Plot problems - Planet of the Apes (1968)

[ScifiGuy]

In 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes', Cornelius and Zira flee back through time to 20th Century Los Angeles. Zira is pregnant with baby Milo -- I always thought all the intelligent apes were descended from him.

I realise that its a temporal paradox -- a loop -- how could they be descended from him when he came from the future.

But, now I just re-read some reviews on that film and the baby gets shot anyway.

It is explained in 'Escape from Planet of the Apes' by Cornelius how Apes came to be in major cities in America, but its not such a good explanation. He explains that a plague wiped out cats and dogs so humanity starting taking in Apes as pets. Eventually these Apes (after much training to service humanity) got more and more intelligent and began to display the traits that would eventually lead them to become like Cornelius himself.



The book, which I haven't read, but have read about, is a different matter entirely. It doesn't have the story of Apes going back in time, but Apes as pets would still be plausible.

I thought that the book wasn't set on Earth at all, I think it is a space mission to some distant solar system and the planet is never named. Correct me if I'm wrong.



Are they mute? Or do they just not know how to speak? They have been kept as slaves with no education. The apes think the humans aren't intelligent, but we know different.

I guess that they really should have some language, even if it isn't the same as the apes speak (English?).

As for the Statue of Liberty: Maybe the bomb just missed it?

Milo was not shot. He was swapped for another ape, and hid out for several years.

The explanation sucked balls, that's for sure.

The planet in the book was named Soror (Latin for sister).

 

[Dave]

You can't have read the whole of this thread, because I later acknowledged that. However, it wasn't certain that the circus owner switched baby chimps. It all hangs on Milo saying "Mama" in the final scene. Read JD's post about the allegorical nature of the story which explains why some things were written the way they were, even at the expense of them making any sense. Still a great franchise. Pity about Tim Burton though.

 

[BAYLOR]

In 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes', Cornelius and Zira flee back through time to 20th Century Los Angeles. Zira is pregnant with baby Milo -- I always thought all the intelligent apes were descended from him.

I realise that its a temporal paradox -- a loop -- how could they be descended from him when he came from the future.

But, now I just re-read some reviews on that film and the baby gets shot anyway.

It is explained in 'Escape from Planet of the Apes' by Cornelius how Apes came to be in major cities in America, but its not such a good explanation. He explains that a plague wiped out cats and dogs so humanity starting taking in Apes as pets. Eventually these Apes (after much training to service humanity) got more and more intelligent and began to display the traits that would eventually lead them to become like Cornelius himself.



The book, which I haven't read, but have read about, is a different matter entirely. It doesn't have the story of Apes going back in time, but Apes as pets would still be plausible.

I thought that the book wasn't set on Earth at all, I think it is a space mission to some distant solar system and the planet is never named. Correct me if I'm wrong.



Are they mute? Or do they just not know how to speak? They have been kept as slaves with no education. The apes think the humans aren't intelligent, but we know different.

I guess that they really should have some language, even if it isn't the same as the apes speak (English?).

As for the Statue of Liberty: Maybe the bomb just missed it?

You might find Andrew Gaska's novel Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes to be of interest.

 

[BAYLOR]

There biggest problem with Planet of the Apes is not this film nor it's sequel Beneath The Planet of the Apes. The problems really state in Escape from The Planet of the Apes . In this film Cornelius , Zira and new ape Character Dr Milo show up in 20th century Earth in Taylor's space How is this possible ? It shouldn't because everyone died in the 2nd film . How did they get the ship out of the water and space worthy. and How did the ship get into space without a booster section? No, there is no easy you can really have any additional sequels after the second film. There is no hint of any kind of a story set up for the third film.

 

[Judderman]

As classic as the old films I think the plots in Rise (2011) and Dawn (2014) of the Planet of the Apes make more sense for the start of the intelligent ape (non-human) races. Though I suspect if the same team remade Planet of the Apes again you would still get plot problems. Also in the reboot civilization isn't at a level to do time travel and the apes are already taking over.

 

[Cli-Fi]

The original book (Monkey Planet, teehee) was set in France, the movie was set in the eastern US, where did all those monkey's come from? I would understand if the story was set in a continent known for it's simians, but it seems a little inconsistent.

Good points, the new trilogy sort of goes into this a bit and shows you how "Cesar" of the Ape world became the legend/God that he is in their world. Cesar is a baby in the first movie and learns to talk through genetic experimentation and James Franco. In second film, Cesar frees a bunch of laboratory Apes and grows to like apes better than humans but still has sympathy for them. Even after he teaches other apes how to become self aware, and other apes hate humans more. He tries to tell them to be kind. But one Ape starts a war...

Maybe the third movie will talk about the muteness.

 

[BAYLOR]

Good points, the new trilogy sort of goes into this a bit and shows you how "Cesar" of the Ape world became the legend/God that he is in their world. Cesar is a baby in the first movie and learns to talk through genetic experimentation and James Franco. In second film, Cesar frees a bunch of laboratory Apes and grows to like apes better than humans but still has sympathy for them. Even after he teaches other apes how to become self aware, and other apes hate humans more. He tries to tell them to be kind. But one Ape starts a war...

Maybe the third movie will talk about the muteness.

Both of this film were excellent , but overall depressing . I doubt I'm going bother seeing any more of them, because they're likely going to follow the same pessimistic route of the original.

 

[ScifiGuy]

As classic as the old films I think the plots in Rise (2011) and Dawn (2014) of the Planet of the Apes make more sense for the start of the intelligent ape (non-human) races. Though I suspect if the same team remade Planet of the Apes again you would still get plot problems. Also in the reboot civilization isn't at a level to do time travel and the apes are already taking over.

I'd have to agree. But you know what I wonder about? In Dawn, chimpanzees were on top, so how did orangutans end up in charge in the classics?

 

[BAYLOR]

I'd have to agree. But you know what I wonder about? In Dawn, chimpanzees were on top, so how did orangutans end up in charge in the classics?

The Lawgiver was an orangutan. Unless they follow a different road here.

 

[Judderman]

Orangutans could be senior figures but they are low in numbers, at least in our present day.

 

[ScifiGuy]

Orangutans could be senior figures but they are low in numbers, at least in our present day.

Hmm, makes sense. They certainly are smart. I guess the chimps could come to rely on them to a certain extent, as far as legislation goes, and then they would sort of weasel their way to the top.

 

[MemoryTale]

There biggest problem with Planet of the Apes is not this film nor it's sequel Beneath The Planet of the Apes. The problems really state in Escape from The Planet of the Apes . In this film Cornelius , Zira and new ape Character Dr Milo show up in 20th century Earth in Taylor's space How is this possible ? It shouldn't because everyone died in the 2nd film . How did they get the ship out of the water and space worthy. and How did the ship get into space without a booster section? No, there is no easy you can really have any additional sequels after the second film. There is no hint of any kind of a story set up for the third film.

I heard that Charlton Heston wanted Beneath the Planet of the Apes to be made in such a way as to make sequels impossible. However the studio were against letting a cash cow die before they'd squeezed the udder dry, so this lame idea was greenlit.

Lazy profiteering in Hollywood - not a new thing.

 

[BAYLOR]

I heard that Charlton Heston wanted Beneath the Planet of the Apes to be made in such a way as to make sequels impossible. However the studio were against letting a cash cow die before they'd squeezed the udder dry, so this lame idea was greenlit.

Lazy profiteering in Hollywood - not a new thing.

Heston didn't really want to be in Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

 

[MemoryTale]

Heston didn't really want to be in Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

I don't blame him. It stank.