Planet of the Apes 9 Movie Collection Review
'It's a mad house! A mad house!'
Then it felt to me finding the entire Planet of the Apes cinematic journey in this new mammoth sized 50th anniversary set up in the mail. I'll endeavour to keep the review succinct equally there are five movies in the original series, the Tim Burton remake and the new series of three films from the concluding decade. 9 films, but 12—count them—12 discs to pour through.
"I have to say, if you already own the previous Blu-rays, I see no reason to invest in the 50th anniversary set"
PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
The greatest of the original series, a massive box part hit for the time, and the one that'southward pedigree warrants a series that has endured for over 50 years. The Franklin J. Schaffner adaptation of French writer Pierre Boulle's novel is a bona fide classic for a reason.
Veering heavily away from the original tome, which purported to bear witness apes in a modern earth, this 1 sees a group of iii astronauts land on some (originally thought) far flung planet where apes are the dominant species and human beings are some prehistoric plaything for them. It doesn't take long for them to be caught. Taylor (Charlton Heston), the merely one who makes it into capture breathing or whole, shocks the apes when he demonstrates the ability to speak. This ability shakes ape society to its very cadre beliefs, and places Taylor's fate in doubt. But with the assist of the apes, Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowell), he is able to escape and search for answers in this topsy-turvy planet—but the answers may not be to Taylor'south liking.
This is a fantastic scientific discipline fiction moving picture: a perfect blend of social allegory, fantasy and adventure. The make-up of the apes information technology'southward remarkable for the time. The effects are clever and judicious in their usage. The vistas are spectacular and the acting is… serviceable, and of the time period. Heston was always one of this reviewer'southward favorite over-actors. He could out yell Nicholas Cage any twenty-four hours of the calendar week, with his wonderful hyperbole mannerisms and leading human charm. "Get your stinking paws of me, you damn dirty ape!" and "You maniacs! You lot blew information technology up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!" are forever ingrained in movie history thanks to his delivery.
This film as well all the same has the stardom of having one of the best plot twists in cinematic history. No small feat, because this film is at present 51.
I can't gush about this pic enough, but I take a few more to write almost.
BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970)
twenty 1000000 at the box office was goose egg to sneeze at back in the late 60s. Blockbusters like Jaws and Star Wars , even The Godfather , were a few years away. Whatever and every studio loved profit. Planet of the Apes had proven very profitable for 20th Century Play tricks and another circular with the Apes was ordered. Heston was reluctant to return, and only concord after the studio said his character would be killed and his salary would go to charity (a off-white merchandise if always I heard i).
A new script by new writer Paul Dehn was drafted afterward novelist Boulle had his attempt bit-heaped. What he came upwardly with (then heavily rewritten by managing director Ted Post) was an emblematic take on post nuclear trauma. {googleads}
A search crew sent later Taylor'due south missing rocket crashes into the planet. Taylor, unbeknownst to new atomic number 82 astronaut Brent (played by Tv actor James Fransiscus) has disappeared into some mystery portal, leaving Nova all alone. Brent finds Nova, wearing Taylor'southward dog tags, and soon discovers all we did in the previous flick. What's new is the apes are planning an invasion into the forbidden zone, and Brent and Nova find out the difficult way that forbidden zone harbors telepathic, mutant humans who are descendants of humanity'southward autumn. With both the mutant psychics and the apes hell bent on domination and a relic from those horrible times set to obliterate the planet, Brent is put into a no win state of affairs. When Taylor is discovered in the mutant's prison cells, and the apes invade, Brent is forced to fight on all fronts to try and save the planet.
Yep, this is a convoluted downer non worthy of the original. 20th Century Fox were doing it tough that year after a few box role bombs and halved the budget. It shows. This moving-picture show has none of the wit, the careful allegory or the cleverness in any part of its production. Lead player Fransiscus is the Nutrition Coke of Heston, and information technology doesn't help that Heston shares the screen with him, albeit briefly. The jettison actors and production design for something cheap and every plow and quickly cheapen the franchise.
The pic is more than action heavy, but the film for this reviewer has e'er been one of the worst of the series, and is hard to sit down through. It'southward a downer without the poignancy or sense of loss from the original.
It'south 1 of the die-hards only.
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971)
When budgets are a concern set your motion-picture show in modernistic day. That is exactly what Beneath author Paul Dehn was asked to exercise when penning the side by side entry in the franchise. Fortunately, he had the practiced sense to enlist the help of Apes novelist Boulle this time. Necessity is the mother of invention, and with next to no upkeep and a limited shooting window (allegedly 6 weeks) they concocted the next run a risk.
