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For any apes lover here or in the Forbidden Zone!------- And remember the Sacred Scrolls...Beware the beast man, for he is the devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport, or lust or greed. Yes, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him. Drive him back into his jungle lair: For he is the harbinger of death.
THE PLANET OF THE APES MOVIE CHRONOLOGY
The one thing that distinguishes the Apes movies from other groups of related movies is that The Planet of the Apes movies were shown in nonchronological order. The first movie takes place in Earth's future. Apes have taken over the world and subjugated man to the realm of refuge and animal instinct.
The second movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes takes place directly after the first and entails a group of religous and quite powerful people who worship and atom bomb. Ape soldiers attempt to attack the dwellings of these people. These people have no means of defense except the powers of illusion. The Apes ultimately make it to the bomb and it goes off right before Taylor tried to tell the Apes what would happen. In the second movie the earth was destroyed. Any other movie franchise would have had to let that be it. But the Planet of the Apes movies had a rather clever way to continue the story on into another movie.
The third movie Escape from the Planet of the Apes begins with a spacecraft landing in modern day America. The austronaughts remove their helmets and they are Apes. Cornelius and Zira the beloved Chimp doctors from the first two movies escaped from the Earth before it was destroyed in the future. How exactly they managed to repair or create the spacecraft was never approached by the movie. The third movie is more about human prejudice. The chimpanzees are at first welcomed as celebrities. But as the truth of Earth's future unfolds Man becomes afraid and attempts to sterlize the Chimps to prevent their from being a great holocaust for man in the future. The chimps Zira and Cornelius were killed. They did have one ape child and he secretly was found and kept by a circus performer Armando.
In the fourth movie Conquest of the Planet of the Apes the basic events that set up Man's downfall from power are shown. Man becomes lazy and a plaque kills off most of humanity's favorite pets. Primates such as chimpanzees, Orangutans, and Gorillias are trained and taught to be pets. At first they were just pets like any dog or cat, but their capacity to learn and perform tasks ultimately led to them being used as a system of slave labor. The offspring of Cornelius and Zira from the third movie picks a name for himself which is Ceasar and he leads an attack against the major Ape Control and training center in the US. The movie ends with Caesar proclaiming that this is the birth of the Planet of the Apes. Man still is stong and in control but Apes will plot and scheme until man's downfall.
The fifth movie Battle for the Planet of the Apes takes place far in the future Ceasar leads a group of human and Ape survivors and attempts to create a life of peace for all. Gorillas ultimately seize weapons and attempt a coup against Cesear. Ape had never killed ape until the point in the film when Gorillia General Aldo kills Ceasar's son. The movie ends with the chant "ape has killed ape." It leaves one wondering about how the future will turn out for Ape and Man. Will there be cooperation or annihilation?
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CHARACTERS:
GORILLAS
Gorilla leaders
Ursus
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Aldo
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Urko
Planet of the Apes TV Series
Gorilla Soldiers
The Gorilla soldier from Planet of the Apes represents the ultimate emobyment of brutish strength and naked aggression. The gorilla sitting perched on his horse roams the vast wilderness of the world in search of treason to punish and cultures to conquer. The Gorillas are not as independent in thought as the chimps or orgautauns. Powerful charismatic gorilla leaders are always to be found and they are the heart of Gorilla power among the apes. With General Ursus, the gorillas gain political power and purpose in the second Planet of the Apes movie. Under his leadership they search for a speaking human, invade a mutant complex and eradicate the last bastions of human history. After the destruction of the world in the second film, three chimpanzees escape to Earth's past where humans rule the world. By the fourth film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, a chimp leader Caesar arose to lead apedom to freedom and prosperity. Among his strongest followers is gorilla Aldo who was to assert leadership of Gorilla armies to be created. Aldo commits the first murder of a fellow ape in his desire for power. By the TV series another strong Gorilla leader Urko arose to take command of gorilla forces in the future.
THE CHIMPANZEES
The chimpanzees in future ape society by and large are at the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder. While they are often in important positions such as researchers, doctors, and archaeologists, they have no real say in political matters of Ape society. In politics it seems the Orangautaun's govern, and the Gorillas enforce the laws. The chimps are used as taxpayers and subjects of their own goverment and little more. This social arrangement is ironic considering that the storyline from the 3rd, fourth, and last movies of the Planet of the Apes saga tells a story of chimpanzees leading the great revolt against man. The great leader of the revolt was Caesar and in a future world of Apes and Humans he governs as king. Except for Caesar no other Chimpanzee ever really had power. The Chimpanzees are represented in the Apes saga by veternary doctor and researcher Zira and her husband Cornelius played by Roddy McDowall. Mcdowall played chimp characters in each of the Apes movies and in many ways the chimp characters of McDowall were the one force the unified all of the Apes movies and provided a sense of continuity.
