Planet of the Apes
Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner
1968
*****
Franklin J. Schaffner's original 1968 Planet of the Apes is a sci-fi masterpiece. Sci-fi hadn't been this intriguing since H.G. Wells' time, it's like the best ever episode of Star Trek, the best ever B-Movie ever made and the sort of thing that usually only works in comic books. Like all good sci-fi, the story revolves around a sociological idea, the morality of a prominent species, government, religion and morals are also questioned with a little bit of space and time travel for good measure. It's got horror, action, suspense and intrigue. Most importantly it has men dressed as Apes, and everyone loves Apes. The ideas and imagery are now iconic, Planet of the Apes is both mainstream and cult. The performances are great, and the script is one of the most quotable of all time. The now famous ending has never been bettered within the genre in my opinion and the subjective and unfinished conclusion seems as bold and fresh as it did when it was released. Sci-fi gold.