Although World was destroyed in the concluding picture, this one employs time-travel, and follows Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowell returning afterward being unavailable in Beneath ) transported dorsum to Globe circa 1973. What unfolds is essentially a role reversal, where the apes are discovered past the technological dominant man race, are a curiosity, so a novelty. In that location is another interesting twist in which they are, for a brusque time, seen as celebrities and doted on. Merely the caustic nature of the human race comes to fore soon plenty, and Cornelius and Zira are forced to defend themselves to the government and the court organization. Things go from bad to worse, when Zira discovers she is pregnant and the Feds go paranoid most how the apes became the dominant species in the hereafter. The two apes and their unborn child become something to be dealt with. They are forced, with the aid of one, to try an escape to survive. {googleads}
It's a novel thought that has more than poignancy than the last entry and a solid commentary on homo failings. The one constant in these films is the combination of us and the apes = oil and water, and this film is no dissimilar. Information technology is a testament to Hunter and McDowell that they transcend their encompassing make-ups to provide two very relatable and very tragic characters to follow.
This was a much cheaper production and the movie looks information technology. There is price cutting galore, simply the featured apes actors' make-ups are nonetheless solid. I suppose they kept the cost down past only having 2 of them, and using stock footage for the rest.
The fact that this was fix in (at the time) the modern world, and is completely removed from the more dystopian ape world, requires they lean heavily on story. And this was a peachy one. In a way, they returned to the more topical, allegorical mythology that fabricated the start flick so dearest.
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972)
Fix in a and so hereafter 1990s, Conquest sees the baby Caesar (Roddy McDowell), son of Cornelius and Zira, all grown upwards and hiding in the circus where his murdered parents left him. The world has become a constabulary state, where astronauts brought back diseases that wiped all cats and dogs from the face of the Earth. Apes are being imported to America for menial service and are brutally mistreated by the human being race. Caesar sees this and finally yells out in protest. The kindly man who took Caesar in (Ricardo Montalban) takes the fall for Caesar, and the ape is taken into servitude and slavery. Covertly, Caesar begins to rally the apes to his cause, with the intent of creating a revolution. When a human named Breck cordons on to the fact that Caesar is far more intelligent than the residue of them, he orders his death. Caesar's resistance wins the 24-hour interval, and equally the human race autumn to the might of the apes, the ape'southward leader is forced to make a selection: eradicate the humans or leave their fate to God. {googleads}
According to writer Dehn (back once again!) this one was to bring the story full circle, and is heavily hinted at in Caesar's final speech at the end of the motion-picture show. It's a worthy round upward to how and why things turned to shit for humanity. So much then, the new series of films borrowed heavily from this set-upwards. This film is the darkest of the original five and this reviewer'due south favorite of the sequels. McDowell, his voice so recognizable, however manages to deliver a much different ape, playing his original grapheme'southward son. His monologue at the end is some damn fine acting.
As a side annotation: exam screenings saw Fob determine that the original ending of this motion-picture show was also much of a downer (what serial of films were these turkey's watching???), so they reshot the ending or rather reedited it to exist less definitive and downbeat. (wonderfully, y'all get both theatrical and restored versions on this blu-ray)
This ane's the swing upward on the quality graph. It made ten times its small budget back. The earth was primed for some other ane.
Boxing FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973)
This is where the original series draws to a close. Ready in the 21st century, Earth, as it was, has fallen into a post apocalyptic state after a nuclear war. Caesar has survived and is trying to rebuild a civilization where apes and the surviving humans tin co be peacefully. Unfortunately even the apes are breaking off into factions, and Caesar must deal with a militant gorilla by the name of Aldo, who believes the road to peace will only be possible with the eradication of the humans.
He may be right. The humans are mobilizing to fight the apes. But civil war is looking more and more than likely amongst the apes on how to bargain with the situation. Through tragedy and betrayal, Caesar comes to realize that apes are no better than humans when it comes to their failings and self destructiveness. The price of that realization is loftier.
This story had the opportunity to exist an epic conclusion and dramatically has the legs to accomplish information technology. Just the film was never given the budget needed, and new writers were brought in after Paul Dehn (author of all the sequels) couldn't return, due to sick health. He did, however, do a smooth/rewrite later on they were done and tried to get co author credit (which was denied). McDowell again gives an astonishing performance through the prophylactic and is complimented by many other players doing a 1000 job as well. Director J. Lee Thompson really struggles to transcend the limitations of the budget this time.