The Chimpanzee characters of Roddy McDowall unify the storyline of the Ape Saga from movie to movie.
THE ORANGUTANS
The Oragautan's act as the chief council and law makers among Ape Society. They are often deep in thought contemplating social implications of policies, as well as trying to create cohesion within the Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and Oragutan subgroups of society. The most famous Orangutan leader is Dr. Zauis. In the future Zauis serves as the chief defender of the faith in the first two Planet of the Apes movies. He works to control unruly gorillas by allying with their leader General Ursus. Zauis while a scientist at heart respects social implications of science more so than science itself. Other notable Oragutan figures include the Law Giver who acts as teacher of Apes and Human children in the future of the Battle for the Planet of the Apes movie. In addition to the lawgiver the Oragutan known as Virgil served as the all knowing advisor to Caesar in the last film. A guardian of Caesar's concience Mandemus served as a keeper of an armory of weapons meant to insure power is not misused. With the exception of Virgil, the Law Giver, and Mandemus, Orangutan's are largely portrayed throughout the Apes saga as politicians.
Dr Zauis was the most famous Orangutan and Defender of the Faith
RODDY MCDOWALL'S CHARACTERS
Roddy McDowall as Cornelius, Caesar, and Galen
To many Roddy McDowall represents the heart of the Apes saga. Playing multiple characters in both the movie series and the TV series McDowall was the one actor that had to be worked into the Apes saga in one way or the other. His acting seemed an integral part of the storyline that could not be lost even as other characters and actors came and went in the saga.
McDowall played Cornelius a scientific sort in the first film that finds the prospect of a talking Man Taylor, and his tale of a world where man ruled to be intriguing. He helps the Man escape into an area known as the Forbidden Zone. In the second film, McDowall's character returns as Cornelius albeit as played by another actor. McDowall still provided the voice of this Cornelius character. In the third film McDowall's character escaped nuclear destruction and travels back in time to modern day America. There he is questioned and examined by fearful humans before being killed for the dangers he represents to the world. McDowall returns in the fourth film as Caesar, the son of his former Cornelius character. Caesar exists as the only talking Ape amidst the enslavement of his kind by a greedy man. Caesar picks his own name from a book when he is purchased into a life of slavery to protect the secret of his abilities and ancetry from the talking Apes. Shortly Cesar leads an uprising and Apes reclaim their freedom from man.
In the fifth and final film Caesar presides over man and ape alike who have survived nuclear holocaust in the hope sof building a world where man and ape live in peace. The movie saga inspired a TV series where McDowall returns again as the character Galen who teams with two American astronaughts who crash on his future Ape World and are on the run from Ape authorities.
PLANET OF THE APES MOVIE CHARACTERS:
Astronaut Taylor played by Charlton Heston Taylor is among a trio of astronauts to land on a strange new world after being in deep sleep for a really long time. He arrives on a world inhabited by primitive humans and highly developed Apes. The Apes discover that Taylor can talk. Chimpanzees Zira and Cornelius help Taylor escape from Gorilla soldiers that want him killed out of fear he may damage the foundation of Ape society and beliefs or lead a revolution.
Nova played by Linda Harrison
Nova is a native human that Taylor finds on the Ape world. She is unable to speak and primitive on many levels. Still Taylor is captivated by her. The Apes try to pair Nova and Taylor together for breeding purposes. Nova becomes a faithful follower of Taylor and travels with Taylor into the Forbidden Zone. Nova returns in the second Apes movie and helps a new crashed earthly astronaught in his quest to find Taylor.
Dr Zaius played by Maurice Evans
Dr Zaius serves as a politial leader and the "Defender of the Faith" in Ape Society. He knows of Man's past as the dominating life force on Earth, and of the Ape's true past as beasts and then slaves to man. Along with his Gorilla Ally General Ursus he keeps the secret of Man's legacy from Ape society and questions talking astronaut Taylor about his origin. Petrified of man and his dangerous bloodthirsty nature Zauis keeps watch over an area known as the Forbidden Zone where artifacts of man's past exist.
Cornelius played by Roddy McDowall
Cornelius is an archaelogist who has explored the Forbidden Zone of the Ape World. There he found evidence of a culture much older than any Ape culture known to exist. Orangautaun Dr Zauis condems his research in this area as heresy although Zaius knows that Cornelius stumbled onto artifacts from man's previous dominant culture on the planet before the Apes. Cornelius therorizes that his artifact discoveries prove that a higher culture existed before the current ape one. A missing link perhaps half way between Man and Apes lead up to the creation of modern day Apes he believes. His theory that Ape's evolved from men, is ridiculed by Zaius and other religious officials as heresy. Cornelius wants to keep his place in society and tries to keep some of his beliefs to himself because of this. When Taylor, a talking human arrives on the scene his wife convinces him that they just have to help him escape Ape authorities. Cornelius is the reluctant hero.
