# My impressions re-watching original Planet of the Apes movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2009, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538 "2009-02-19T12:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/21 "2009-02-19T21:55:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Yeah, the big “twist” always bugged me, too. He was on a planet with humans, apes, horses and trees. Where the hell did he \*think \*he was? San Francisco? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/22 "2009-02-19T22:05:14Z")
As far as cartoon parodies go, I think this one is the best: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVr1n1ha-LA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVr1n1ha-LA) ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/23 "2009-02-19T22:07:43Z")
> [@cainxinth](#): > > …One thing I thought though was that the Statue of Liberty really wasn´t the big twist. The apes were speaking english for crying out loud. … Yeah, this is hard enough to explain even if you know the apes are on Earth. You wouldn’t expect a language to not change AT ALL in 2000 years, unless you fanwank that the way the apes use language is fundamentally different from the way humans do. (Given how conservative their culture is I suppose you could posit that the apes never change their use of language. And now that I think about it given that the apes presumably learned English from human beings and didn’t develop language independently themselves that isn’t so ‘out there’). If you assume (like Taylor did) that he WASN’T on Earth the fact that the apes speak English is completley inexplicable, unless you assume that in the 2000 years that have passed on Earth humans developed some other form of transport that allowed them (and the apes, horses and plants) to get to the Ape Planet long before his ship crashed there. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/24 "2009-02-19T22:42:24Z")
> [@cainxinth](#): > > …The apes were speaking english for crying out loud… **Escape from the Planet of the Apes** hung a lampshade on this. When Cornelius and Zira are testifying before the government committee a member asks them how they’re speaking English. This confuses Cornelius who doesn’t know what “English” is and he says that he’s just speaking as his father taught him. Nothing further is made of it. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/25 "2009-02-19T22:55:25Z")
I just assumed it involved a universal translator. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/26 "2009-02-20T00:26:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Yeah, the big “twist” always bugged me, too. He was on a planet with humans, apes, horses and trees. Where the hell did he \*think \*he was? > > Or was it just a massive case of denial? In the beginning as they were wandering around, the sky created some kind of red flashing lightning f/x, which convinced me that it _wasn’t_ Earth. Cheating bastards. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/27 "2009-02-20T02:11:59Z")
That “Dr. Zaius” song cracks me up every time. Yes, I think that Taylor was in denial, and perhaps Zaius had a point-would you choose a static society which would have little chance of collapsing over a millenia or two, or decide to let progress run on ahead unimpeded, and risk global warming/nuclear armageddon/viral armageddon (or name-your-technological-horror-scenario)? ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/28 "2009-02-20T02:15:57Z")
I always found it difficult to believe that the apes evolved so much in only 2000 years. I mean, it seems like if they could evolve that quickly then why don’t we have any talking apes now? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/29 "2009-02-20T02:28:19Z")
> [@Ichbin\_Dubist](#): > > The big twist is that, as they were riding north along the shore at the end, the whole movie took place in New Jersey. Holy crud! You’re right! Nova was a Jersey girl! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/30 "2009-02-20T02:31:13Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > I always found it difficult to believe that the apes evolved so much in only 2000 years. I mean, it seems like if they could evolve that quickly then why don’t we have any talking apes now? There was a plauge that killed off all the worlds cats and dogs during the late 70s/early 80s. Man started using apes as replacement pets, but quickly realized they made good slaves. Somehow (genetic engineering?) we bred them to be larger and smarter. In 1996 Cornelius and Zira’s son, Caeser, was able to teach other apes to speak and organize them into rebelling. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/31 "2009-02-20T02:32:44Z")
I was seven in 1968, and the movie blew my mind. Or at least made a lasting impression. Still works for me. There’s no point in criticizing the movie on logic; obviously it don’t make a lick of sense, start to finish. But it works as a fable, looks great, and has that great Jerry Goldsmith score. (Though I’ve got to say, the Oscar for makeup should have gone to _2001: A Space Odyssey_ for Moonwatcher and the other man-apes.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/32 "2009-02-20T02:58:50Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Holy crud! You’re right! > > Nova was a Jersey girl! Well, duh. Check out her hair. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/33 "2009-02-20T05:03:48Z")
> [@bup](#): > > …\*and \*a moon. That looks \*exactly \*like earth’s moon. Yeah, I figure an _astronaut_ would be able to figure that one out. la la la … Dr. Zaius, Dr. Zaius… Rock me Dr. Zaius..🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/34 "2009-02-20T06:09:45Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > There was a plauge that killed off all the worlds cats and dogs during the late 70s/early 80s. Man started using apes as replacement pets, but quickly realized they made good slaves. Somehow (genetic engineering?) we bred them to be larger and smarter. In 1996 Cornelius and Zira’s son, Caeser, was able to teach other apes to speak and organize them into rebelling. How soon we forget. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/35 "2009-02-20T09:55:51Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CMMYfvgq9m8/hqdefault.jpg "Jay and silent bob") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMMYfvgq9m8) In this world gone mad, we won’t spank the monkey. The monkeys will spank us. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/36 "2009-02-20T11:37:12Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > There was a plauge that killed off all the worlds cats and dogs during the late 70s/early 80s. Man started using apes as replacement pets, but quickly realized they made good slaves. Somehow (genetic engineering?) we bred them to be larger and smarter. In 1996 Cornelius and Zira’s son, Caeser, was able to teach other apes to speak and organize them into rebelling. And 13 years later, in Stamford CT… ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/37 "2009-02-20T14:53:44Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > There was a plauge that killed off all the worlds cats and dogs during the late 70s/early 80s. Man started using apes as replacement pets, but quickly realized they made good slaves. Somehow (genetic engineering?) we bred them to be larger and smarter. In 1996 Cornelius and Zira’s son, Caeser, was able to teach other apes to speak and organize them into rebelling. This has all happened before, it will happen again… ---
**Author:** ![Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/38 "2009-02-20T15:27:33Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I always wondered why Dr. Zaius let Taylor and Nova ride off at the end? He could have stopped them but he let them go. On top of figuring they’d be dead in the forbidden zone before very long, I think he also wanted to show Taylor the truth, without telling him in front of the others and compromising the religious control system they have in place. George Taylor: A planet where apes evolved from men? There’s got to be an answer. Dr. Zaius: Don’t look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you find. Dr. Zira: What will he find out there, doctor? Dr. Zaius: His destiny. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/39 "2009-02-20T16:52:39Z")
I always thought that the Planet of the Apes television series could plausibly be set in the alternate timeline established at the end of **Battle for the Planet of the Apes**. Humans weren’t exterminated/ cast out to become mute animals, but despite the alternate Lawgiver’s preachings, they did eventually become an oppressed minority. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538/40 "2009-02-20T16:55:09Z")
A nod to Rod Serling for the screenplay. I actually met the guy who played the Cigar smoking jailer ape, Buck Kartalian. Heckuva guy, has been working in films forever, but his house was choc full of “apes” memorabilia. He was really proud of being in that particular film. Great movie if you don’t try to analyze it too much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-impressions-re-watching-original-planet-of-the-apes-movie/486538.md?page=3)