Planet of the Apes Review: An allegorical and masterful epic

Planet of the Apes is a film I was always hesitant to watch because, frankly, the premise of apes talking like humans was always too goofy for me. However, watching it for the first time in 2024, this is one of my new favorite movies of all time! In this review, I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker present unto you my take on the original Planet of the Apes movie. Let's dive right into today's article: a Planet of the Apes Review: An allegorical and masterful epic.

This movie kicks off with three astronauts awakening from deep hibernation and crash-landing on an unknown planet 701 years into the future. This movie brilliantly frames the introduction as a sci-fi adventure movie, as the three men talk and get to know each other like any other main protagonists in any movie. This makes it so utterly shocking when the apes ambush them, shooting them to death for sport. Minutes into the film, I was hooked more than almost any other movie I've watched! However, one of the three men, Taylor, is saved from death by chimpanzee psychologist Zira. In this world, humans are typically mute, and they initially think Taylor is the same, as he was shot in the throat. The watcher then sees the human-like society of apes brilliantly! We see chimpanzees as the intellectuals, orangutans as the government and religious officials, and gorillas as the militia and laborers. Taylor escapes from his prison and attempts to rally the help of Zira and her fiancé, Cornelius. However, Taylor is found by Dr. Zaius, but he yet again escapes and sees that his friend Dodge is a stuffed corpse on display, and Landon is rendered catatonic. Taylor is yet again captured and put on trial and threatened to be castrated and lobotomized. Cornelius and Zira then free Taylor, and they attempt to recover archaeological evidence that corroborates Taylor's defense in his trial. The attempt fails, and then Taylor runs off to see one of the most brilliant plot twists of all time.

Alright, now that I've refreshed you on the plot of this masterpiece, let's talk about why it is still brilliant decades later. The social commentary reversing the roles of primates and humans makes for a poignant introspective into what would happen if humans had fallen from grace. In the time bubble of the movie, nuclear fallout was a feasible threat, and the fact that it tackles the implications of human doomsday in its closing moments makes the movie more impressive to rewatch. This also acts as a commentary on the Civil Rights Movement of America, displaying humans as slaves, similar to how people of color were treated in early America. While the messages aren't the most nuanced, they also don't detract from the movie by any means.

Planet of the Apes proves that blockbuster entertainment and brilliantly allegorical commentary aren't mutually exclusive, delivering action, themes, and one of cinema's most devastating yet incredible plot twists.

Unlike many modern blockbusters that throw away their promising script for some tell-don't-show themes, this movie is able to balance the action and themes effectively. While the themes are rather heavy-handed, the film certainly does an excellent job of showing its themes instead of just telling the audience. Taylor also has a great character arc, starting as an absolute arse, but he has a phenomenal journey. He leaves Earth initially because he, frankly, hates everybody. He then goes throughout the movie, being the sole defender of the human race and becoming a genuinely likable protagonist for whom I was firmly rooting. It makes him feel so much more realistic than the glamorous one-liner blockbuster stars of today. Every single element of this movie is practically perfect, outside of some odd choices at the onset of the movie, such as only having one female for three males without any trained doctors. I'd never agree to such a mission if I were a woman, that's for sure. That's really the only questionable thing outside of too many man parts showing for my liking and, to some, dated practical effects.

The Reel Ranker Verdict

Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 98%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5

Ultimately, the movie is an endlessly entertaining movie with brilliant blockbuster action, rich themes, and life lessons that anybody can benefit anybody. While I was originally skeptical of this movie, don't be an idiot like me: do yourself a favor and watch this masterpiece... you won't regret it!

Enjoy this review? Stay tuned for more articles from The Reel Ranker! Enjoy video games? Check out our sister site, RPG Ranked!

Beneath the Planet of the Apes Review: The world’s oddest sequel

Beneath the Planet of the Apes is an... interesting movie. I was so excited after watching the phenomenal first movie, as I found that movie to be perfectly concluded and had no idea where the film crew would take a sequel. And let’s just say the movie was certainly not

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Escape from the Planet of the Apes Review: A masterful sequel to a misguided mess

After experiencing a cinematic masterpiece and a disappointing sequel, I was intrigued to see what this movie had to offer and how it even was made. The second film’s bombastic ending didn’t seem to lend itself to a sequel, especially since it retroactively affected the original’s conclusion—and not in

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Review: Yet another shocking sequel

After a masterpiece, a monumental misfire, and a guilty-pleasure favorite movie of mine, where will Conquest of the Planet of the Apes land on the spectrum of Planet of the Apes films? Yet again, it was quite interesting to predict where this sequel would take the series, and yet again,

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Battle for the Planet of the Apes Review: Mediocre movie, but a good conclusion

The original Planet of the Apes series had an incredibly intriguing run! The first film? It’s an utter masterpiece. The second? It was a misguided rehash that was too weird for my liking. The third? It’s nearly as good as the original, even though it is a very different experience.

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Planet of the Apes 2001 Review: The monkey in the middle

With an excellent original series and an ever-expanding modern series, this remake of the original film is oddly stuck in the middle of the two franchises. It is its own beast, and there are quite a few things to be said about this film. So let’s get into it in

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review: A rad reimagining of Conquest

The original run of Planet of the Apes was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, making it one of the most interesting quintologies of all time. While I loved the first and third movies, the others weren’t all that great. So how can the first of the modern trilogy

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review: A cinematic war of traitors

After a fantastic first film by Rupert Wyatt that started a whole new reboot franchise, Matt Reeves had some big shoes to fill. And shoes he certainly did fill! Is it better or worse than its predecessor? Or is it just a whole different experience altogether? That’s what I, Brighton

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

War for the Planet of the Apes Review: A near-perfect final act

After two very different sci-fi action movies, this movie had an arduous task to execute: to make the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. Taking inspiration from the conclusion of the original series and raising the stakes of the previous film, this certainly is an epic movie. But is it the

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Review: The second weakest film in the franchise

After a quintilogy of older films, a misguided remake filled to the brim with issues, and the modern Caesar trilogy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes attempts to follow up the modern trilogy, taking place centuries down the line. Does it successfully follow up that trilogy, or does it

The Reel RankerBrighton Nelson