Planet of the Apes teaches us to take a closer look at ourselves. From the opening speech by Heston as astronaut Taylor all throughout the movie, we, as a human species, are simply given a mirror to watch ourselves. The apes simply tell a tale of ignorance and abuse. It's a mixture of ape science and religion, just like the real world, the human world we live in. In that respect this movie has not dated at all.
Most mirror aspects are the 'in your face'-type. A more subtle one is right before the famous ending when the apes have dug up artifacts of a previous civilization that was more advanced than theirs. This finding is ridiculed by the apes eldest, the wise one. If anyone has ever looked into the aspects of alternative history 'the human kind', one will find out that the reaction of the apes eldest is typical of the human scientists in our every day lives. Anything contradicting their theories is ridiculed based on beliefs, never on scientific proof. Just because it is more convenient. The same comment is given by the elderly wise ape. He knew and has always known about the old civilizations, he just tried to hide it. Although Planet of the apes is rather slow in the mid section, Heston is great and this movie is thought provoking when you take all aspects into account, not just the obvious ones. Recommended, even today.
Most mirror aspects are the 'in your face'-type. A more subtle one is right before the famous ending when the apes have dug up artifacts of a previous civilization that was more advanced than theirs. This finding is ridiculed by the apes eldest, the wise one. If anyone has ever looked into the aspects of alternative history 'the human kind', one will find out that the reaction of the apes eldest is typical of the human scientists in our every day lives. Anything contradicting their theories is ridiculed based on beliefs, never on scientific proof. Just because it is more convenient. The same comment is given by the elderly wise ape. He knew and has always known about the old civilizations, he just tried to hide it. Although Planet of the apes is rather slow in the mid section, Heston is great and this movie is thought provoking when you take all aspects into account, not just the obvious ones. Recommended, even today.