Chimpanzee Zira played by Kim Hunter
Zira is a veternarian and noted scientist in the areas of pschology on the Ape world. Zira performs brain research on humans, who on her world are considered no different than lab animals. She believes studying lower lifeforms like man can lead to medical advancements for her own Simian race. She discovers Taylor, a man who can speak, and refers to him as bright eyes. She finds the tale of his origin fascinating and convinces her husband Cornelius that they have to help Taylor escape Ape authorities.
Other Characters
Astronaugt Dodge played by Jeff Burton - survives crash on strange new planet only to be shot and killed by Gorilla soldiers. Late he is exhibted as a stuffed animal in a museum.
Astronaut Landon played by Robert Gunner - an all American chosen for a mission in space he could not turn down because of pride. Captured by Gorillas's and lobotomized.
Lucius played by Lou Wagner, Zira's chimpanzee nephew and an idealist eager to help Taylor and suspicous of adults in general
BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES CHARACTERS:
Astonaut Brent played by James Franciscus Brent an astronaut from Earth's past arrives on the Ape world in search of Taylor from the first movie who was sent to find. He lands near the Forbidden Zone and soon finds Nova, Taylor's girl from the first movie. Nova leads Brent to Chimapanzee Zira who helps him escape ape authorities and find his way back into the Forbidden Zone in search of Taylor who he nearly kills in a fight he is forced to participate in.
General Ursus played by James Gregory
General Ursus is the commander of the Gorilla armies of Apedom. Ursus collaborates with orgautaun Dr Zauis and uses Zauis' status in politics to spur his own desires for conquest and war. Ursus utterly hates man, and sees man purpose as target practice, and reluctantly as slaves. Ursus utters to the world. that "The only good human is a dead human." This pretty much summarizes the General's true feelings of man. Unlike Dr Zauis that sees the scientific ramifications of large population of humans, Ursus just doesen't like seeing humans around. Ursus is the brutish gorilla commander that everyone loves to hate.
Dr Zaius played by Maurice Evans
Dr Zaius serves as a politial leader and the "Defender of the Faith" in Ape Society. He knows of Man's past as the dominating life force on Earth, and of the Ape's true past as beasts and then slaves to man. Along with his Gorilla Ally General Ursus he keeps the secret of Man's legacy from Ape societ . Petrified of man and his dangerous bloodthirsty nature Zauis keeps watch over an area known as the Forbidden Zone where artifacts of man's past exist. Zaius watches as his people decide its time to invade the Forbidden Zone. Zaius has no choice but to go along despite his reservations about explorings the Forbidden Zone.
Cornelius played by David Watson
Cornelius an archaelogist from the first movie returns for a brief role in this second Apes films. The original actor, Roddy McDowall who played Cornelius was unable to reprise his role. Instead a new actor is brought in and Roddy McDowall provides the voice while the actual actor mouths the words. Cornelius watches as his wife Zira becomes more rebellious and pretends to have hit her at home for her behavior so that Dr Zauis would not give him trouble. .
Zira played by Kim Hunter
Zira is a veternarian and noted scientist in the areas of pschology on the Ape world. Zira becomes rebellious when she sees Gorilla militaristic talk everywhere. The Gorilla leader Ursus she greatly fears. Another talking man, Brent is lead to her and she helps him to escape Ape authorities.
Astronaut Taylor played by Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston reprises his role as Taylor the American astronaut who crashed lands on Earth in a future where Apes rule. Another astronaught, Brent is sent to find out what happend to Taylor. Together Brent and Taylor battle a group of subterranian mutants who worship an atomic bomb as well as hordes of Gorilla soldiers in an attempt to save the world from destruction by a great doomsday bomb. At the movie's end Taylor is shot and asks Orangautaun Dr Zaius for help to save the world. He refuses and then Taylor pushes a button that detonates the nuclear bomb to signify that the world has gone to hell and he might as well finish the job for good.
Nova played by Linda Harrison
Nova, the human female that astronaut Taylor found so appealing in the first movie returns in this second film. She has lost Taylor who feel through a mirage into an unknown place. She discovers a new talking man, an astronaught named Brent and together she and Brent search for Taylor. Along the way they encounter mutant people with mind control powers who try to force Brent to kill Nova. The mutants have captured Taylor and force Tayloer and Brent to fight to the death. Nova speaks for the first time to say Taylor's name and kills the mutant forcing Taylor and Brent to fight. Nova is shot by a Gorilla guard right afterwords which greatly devestates Taylor and contributes to his decision to let a nuclear bomb destroy the world.
