The Planet of the Apes: Holes in the Plot

[Tom Terrific]

They might been better off to have ended the series with just the first two films.

Then the Planet Earth would have been gone for good.

 

[paranoid marvin]

They might been better off to have ended the series with just the first two films.

Yes. The idea of Cornelius and Zira (offscreen) somehow managing to 'repair' and launch Taylor's spacecraft, before being hurtled back in time by the destruction of the Earth was ridiculous.

The original movie was great, and the premise that most humans have reverted to a primitive state following a nuclear war, whilst the apes have evolved to be the dominant species was not beyond the realms of possibility. The second movie started to stretch the imagination , and perhaps should have been where the movies concluded. But when your films are returning 4,5 or 6 times their budget at the box office then commercially they were going to continue. Perhaps the only surprise is that they stopped making them whilst they were still popular and profitable.

Interestingly the budgets for each of the movies got lower and lower, despite their success. And from what I remember this was borne out with the quality of the costumes, make up and special effects. But the (after the first 2) movies were less about the believability of the science and more a social commentary on society's issues of the day.

 

[paranoid marvin]

No perhaps about it. I grew up in the 1970s and remember all the various strands about all these things, like: nuclear weapons, atomic power, radiation, psychic powers etc... at the time.

The 70s in SF was a transition period between bright progressive futures of the earlier Golden Era, to darker, more dystopian and pessimistic worlds. Of which Planet of the Apes certainly fits!

Tbh I think that most science fiction movies have been less about exploration and adventure, and more about the dangers of alien invasion and (from the 1950s-on) the mis-use of (usually atomic) technology. Most of the 'positive' sci fi movies have come from more modern times with the likes of Close Encounters, ET and Cocoon.

I suppose one of the earlier 'golden' era movies was 'When Worlds Collide' with Humanity's escape to a wonderful alien world.

This is seen with all the 'irradiated monster' movies of the time. Probably the greatest and most significant of these came in 1951 with 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' where Humans were given the ultimatum of behaving or being destroyed.

 

[AllanR]

proclaim that manned flight was not possible when Taylor (Charlton Heston) demonstrated a paper airplane?

The paper airplane was a cheap device. We've had paper airplanes (called paper darts) for two thousand years before we had manned flight. If someone threw a paper airplane around Charlemagne I don't think he would have thought that meant manned flight was possible.

 

[Tom Terrific]

Yes. The idea of Cornelius and Zira (offscreen) somehow managing to 'repair' and launch Taylor's spacecraft, before being hurtled back in time by the destruction of the Earth was ridiculous.

The original movie was great, and the premise that most humans have reverted to a primitive state following a nuclear war, whilst the apes have evolved to be the dominant species was not beyond the realms of possibility. The second movie started to stretch the imagination , and perhaps should have been where the movies concluded. But when your films are returning 4,5 or 6 times their budget at the box office then commercially they were going to continue. Perhaps the only surprise is that they stopped making them whilst they were still popular and profitable.

Interestingly the budgets for each of the movies got lower and lower, despite their success. And from what I remember this was borne out with the quality of the costumes, make up and special effects. But the (after the first 2) movies were less about the believability of the science and more a social commentary on society's issues of the day.

The American spacecraft drowned in the lake. The three apes, Milo, Zira and Cornelius somehow recovered the ship from the bottom of the lake and got her operational again. Wouldn't the computer and all the on board electronics have been destroyed by water? Oh, but wait, there was a second spaceship that crashed on land that the character of James Franciscus arrived in for "Apes" film number two. Could they have salvaged parts from both ships to make one good ship? They had to do this before the character of Heston detonated the "bomb god". They had to learn how to navigate the ship. Did the ship even have enough fuel on board to be hurtled back through time? Does NASA keep operation and repair manuals for spaceships on board the craft?

 

[Tom Terrific]

The American spacecraft Taylor touched down in drowned in the lake in film number one. The three apes, Milo, Zira and Cornelius somehow recovered the ship from the bottom of the lake and got her operational again. Wouldn't the computer and all the on board electronics have been destroyed by water? The ship sprang a hull leak at the time of abandon-ship and the escape hatch was left open. The ship was not "programmed" for a water landing. I don't think the second ship in the second film was even able to manage dry-soil landings to boot. These films infer NASA's "incompetence". Oh, but wait, there was a second spaceship that crashed on land that the character of James Franciscus arrived in for "Apes" film number two. Could they have salvaged parts from both ships to make one good ship? They had to do this before the character of Heston detonated the "bomb god". They had to learn how to navigate the ship. Did the ship even have enough fuel on board to be hurtled back through time? Does NASA keep operation and repair manuals for spaceships on board the craft?