The actual production looks cheap and rushed. Its' sum full being a good idea that couldn't pull off its grand sensibilities. It's a damn shame this was the bookend chapter in the series, every bit in that location is enough within its flaws to have tease at what might have been. The terminal two films in this run actually make upwards the basis for ameliorate delivered narrative for the modern trilogy. They both have great ideas that weren't afforded the budgets to do them justice. Information technology still made 4 times its upkeep, but Battle fairs the worst.
Note: You lot get both the theatrical and the extended cuts. For me, the theatrical is the favored ane hither.
PLANET OF THE APES (2001)
Y'all ever accept an impulse that you're so tempted to indulge but know you shouldn't? Such as being an amateur boxer and wanting to go effectually with a globe champion? Or finding that perfect fix of sneakers, only to find out in that location non quite the right fit? But y'all Really want to indulge.
Tim Burton must have had that impulse. There would have been no question in anybody's mind around the turn of this century that he could create amazing visuals, and he, like many, had reverence for the original. Only this was an impulse he should have resisted. Just because yous love a created earth doesn't mean yous should contribute it, if that earth isn't in your wheelhouse.
Burton's awesomely slick looking take at Apes sees an astronaut, played by then star on the ascent Marking Wahlberg, crash land on a planet where apes are the apex species and human being are dense oppressed mutes. When he is captured and discovered to be more intelligent than the human pets he'southward herded in with, a militant chimpanzee, Full general Thade (Tim Roth) deems him a threat and wants him taken out.
Allow's go the nasty out the style right up front. The script is bad. BAD, bad, bad—it meanders through a tweaked rehash of the original into odd, protracted scenes of ape domesticity, so called humour, and then toward alleged desolation, tension and a bonkers finale. It's rubbish. It doesn't clearly define what it'south trying to exist at all. Don't even get me started on the stupid twist catastrophe. Apparently the script was still beingness 'polished' when sets were beingness knocked upward--a hell of a stupid fashion to spend 100 million dollars.
Production pattern is as good every bit it gets. Rick Bakery admittedly kills it with the ape prosthetics that stand upwards on a massive 4K TV without an issue. The actors were likewise trained to move in a more ape-like manner and sell that excellently as well. Wahlberg'due south graphic symbol is generic, unmemorable and a waste material of a good talent. Roth is and impressively threatening bad guy.
This film hammers abode that Burton's wheelhouse in fantasy and visuals. Any sense of poignancy or apologue, that must be staples in the Apes films, is eschewed for crawly production design. It's essentially a very elaborate stage based film. A car tin exist pretty only if it doesn't run, what is the point? These visions of the ape world would have been better (and a damn sight cheaper) in an art volume.
The most expensive, impressive looking apes film to engagement back in 2001, and a full waste of money.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, AND WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES … ALL v/5 AND NOT TO Exist MISSED
Why aren't they hither? Glad y'all asked. I reviewed them terminal week in the 4K trilogy pack. Unbeknownst to me this Blu-ray pack of all the Apes movies likewise includes the 4K discs and the Blu-ray versions to boot. So to read my musings on those discs please go to the 4K Planet of the Apes Trilogy review.
Hither we are at the end. The Apes films are classic scientific discipline fiction at its allegorical all-time. It was an accented delight to binge through this set and relive this series (for the most part anyway). I take to say, if you already own the previous Blu-rays, I see no reason to invest in the 50th anniversary set. Yous get a new box, and massive hard shell case, and a prissy set of collector cards with the all the picture's theatrical posters replicated, but actual content is limited to previously available supplementary offerings and cipher new is added. If y'all don't own the previous offerings, and then I wouldn't hesitate. If you ain a 4K Telly, or fifty-fifty only a large screen, a great time at dwelling is assured.
Blu-ray Details:
English language SDH, French, Spanish (less)
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German SDH (less)
English, English language SDH (less)
English SDH, Castilian (less)
PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
Home Video Benefactor: 20th Century Pull a fast one on
Available on Blu-ray - October 9, 2018
Screen Formats: two.twoscore:1
Subtitles: English language SDH, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Standard mandarin (Traditional)
Audio: English: DTS-Hd Master Audio 5.one; French: Dolby Digital v.1; English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original); Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
Truly extraordinary looking picture show. One wonders just what, if whatsoever, noticeable improvements at that place might exist, going back to photographic camera negatives for a 4K or higher native scan. Although this is a 1080p transfer, allow me tell you on an 82' QLED 4K upscale, it'due south a matter to behold. The artifice of the effects, the make-ups and the sets come through in glorious clarity. Minor blemishes in blink and you lot'll miss them moments are present. They may be dated, only simply how impressively this production sewed it altogether is captured in every frame. At that place is a subtle but consistent layer of grain, maintaining that vintage, but the picture as a whole looks clean with colors blazing off the screen at times. Flesh tones and cloth fibers are natural and nuanced. It's the aforementioned transfer as has been released many, many times before, but where it's this adept, why get over again (unless in 4K)?