The Mutants
The mutants live in the Forbidden Zone and worship an atomic bomb they believe is an instrument of peace. They have great telepathic powers and can force people to kill each other just by projecting thoughts. The mutants force Taylor and Brent to fight, and begin preparations to launch a nuclear bomb to bring peace to the world
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES CHARACTERS
Zira played by Kim Hunter Zira a veternarian and medical researcher travels in time and reaches present day America. At first she is thought to be nothing more than an animal who has learned the art of mimicry. But before a grand commision she shows herself to be more than just a dumb animal. The audience in the room applaudes her speach even. Zira speaks at womens causes and appears to have assimilated well with humans. But the stories of Ape's dominating the world in the future cause many to be uneasy. Zira who is pregant is ordered to have an abortion. She escapes with Cornelius and is later shot dead..
Cornelius played by Roddy McDowall
Cornelius an archaelogist, and a proponent of evolution on his world arrives in present day America. But is very suspcious of everything. He befriends a doctor that helps him to escape with his wife, but ultimately he is killed but not before giving birth to a succesor that will lead the Apes in revolt in the next film..
Dr Lewis Dickson played by Bradford Dillman
Dr Dickson is a pschologist and expert in veternary science. He first notices the incredible intelligence of Cornelius an Zira and comes to think of them fondly. He finds the govermen't plans to abort Zira's baby to be unfair and ultimately helps Zira and Cornelius to escape.
Dr Milo played by Sal Mineo
Dr Milo is the third of a trio of Chimpanzees that arrives from Earth's future to present day America. Milo repaired the spacecraft that brought them to Earth and understands it better than either Zira or Cornelius do in this respect. Milo believes the three chimpanzees should remain quiet until they know their friends from their enemies. Zira however gets mad and speaks ending this plan. Milo is killed in a zoo by a large gorilla in a neighboring cage which chokes him to death.
Dr Otto Hasslein played by Eric Braeden
A senior Scientific advisor to the President of the United States. Hasslein beliees the only way to prevent Ape dominance of man in the future is to kill Zira, Cornellius and their baby. The President however thinks aborting their baby is all that is necessary. When Zira and Cornellius escape Hasslein uses their escape to justify hunting them down which he does.
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES CHARACTERS
Ceasar played by Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall plays the offspring of his previous character Cornelius in this fourth Ape film. From the moment Ceasar was born into the world, Man hunted him out of fear. His parents were talking Apes from the future, and the world feared he would be a talking Ape too and perhaps one that would lead his fellow Ape brothers in revolt. His parents are killed and Ceasar is hidden from the world by circus trainer Armando. Armando hides the truth of the world from Caesar for many years. But finally Caesar is allowed to see the truth, and see the servitude his fellow Apes must endure.
During one particularly violent action by man against Ape, Ceasar blurts out an anti-human comment that gets him into trouble. He wonders off to further compund the problem. His trainer Armando tries to explain that he spoke instead of Caesar but doubt remained. Armando decides it is just too risky for Caesar as things are and arranges for Ceasar to be sneaked into a cargo sell with other Apes arriving in America.
From there Caesar is bid on as a slave and becomes the personal assistant of Governor Breck the adminstrator of the vast Ape Managment complex. Caesar learns how humans are, and their weaknesses and plots his revolution with his fellow Apes. He forges human signatures to make it appear that human masters had sent Ape slaves to purchase guns and other things. After weapons and sufficient numbers have accumulated in his army he revolts, occupies Ape Managment, and forces its Governor to cower in fear.
Lisa played by Natalie Trundy
Lisa is a female chimpanzee that Caesar begins to take a liking to. Caesar is forced by Ape Managment to mate with Lisa although he doesen't seem to mind. Lisa is famous for her characteristic smile which seems quite pleasant to Caesar amidst the cruleness of the worl dhe sees. Lisa and Caesar marry an dhave an offspring in the last Planet of the Apes movie, Battle for the Planet of the Apes.
Armando played by Ricardo Montalban
Armando runs a circus act, and one of his prize performers is Caesar. Armando knows of his parent's past as the talking apes of Earth and seeks to hide Caesar's identity from the world. But one day Caesar speaks and runs away. To cover up things Caesar is hidden with a shipment of Apes bound for sell in America. Armando commits suicide by jumping out of a window rather than telling what he knows about Caesar.
Gorilla Aldo played by David Chow
Aldo is a Gorilla slave that performs basic menial labor for his human masters. Aldo however becomes agitated with his lot in life and is the first Ape to ever say "NO" to one of his human masters. From that point on Caesar's revolution begins and Aldo is a big part of it. Aldo later becomes power mad himself in the last Planet of the Apes movie in which he is the first Ape to kill another Ape.