 

[paranoid marvin]

Flight has long been possible; controlled flight was the real issue. If you can use a bow and arrow, a catapult or a gun or cannon, you know that you that you can make an object 'fly'. Controlling that flight was the main issue, and people tended to look to the birds to try to emulate the techology to fly.

It does surprise me to some extent that someone wasn't able to develop a form of hand-glider. After all, we have had kites for more than 2000 years, and the technological step between them isn't that great. I suppose the biggest issue is that any miscalculation or mistakes usually meant serious injury or death to the trialist. Still, with relatively simple technology I'm surprised it took to the mid 19th century to invent a handglider.

 

[BAYLOR]

Yes. The idea of Cornelius and Zira (offscreen) somehow managing to 'repair' and launch Taylor's spacecraft, before being hurtled back in time by the destruction of the Earth was ridiculous.

The original movie was great, and the premise that most humans have reverted to a primitive state following a nuclear war, whilst the apes have evolved to be the dominant species was not beyond the realms of possibility. The second movie started to stretch the imagination , and perhaps should have been where the movies concluded. But when your films are returning 4,5 or 6 times their budget at the box office then commercially they were going to continue. Perhaps the only surprise is that they stopped making them whilst they were still popular and profitable.

Interestingly the budgets for each of the movies got lower and lower, despite their success. And from what I remember this was borne out with the quality of the costumes, make up and special effects. But the (after the first 2) movies were less about the believability of the science and more a social commentary on society's issues of the day.

Though I respect the ending of the second film , I never liked it , way way too downbeat and bleak . If it were up to me , the second film would have had a far different ending and would have take the series in whole new direction.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Though I respect the ending of the second film , I never liked it , way way too downbeat and bleak . If it were up to me , the second film would have had a far different ending and would have take the series in whole new direction.

Even as a kid I wasn't convinced a small golden rocket could wipe out all life on Earth. (It was the 70s we knew all about nuclear war at the time, given that it was a possibility at the time.)

 

[Tom Terrific]

Even as a kid I wasn't convinced a small golden rocket could wipe out all life on Earth. (It was the 70s we knew all about nuclear war at the time, given that it was a possibility at the time.)

Hollywood to some extent made the Apes franchise rather far-fetched. Who here regards the whole Planet of the Apes saga, or any parts of it, as truly SERIOUS works of science fiction?

Could anything portrayed in Apes possibly come true someday?

 

[BAYLOR]

Even as a kid I wasn't convinced a small golden rocket could wipe out all life on Earth. (It was the 70s we knew all about nuclear war at the time, given that it was a possibility at the time.)

There was something about the casing that made it so deadly . What's never made sense to me was how the mutants got hold of such a device in the frost place given they didn't venture out of their city .

 

[BAYLOR]

Hollywood to some extent made the Apes franchise rather far-fetched. Who here regards the whole Planet of the Apes saga, or any parts of it, as truly SERIOUS works of science fiction?

Could anything portrayed in Apes possibly come true someday?

Baring supermassive leaps and bound in genetic entering, Not possible.

 

[Tom Terrific]

Baring supermassive leaps and bound in genetic entering, Not possible.

It's possible that the human species MIGHT be supplanted by some other intelligent life form as ruler of Earth someday.

 

[Stuart Suffel]

It's possible that the human species MIGHT be supplanted by some other intelligent life form as ruler of Earth someday.

Can't find the Simpsons' Insect Overlord clip, so if you could just close your eyes for a moment....

there you go.

 

[BAYLOR]

It's possible that the human species MIGHT be supplanted by some other intelligent life form as ruler of Earth someday.

There was speculative documentary a few years back called The future is Wild . After mankind . Octopuses would would evolve and become land dwellers and eventually would become the ruling intelligence of Planet Earth.

 

[BAYLOR]

Can't find the Simpsons' Insect Overlord clip, so if you could just close your eyes for a moment....

there you go.

I vaguely remember a science fiction story about man put in suspended animation was revived millions of years later by saint sentient Cockroach like creatures.

 

[Dave]

I'm not sure that Planet of the Cockroaches or Planet of the Octopi would have put as many bums on cinema seats?

 

[Stuart Suffel]

There was speculative documentary a few years back called The future is Wild . After mankind . Octopuses would would evolve and become land dwellers and eventually would become the ruling intelligence of Planet Earth.

I wonder will the Dolphins be their social scientist folk?

 

[Stuart Suffel]

I'm not sure that Planet of the Cockroaches or Planet of the Octopi would have put as many bums on cinema seats?

I'd say Planet of the Octopus might work, although singular.
But Planet of the Dolphinari would definitely work!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Well there's probably a couple of billion years of habitable life on the planet. Given the vastness of time, just as has likely happened several times before, a cataclysmic event will occur, and when the Earth eventually recovers another species will be the dominant lifeform on the planet. Humans have currently managed around 6 million years, the last dominant species (the dinosaurs) lasted 20-30 times as long.