Planet of the Apes Review

Messages: The movie raises questions about faith versus science, and suggests that science is the more open-minded path. But it's also a cautionary tale that raises the question: What could man have done to wipe himself out? It also suggests that cruelty due to ignorance is a bad thing.

Role models: The human hero never seems to learn much of anything, but the two ape scientists learn to become enthusiastic about the possibility of communicating with another type of creature. They realize that communication is better than ignorance.

Violence: In a scary scene, a female astronaut dies and decays in her stasis chamber, which malfunctions. Other characters die. The apes shoot guns. The hero's throat is wounded, rendering him unable to speak for a time. A little blood is shown. The apes keep humans as prisoners. The humans are sometimes mistreated, though not exactly tortured. A human and an ape have a hands-on fight in a cage, and there is a great deal of arguing, struggling, and chasing.

Sex: The male astronauts go swimming and lose their clothes. They run through the jungle naked, though nothing sensitive is shown. The main character is given a "mate," (a female human who does not speak), and he talks about all the "lovers" he had back on earth. He mentions a female astronaut, who died during the journey and was supposed to be the "new Eve."

Language: Language is not very frequent, but includes "Goddamn," "oh my God," "hell" and several uses of "damn," including the famous line: "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!"

Consumerism: Not an issue

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Charlton Heston's character smokes a cigar in an early scene.