Planet of the Apes (1968)

3.5/5 stars

I recently realized that I had never actually watched Planet of the Apes from beginning to end in one sitting. I’d certainly seen bits and pieces of it while dial-spinning on a Saturday afternoon, and I knew the basic story, but I wanted to put it all together.

I was surprised by how unlikable Charlton Heston’s character was in the beginning of the film. I also hadn’t realized that the original mission of the crew was to test relativity (i.e. the twins’ paradox), but thought their return to Earth two millennia after leaving was some kind of accident (I must have been mixing it up with Buck Rogers!).

Overall, it was entertaining, even 30 years later. I also think I agree that it’s superior to the recent remake starring Mark Wahlberg (though I quite enjoyed the new one, too).