Governor Breck played by Don Murray
Governor Breck leads a vast semi govermental organiation known as Ape Management. From this facility Apes are dometicated, trained, and their social impact is constantly being measured. Breck purchases one Chimpanzee in particular at an auction and lets him pick his own name. This chimp was to be Caesar the legendary offspring of talking apes from the future. Caesar leads a revolution and matches wits with Breck and his security units who take to the streets as Marshal Law is declared.
MacDonald is one of Governor Breck's assistant's. His own lot in life as a black man allows him to understand the struggle for freedom that Chimpanzee Caesar is trying to lead. MacDonald helps Caesar fake his own death during an electrocution and largely lives to regret his decision as Caesar attempts to become a master of sorts himself albeit a "humane" one.
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES CHARACTERS
Caesar the leader of the great Ape rebellion in the previous movie, leads a band of humans and apes. His aim is to create a society where apes and humans can live in peace. He still somehow believes Apes are superior to men inspite the fact he makes a human a teacher for apes and humans alike. His son is killed by Gorilla Aldo and Caesar has to lead his people against human adversaries while dealing with a Gorilla uprising for power within.
Lisa played by Natalie Trundy
Lisa is Caesar's wife which he meets in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Lisa serves as a calming voice of reason in Caesar's life. Her upbeat smile and care for her son Cornelius are a constant source of reassurance to Caesar who often doubts his own leadership abilities.
Caesar's Son Cornelius played by Bobby Porter
Caesar's son Cornelius, is an idealist that doesen't realize how far the gorillas will go to seize power. Gorilla General Aldo plans to seize weapons and young Caesar overhears everything and is hunted into a tree until he finally falls and dies. Cornelius was the first ape ever to be killed by another ape.
Virgil played by Paul Williams
Virgil is the wisest Ape in Battle for the Planet of the Apes. He contemplates timetravel and leads a scientific investigation group into an area of radiation with Caesar, and human McDonald. Virgil attempts to alert Caesar of the powers that Gorilla Aldo is asserting but Caesar worries about the life of his own son at the time. Virgil uses reason and logic to restore Caesar's confidence in the ideal of a society where man and Ape live together in peace.
MacDonald played by Austin Stoker
MacDonald is the brother of the other MacDonald from the previous film who was an assistant to human Governor Breck who ran ape central. MacDonald speaks of a need for equality between apes and men and constantly runs to Ceasar whenever the Gorillas threaten to do something bad to humans.
General Aldo played by Claude Akins
General Aldo the first Ape ever to say no to humans becomes the most power hungry ape in the entire Apes saga. Aldo kills leader Ceasar's son when the son overhears his plans for revolt against Ceasar. Aldo gives a great chant entailing how "Guns are Power, We Need Guns" to his fellow gorillas. Armed with that motivation Aldo's gorillas seize control of the weapon's arsenol's of their community and use the weapons to imprision humans and seize control before humans attack. Aldo is killed by Ceasar for his treachery.
The Lawgiver/The Storyteller played by John Huston
The Storyteller is the Ape that tells the story of Battle for the Planet of the Apes from a point far in the future. He tells of Ceasar's struggles and how the future for Apes and Humans is not set. With a voice that resonates the power of the Ape story the storyteller ends his tale in the future in a world where a stature of Caesar and his ideals are still a goal to reach for.
Mutated Human
Mutated by Radiation, humans hide in a complex far from the Apes. Their leader was an assitant to Governor Breck who commaned Ape Central during the previous movie. The humans seem bent on eradicating the Apes and bringing them down to the level of life and misery that their member ranks must endure daily.
THE PLANET OF THE APES TV SERIES
The Planet of the Apes movie saga ventured into a live action series which premiered in 1974 on CBS. The show takes place after the events of the first movie. The premise of the show is that two astonauts from Earth's past, Virdon and Burke arrive in Earth's future which is dominated by Apes. They befriend a chimpanzee named Galen and together the three of them exist as fugitives from ape authorites.
Each episode began with music building slowly in the background which climaxes with a loud trumpet call. Then the camera slowly zooms in on
a hunter raising his rifle overhead in triumph. The hunter is a Gorilla soldier and his salute to victory represents man's downfall from dominance.
The show was scheduled to run 24 episodes but only 14 were completed.
Starring:
Roddy McDowall as Chimpanzee Galen
Ron Harper as Astronaut Virdon
James Naughton as Astronaut Burke
Mark Leonard as Gorilla Urko
Booth Colman as Orangutan Dr. Zaius
2001 MOVIE
Review and Plot Summary
Brief Plot Summary:
A human astronaut, Leo pursues his chimpanzee trainee, Pericles who is lost after exploring a dangerous electromagnetic storm. The astronaut is pushed forward in time and arrives on a strange new world. The world is ruled by Apes, and humans are the slaves. Gathering strength from a human tribe the astronaut arrives at a showdown between the powerful ape armies and a meager human resistance force whose aim is to defeat the Apes that rule their world.
