Did you people see the same film I saw?

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

While it may have been better suited to Saturday mornings, PLANET OF THE APES had its merits: the performances weren't bad; the sets were out of this world (wink, wink, nudge, nudge); and the makeup was absolutely FANTASTIC. As with most television (Past and Present), the greatest weakness lay in the writing (hence, my assertion that the show would've been better suited to the Saturday morning lineup). The basic concept was viable, but the overall approach gave it that "made-for-the-kiddies" throwaway feel. Just recently, I happened across a Titan book, PLANET OF THE APES: EVOLUTION OF THE LEGEND by Jeff Bond and Joe Fordham, that singlehandedly helped rekindle my obsession with all things Ape: it's a massive, beautifully done look at the series from original conception to the most recent movies, and it reminded me of just how much I love the original movies (which remain, for me, the Pinnacle of Fantasy Filmmaking); there are scores of color shots I've never seen before, many of them full page and begging to be framed. If you're an Apes fan, it's a must-have.

The series is kind of like Starsky and Hutch meets Planet of the Apes. Two astronauts end up on earth in the future (I hope this does not count as a spoiler) and befriend a chimpanzee. One of the astronauts is the young wise cracking guy, the other one the more serious and considerate older guy. This means of course that the overall feeling of doom which the films had is not really present here. The sets are quite decent as is the make up which is of course because they used sets and props from the films. Overall, it's actually fairly entertaining and well made, certainly much better than the last two installments of the film franchise. However, there is a limit as to how far you can stretch the underlying storyline and therefore it tends to be a bit repetitive. There is only so much you can do with one idea. But by and large it's well made entertainment, worth watching.

What a shame this didn't catch on in the US the way it did in the UK.That it didn't is something of a surprise, even all these years later, given the enduring popularity of the films. Still, in the brutal world of TV ratings, you have to be a hit straight away and this one just didn't cut it where and when it mattered.The series works all the same, even now. The characters are its main strength, but there are others. An excellent title sequence helps, particularly as the stories it introduces are generally interesting and sometimes moving. Music and scripts are of a high standard and the photography borders on inspired in some episodes.So, why didn't it catch on in the US? Well, here's my theory: it is very low key in tone and approach. Unless you happened to notice it was in the schedule, there was little to catch the eye.One side note: Many fans of the series have puzzled over the identity of the individual who "played" the dead Jonesy in the first episode. Well, since he's not even listed on the IMDb, that seems likely to remain a mystery!Rating: 7/10.

THE PLANET OF THE APES DVD set is a real treat for fans and collectors alike. Encased in a attractive case and enclosed with a small booklet the DVD set is a real bargain. The set contains 14 hour long episodes of the 1974 live action tv series in crisp DVD format. The picture and sound quality like all FOX dvd's is excellent. A must for fans of the old show.