs viewers of the purpose behind the American National Space
Administration. Evolution of the Apes (1080p, 23:37) takes an entertaining and
in-depth look at the history of what was to become the first modern Science Fiction film
franchise, including a fascinating segment on the impact of Rod Serling's work not only on
Apes, but his reasons behind creating "The Twilight Zone," some original concepts for the
film and the faithfulness to the original novel, the project's budget difficulties and studio
transition, the film's political undertones, and more. Impact of the Apes (1080p, 11:39)
takes a look at the merchandising and marketing of the film, a journey that takes audiences from
the early promotions to the various toy lines inspired by the film. Behind the Planet of the
Apes Documentary (1080p, 2:06:44) is an interactive
documentary that runs the gamut of the production of the film. The piece examines the involved
make-up process, casting the film, set design, life on the set, shooting locations, technical
challenges in filming some of the film's most important scenes, the studio's insistence on
producing a sequel, and a look at the lengthy franchise and numerous additional films and series
to come. Played in a window in the left hand side of the screen, the right side includes a list of
text- and video-based features, including biographies of the primary cast and crew, timelines,
video clips, and more. Please note that this documentary is available without the interactive
content. When played alone, the feature is presented in 480p standard definition. Behind
the Planet of the Apes Promo (480p, 2:19) is a preview for
the feature-length documentary.
The Archives of the Apes is a series of seven features.
Original Makeup Test With Edward G. Robinson (1966) (480p, 9:34) is a vintage feature
that begins with a description of the film set to an artist's rendering of the story that sets the
stage for the makeup test scene. Roddy McDowall's On-Set Footage (480p, 20:14) is a
narration-less vintage video segment that showcases the application of ape make-up,
behind-the-scenes footage between shoots, and more. Dailies and Outtakes (no audio)
(480p, 19:50) is a series of footage from the shoot, showcasing the set-up and action of various
scenes from the film. N.A.T.O. Presentation (1967) (480p, 10:30) is a series of clips
from the film, concluding with Charlton Heston's sales pitch for the film. Vintage 'Planet of
the Apes' Featurette (1968) (480p, 4:42) is a brief summation of the entirety of the special
features, looking at the film's make-up application process and recounting the film's synopsis.
Concluding this Archive section are the film's teaser (480p, 2:18) and theatrical (480p,
3:05) trailers. The Galleries of the Apes is a series of still galleries. One of the finest
features on the disc is the first gallery, The Ape. Here, viewers may peruse an
Ape-produced newspaper with stories that relate to the film. Interactive Pressbook
features a series of images from the original press materials, some of which are clickable for
easier reading. Advertising and Lobby Cards features a brief series of posters
and images created for the film's marketing. Makeup showcases various appliances worn
by the actors in the film. Costume Design Sketches is a group of sketches featuring
concept ideas for the film's wardrobe selections. Props looks at a few of the objects used
throughout the picture. Behind-the-Scenes is a series of still images from various
aspects of the production. Finally, Planet of the Apes is D-Box motion code enabled.
A classic in every regard, Planet of the Apes' influence on the Science Fiction genre,
movie marketing and promotional tie-ins, and its status as one of the pioneers of movie
franchising through sequels remains today the de facto standard in how movies are made,
marketed, and revisited. Featuring exceptional makeup, pacing, acting, storytelling, action, and
commentary, Planet of the Apes is never a cinematic disappointment. 20th Century
Fox's Blu-ray release of this landmark film is, in a word, extraordinary. Featuring excellent
picture quality, a solid lossless audio offering (with the inclusion of the film's original monaural
soundtrack) and a wealth of bonus materials, the disc is nothing short of a must-own. The film
and its several sequels are available on Blu-ray individually or as part of what is perhaps the
most remarkable multi-disc release the format
has yet seen, and Planet of the Apes, one way or another, is a film deserving of a spot in
every
Blu-ray collection for its entertainment value, integration of political and social
commentary, high-quality presentation, and plethora of bonus materials. Planet of the
Apes receives my highest recommendation.
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