Extended Plot Summary
Onboard the Oberon space station an astronaut named Leo works closely with chimpanzees whom are trained to serve as guiena pigs for particularly dangerous exploration missions in space. His favorite chimpanzee is Pericles. Pericles learns from training simulators and is rewarded with treats when he achieves his objectives. Leo is summoned to the command deck of the space station where a new situation has emerged; a giant electromagnetic storm. The storm sends all of the radio and television broadcasts of Earth out toward the Oberon. The Oberon's commander decides to send out a chimp, Pericles to see if conditions are safe to send out manned vessels to explore the storm.
When the chimp is lost the space station commander writes off the chimp and prepares to forget the storm. Astronaut Leo however has other ideas and sneaks onboard an escape pod and travels in pursuit of his chimpanzee trainee into space. Leo loses contact with his space station and is pushed forward in time to a strange new world. Crashing in a jungle his people onboard the Oberon search for him.
Shortly after crashing Leo looks around to see rustling among the brush. Humans emerge fleeing in terror. After a short contemplation Leo takes off with them and runs. Out of the distance Apes emerge. With gorillas on horseback and chimpanzees running on all fours, the apes chase after humanity, the inferior race they hunt and have mastered. After the lot is rounded up they are tossed in bags and hauled back to Ape City where they are sold off as slaves.
The possibilities for explaining the ending are numerous, but include:
1. Astronaut Leo does not land on Planet Earth even though he thinks he does. Instead he lands on the planet he just left from only arriving farther into its future.
2. Astronaut Leo arrives on a Planet other than the Earth or the Ape world he left from.
3. General Thad escapes his captivity and leads a group of Apes in a pursuit to conquer the Earth before humanity was strong via timetravel. Astronaut Leo then arrives on Earth to see the results of this conquest.
4. The ending (or entire movie after Leo leaves the spacestation) is a dream, story, or some other contraption which will have no validity in future sequels.
Comments on the Ending
While the Planet of the Apes 2001 movie requires a certain science fiction like leap of faith throughout to swallow, the ending presents an even more peculiar situation to explain. Astronaut Leo crash lands on a planet other than Earth in which Apes dominate human kind due to the crashlanding of his spacestation and its crew of humans and primates. But at the movie's end Leo travels through an electromagnetic storm that leads him back in time to what appears to be his home planet of Earth in the past. While landing he is directed to land and crashes in what resembles Washington, DC the capital of the United States. He then looks up to see the Lincoln Monument is now a monument of a chimpanzee, General Thad whom the statue is dedicated to. If this planet is Earth that Leo landed on then just how did Apes become dominant and assume human culture, while humans appear to have been eradicated. There are a few possibilities, and lots of people are trying to make sense of this ending, which appears to be thrown in just to give a twist inspite of the lack of logic the ending has.
The possibilities for explaining the ending are numerous, but include:
1. Astronaut Leo does not land on Planet Earth even though he thinks he does. Instead he lands on the planet he just left from only arriving farther into its future.
This may seem unlikely, but if Astronaut Leo traversed the electromagnetic void and arrived back at his original Ape planet in the future it is possible that during that time Thade escaped and gained control of the Semos problem and galavanized his kind to destroy humanity. After humanity is wiped out Thade sets about to mimic the great civilization that he could have viewed via the computers of the Oberon that captured all of Earth's electromagnetic broadcasts according to its crew.
2. Astronaut Leo arrives on a Planet other than the Earth or the Ape world he left from.
If Astronaut Leo travels to the coordinates in his former chimps pod, then the coordinates would probably be stored onboard the crashed Oberon space station. Shortly after Leo leaves for what he thinks is the Earth, Thade travels to this location as well. Because of the way the film portrays time travel he arrives on the planet before Leo does and perhaps with a small group populates the planet or brings civilization to any native ape creatures on the planet. From that point Thade recreates the culture of man he could have viewed during his time trapped onboard the Oberon via the computer situated in the corner of his cell.
3. General Thad escapes his captivity and leads a group of Apes in a pursuit to conquer the Earth before humanity was strong via timetravel. Astronaut Leo then arrives on Earth to see the results of this conquest.
