The original “Planet of the Apes” is a wonderful sci-fi movie and it has stood the test of time. Sure, the ape costumes are not very convincing but this is a really fun film with some interesting ideas. The film has spawned sequels, remakes and television series so it definitely has a strong following.

A team of astronauts, led by Taylor (Charlton Heston “Soylent Green”, “The Ten Commandments”) crash-land on a planet in the distant future where they search for life. They soon discover that this world is run by intelligent talking apes who oppress humans. When Taylor is captured, his ability to talk and reason presents a serious challenge to the dogma and tradition of ape society.

Charlton Heston is enjoyable as always as he plays George Taylor. He manages to be convincing in a film where he’s joined onscreen with many other actors wearing ridiculous ape masks. It manages to deliver a few lines that have become iconic such as ‘Take your stinking paws off me you damned dirty ape’. The other astronauts are not very impressive. As I said, the ape masks are not convincing but the apes are interesting and there are some decent performances from Kim Hunter (“A Streetcar Named Desire”) as Zira and Roddy McDowall as Cornelius.

“Planet of the Apes” has some exciting chase sequences but it also has some quieter and more philosophical moments. The ending of the movie is very powerful and has become one of the most famous scenes in movie history. If you are having doubts, I urge you to put aside the criticism of the amusing costumes and just enjoy the movie. Fans of television’s “Star Trek” and films such as “Soylent Green” and “Total Recall” need to see “Planet of the Apes” because this is a truly spectacular sci-fi picture.