Sound:
This 5.ane DTS-Hard disk drive mix could employ with an update. It's very middle channel heavy and inconsistent with its balances. Sometimes it blares and others it's softer, prompting you lot to reach for the remote. Directionality is also wanting, but in that location are some moments, if your volume is up high enough, where the action is rendered capably. For purists, the original mono rail is on offering.
Supplements:
All ported over from the previous releases merely copious and informative and enough to go along you watching for a couple of days. This disc is the embodiment of generosity and film vitrify nirvana. If 1 is to be greedy, we could ask for some contemporary pieces from the few surviving contributors left, merely on the whole, everything y'all could possibly want is on this unmarried disc.
Blu-ray Rating:
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Blu-ray Details:
English language SDH, French, Castilian (less)
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German SDH (less)
English language, English language SDH (less)
English SDH, Spanish (less)
Below THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970)
Dwelling house Video Distributor: 20th Century Pull a fast one on
Available on Blu-ray - Oct 9, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio v.1; Music: DTS-HD Main Sound 5.ane; English: Dolby Digital Mono; French: Dolby Digital ii.0; Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra Hd; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc prepare
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
As impressively transferred every bit the original. There's a piddling flake more dust inside shots with compositing, only likely due to the cheaper product. It's—again—of its vintage, so the science fiction futurity elements are dated and showing their limitations, merely at that place are rendered accurately and are a fine moving picture of things as they were. Mankind tones are impressively detailed, as is the article of clothing or rags in some characters' instances. Blacks seemed fifty-fifty better in this 1; that may have something to do with the subterranean locale of half the movie, only it'southward welcome. You lot can see the cheapness of the production, just information technology's a solid representation of what they made back in the twenty-four hours.
AUDIO:
Over again, you get a five.1 DTS-HD lossless mix and, again, the original mono rails. It was a cheaper score than the original, then you lot're gonna go what they paid for. Information technology'south decent enough, just once again heart aqueduct centric.
Supplements:
Has a short xx+ infinitesimal featurette that was on the final release. It may be short merely is super informative, and a wonderful look at the studio mindset dorsum and so and the time it was fabricated. You have an isolated track pick if you lot just want to listen to score. Nowhere near the corporeality of stuff as the showtime film's disc, but what you get is adept.
Blu-ray Rating:
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| Video | | |
| Audio | | |
| Extras | | |
| Overall Blu-ray Experience | ||
Blu-ray Details:
English SDH, French, Spanish (less)
English SDH, French, Castilian, Portuguese, German SDH (less)
English, English SDH (less)
English language SDH, Spanish (less)
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970)
Home Video Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Available on Blu-ray - Oct 9, 2018
Screen Formats: ii.40:1
Subtitles: English language, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Sound: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Music: DTS-Hd Primary Audio v.1 English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original); French: Dolby Digital Mono; Castilian: Dolby Digital Mono
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc ready
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
Some other solid MPEG-4 1080p transfer. Like the previous two, this moving picture has fine grain and bully detail in every frame. Being set in the 1970s, the clothes, both of the apes and the humans, are hit in an unremarkable (as far as ready pieces) setting. It's really quite impressive seeing the fibers and the materials used. The brand-ups also testify a well oiled car at work, with the motion picture magic dated but yet serviceable on modern engineering.
AUDIO:
This DTS-Hd 5.1 lossless mix isn't gonna rock your socks off, but it does its job. Crowd scenes and traffic scenes are pretty underwhelming. Dialogue is centre focused and crisp. There is very little directionality
Blu-ray Rating:
| Movie | | |
| Video | | |
| Audio | | |
| Extras | | |
| Overall Blu-ray Experience | ||
Blu-ray Details:
English SDH, French, Spanish (less)
English SDH, French, Castilian, Portuguese, German language SDH (less)
English, English SDH (less)
English SDH, Spanish (less)
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972)
Dwelling house Video Benefactor: 20th Century Fox
Available on Blu-ray - October 9, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.40:1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Standard mandarin (Traditional)
Audio: English language: DTS-Hard disk drive Master Audio 5.one; Music: DTS-Hard disk drive Master Sound v.1; English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original); Castilian: Dolby Digital Mono; French: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra Hard disk drive; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
This ane's a step down in quality from the previous 3 discs. The transfer, maybe owing to the source or budget of the picture, is inconsistent with grain (though never terrible) and has real trouble in darker scenes, of which there are a lot. The canvas, as a outcome, is washed out and flatter than the others. The colors, artificially elevated by the QLED 82 inch TV, are improved (peculiarly the assuming primary colors of the apes costumes) but never leap off the screen. It's a relatively clean print, but there are more obvious signs of vesture. This needs to exist updated with a 4K scan.