This is how many people believe the ending will be explained in a sequel. As the film ends, General Thad is trapped in a small room onboard the former space station Oberon he can not escape from with the gun he has. In the corner of the room one can see a computer. During the space station Oberon's travels near the electromagnetic disturbance in space all of the television broadcasts of the Earth were being intercepted according to its crew. If these incoming transmissions from Earth's past were strored onboard a computer network of the space station then in theory Thade could retrieve them and learn all about humanity's history from the computer in the corner of his cell. With this knowledge its only a small leap of faith to assume that Thade somehow escapes his cell with the coordinates to Earth. From there he could have either retrieved the crashed space veseel that Astronaut Leo used to reach the Ape world, or fly the entire crashed spash station via some unknown onboard power supply to Earth's past. Since on this planet the Lincoln Memorial is of Thade, one could presume that Thade traveled to some period of time during the US Civil War. With the knowledge of modern laser weapons and flying vehicles, Thade and a small force could in theory have overwhelmed human beings fighting with breech loading weapons and conquer the Earth with time. Thade could have also just traveled 10,000 years back or so and created his own civilization which would have vanquished the then slowly emerging human one. Then with the knowlege of human history Thade would recreate via mimicry what he saw via Earth's electromagnetic broadcasts.
4. The ending (or entire movie after Leo leaves the spacestation) is a dream, story, or some other contraption which will have no validity in future sequels.
It might seem silly to assume that ending or much of the film is in fact a dream or story. But if one looks at the original novel that the movie is based on then this is indeed possible. In the original Planet of the Apes novel by Pierre Boulle the entire tale is about a bottle found with a story inside which is discovered by a couple who are enjoying time in space. The story tells them of a group of space explorers who land on an alien world to explore it with a smaller craft. They left their giant home space vessel orbiting the planet they explored (much as Astronaut Leo thought his space station was orbiting the planet he landed on at one point.) By the end of the story only one man survives who travels to Earth which should be several hundred years into the future because of the science of spacetravel. Upon arriving on Earth, Apes rule it. The couple who discovered the story in a bottle conclude "A likely story. It just shows there are poets everywhere in every corner of the cosmos, and practical jokers too." Of course it is doubtful this will be used as an explanation for the bizarre ending of the movie, but its possible if one looks at the novel the original Apes saga sprung forth from.
All that has to be true in regards to the movie for this scenario to come into play is for Leo to have become unconcious during his time in the electromagnetic storm. He could have dreamed arriving on the Ape world, and dreamed his crash landing. Then for a new movie he would awake in space and the story could continue anyway desired.
APE SOCIETY
After the great nuclear nightmare and Ape uprising that ended Man's dominance on Earth, primates of all sorts; "the Apes" established their own order of society. Much like Man's civilization of the 1800's, the Apes have feudal societies composed mostly of farmers and craftsman. Science is just beginning to take hold as superstitution, tradition, and religion collectively work to limit progress. The Apes have different suborders within their ranks such as the Gorillias, the Chimpanzees, and the Oragataun's. The Gorillias are pretty much delegated to roles as soldiers and protectors because of their great physical strength. Oragautan's dwell among the realms of the judges, politicians, and rulers of this new world. Chimpanzees are largely workers and on occasion scientists and doctors. The Oragauantans as politicians work with the Gorilla army to maintain order and keep the secrets of Man's former glory and the Apes former slave status from the masses they lead.
Small communities surrounded by vast untamed wilderness surround the Ape City capital. Beyond that wilderness lies the Forbidden Zone where artifacts and secrets from the past remain hidden. Living in ignorance of their past, the Apes in general believe themselves to be Man's superior by design and by history. Humans do not fit within the Ape Society except as zoo animals are kept around to marvel at or experiment on. Humans are herded and used for target practice. Only in the very last Apes film does the Ape saga hint at a future in which Apes and Man may exist as equals.
In the future, Ape science consists largely of technologies learned or stolen from their former human masters. Gunpowder and repeating rifles, coupled with domesticated horses, roads, and agricultural technology are in essence all the Apes have acheived. Absent from their world are domesticated pets such as dogs and cats since plague had long killed them all off. In their place the Apes keep humans around.
The great acheivements of the Apes lie in their social cohesiveness. Despite animosity between gorillas, chimps, and orgauatans, the Apes have managed to create an ordered world without murder. Only at the end of the last Apes film has an Ape killed another; when Gorilla Aldo kills leader Ceasar's son to further his coup for power. But ordered peace has a price as science and knowledge are held back and actively discouraged in many instances for the good of "the faith" or to prevent "chaos."
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MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Julius: You know the saying, "Human see, human do."
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George Taylor: I'm a seeker too. But my dreams aren't like yours. I can't help thinking that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man. Has to be.
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George Taylor: Imagine me needing someone. Back on Earth I never did. Oh, there were women. Lots of women. Lots of love-making but no love. You see, that was the kind of world we'd made. So I left, because there was no one to hold me there.
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George Taylor: It's a mad house. A mad house.
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George Taylor: Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye.
Dr. Zira: All right, but you're so damned ugly.
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[Taylor ties up Dr. Zaius]
Dr. Zira: Taylor! Don't treat him that way!
George Taylor: Why not?
Dr. Zira: It's humiliating!
George Taylor: The way you humiliated me? All of you? YOU led me around on a LEASH!
Cornelius: That was different. We thought you were inferior.
George Taylor: Now you know better.
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Cornelius: [reading from the sacred scrolls of the apes] Beware the beast man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death.
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Dr. Zira: What will he find out there, doctor?
Dr. Zaius: His destiny.
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[the first words ever spoken by a human to the apes]
George Taylor: Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!
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George Taylor: A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer.
Dr. Zaius: Don't look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you find.
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[brandishing a rifle]
George Taylor: Don't try to follow me. I'm pretty handy with this.
Dr. Zaius: Of that I'm sure. All my life I've awaited your coming and dreaded it.
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[last lines]
George Taylor: Oh my God. I'm back. I'm home. All the time, it was... We finally really did it.
[screaming]
George Taylor: You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!
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Cornelius: Well Taylor, we're all fugitives now.
George Taylor: Do you have any weapons, any guns?
Cornelius: The best, but we won't need them.
George Taylor: I'm glad to hear it. I want one anyway.
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George Taylor: Dr., would an ape make a human doll, that TALKS?
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Dr. Zaius: Dr. Zira, I must caution you. Experimental brain surgery on these creatures is one thing, and I'm all in favor of it. But your behavior studies are another matter. To suggest that we can learn anything about the simian nature from a study of man is sheer nonsense. Why, man is a nuisance. He eats up his food supply in the forest, then migrates to our green belts and ravages our crops. The sooner he is exterminated, the better. It's a question of simian survival.
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Dr. Zaius: Ah, yes - the young ape with a shovel. I hear you're planning another archeological expedition. Cornelius, a friendly word of warning - as you dig for artifacts, be sure you don't bury your reputation.
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Dr. Zaius: You are a menace. A walking pestilence.
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Dr. Zaius: You are right, I have always known about man. From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain. He must be a warlike creature who gives battle to everything around him, even himself.
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George Taylor: What evidence? There were no weapons in that cave.
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Dr. Zaius: The Forbidden Zone was once a paradise. Your breed made a desert of it, ages ago.
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Dr. Zaius: I see you've brought the female of your species. I didn't realize that man could be monogamous.
George Taylor: On this planet, it's easy.
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[after seeing Taylor shave off his beard]
Lucius: Why did you do that? Scrape off your hair?
George Taylor: In my world, when I left it, only kids your age wore beards.
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Dr. Zaius: Have you forgotten your scripture, the thirteenth scroll? "And Proteus brought the upright beast into the garden and chained him to a tree and the children did make sport of him."
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Dr. Zaius: Tell me, why are all apes created equal?
George Taylor: Some apes, it seems, are more equal than others.
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Leader of the hunt: I don't understand these animal psychologists. What is Dr. Zira trying to prove?
Dr. Zaius: That man can be domesticated.
[the hunt leader begins to laugh in disbelief]
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George Taylor: Theres your Minister of Science; honor bound to expand the frontiers of knowledge.
Dr. Zira: Taylor please!
George Taylor: Except that hes also Chief Defender of the Faith!
Dr. Zaius: There is no contridiction between faith and science... true science.
George Taylor: Are you willing to put that statement to the test?
Cornelius: Taylor I would much rather...
George Taylor: Take it easy, you saved me from this fanatic, maybe I can return the favor!
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Landon: [Reflecting on Stewart's death and Taylor's reaction to it] You don't seem too cut up about it...
George Taylor: It's too late for a wake. She's been dead nearly a year.
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Dodge: [On deciding where to continue next] Which direction?
George Taylor: That way...
Dodge: Any particular reason?
George Taylor: [sarcastically] None at all...
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[first lines]
George Taylor: And that completes my final report until we reach touchdown. We're now on full automatic, in the hands of the computers. I have tucked my crew in for the long sleep and I'll be joining them soon. In less than an hour, we'll finish our sixth month out of Cape Kennedy. Six months in deep space - by our time, that is. According to Dr. Haslein's theory of time, in a vehicle travelling nearly the speed of light, the Earth has aged nearly 700 years since we left it, while we've aged hardly at all. Maybe so. This much is probably true - the men who sent us on this journey are long since dead and gone. You who are reading me now are a different breed - I hope a better one. I leave the 20th century with no regrets. But one more thing - if anybody's listening, that is. Nothing scientific. It's purely personal. But seen from out here everything seems different. Time bends. Space is boundless. It squashes a man's ego. I feel lonely. That's about it. Tell me, though. Does man, that marvel of the universe, that glorious paradox who sent me to the stars, still make war against his brother? Keep his neighbor's children starving?
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George Taylor: Chalk up another victory to the human spirit.
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Cornelius: Taylor, you are not in command here. Put down that gun!
George Taylor: Shut up!
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