AUDIO:
Much the aforementioned as the last two. Front heavy mix, DTS-Hd 5.1 that suffers from whatever dimensionality but strongly delivers dialogue and serviceable front noise in action scenes. Non immersive but not terrible. Original Mono included likewise.
FEATURES:
You get another isolated score feature. A mini-documentary takes an allegorical look at the film against actual racial tensions and conflicts of the time in America. A short bit on Roddy McDowell and manager J. Lee Thompson is also in at that place. All has been included in previous releases, some of it's interesting, simply there nothing new.
Blu-ray Rating:
| Picture | | |
| Video | | |
| Audio | | |
| Extras | | |
| Overall Blu-ray Experience | ||
Blu-ray Details:
English SDH, French, Spanish (less)
English language SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German SDH (less)
English, English SDH (less)
English SDH, Spanish (less)
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973)
Home Video Benefactor: 20th Century Fox
Bachelor on Blu-ray - October 9, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.40:one
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
Sound: English: DTS-Hd Master Audio 5.ane; Music: DTS-Hard disk Master Audio five.one; English language: Dolby Digital Mono (Original); Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono; French: Dolby Digital v.1
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc prepare
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
I think Battle is actually a better transfer than Conquest. Its colors seem bolded and the dimension of the picture appears more than layered. Grain is fine and steady. Man complexions are great and natural. Blacks are richer. Information technology's got seldom examples of dirt or scratches, and is on par with the nest of this series for presentation. A groovy MPEG-4 transfer.
AUDIO: Another capable DTS-Hard disk 5.ane mix. It'due south inconsistent, only when information technology ramps upward, it's REAL good. I fifty-fifty noticed, in some of the battle scenes, some dorsum channel presence this fourth dimension. It's still a front heavy mix, and again, dialogue for the most part is centre driven and clear. Lack of directionality and immersion is most the same. It doesn't suck by any stretch, just it's in need of an update. Again, the Mono rail is offered as an culling, should that exist your druthers.
FEATURES:
Lackluster. It'south pretty thin with an isolated rails, very short and meh documentary that runs around 15 minutes, and a trailer etc. Weakest supplements of the prepare and once more ported over from previous releases.
Blu-ray Rating:
| Movie | | |
| Video | | |
| Audio | | |
| Extras | | |
| Overall Blu-ray Feel | ||
Blu-ray Details:
English language SDH, French, Spanish (less)
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, High german SDH (less)
English language, English SDH (less)
English SDH, Spanish (less)
PLANET OF THE APES (2001)
Dwelling Video Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Available on Blu-ray - October 9, 2018
Screen Formats: two.40:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-Hd Master Audio 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.one
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; Blu-ray Disc; Twelve-disc ready
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
VIDEO:
Oi, oi, oi… this actually should take been re-mastered. This, like the other blu-rays, is the aforementioned blu-ray from ages since by. Unlike the other movies, this one hasn't been touched since the early days of blu-ray. It's a weak, flat, soft looking MPEG-2! transfer (yes, you read that correctly 2!) that'southward all kinds of yesteryear and not worthy of a 2019 release. As shitty equally this moving picture is, the production blueprint wasn't, and it's a offense that the one affair it deserves to take credit for is robbed with this crap transfer. Information technology's a make clean, filmic browse, with consistent grain and adequate color, but nothing about this disc is noteworthy.
AUDIO:
In stark contrast, it'south amazing. Y'all get a DTS-HD lossless mix that is base of operations heavy and will give your speakers a fine workout. Layered beautifully and intricately, dialogue is always clear and perfectly balanced in the more activeness heavy or noisy scenes. Scenes in the forest are detailed and immersive and directionality keeps all kinds of noise dancing around the speakers. Best thing about the disc past the a long shot.
FEATURES:
A Tim Burton commentary… yeah, that'south it. I'm out of here.
Blu-ray Rating:
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| Overall Blu-ray Experience | ||
Source: https://reelreviews.com/50-years-of-planet-of-the-apes-bluray-review
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