@Urban Commando said:

First you have Taylor smoking a cigar in a spacecraft cockpit? HUH?

Well those were future cigars. They actually helped to recycle the atmosphere in the spaceship.

Were doctors still doing cigarette ads in the late sixties when this was made? I guess cigars were supposed to be healthy too.

@Urban Commando said:

Don't get my wrong, I love this movie, but the original mission makes no sense.

First you have Taylor smoking a cigar in a spacecraft cockpit? HUH? I doubt that would be acceptable, even in 1968 or 1972 when the movie was supposed to take place. Then by Taylor's own words- they are knowingly trapped in the future with no possible way of ever returning to Earth. Of course they were actually on Earth, but that was a mistake and not the actual intended mission.

So assuming everything goes their way, the mission was to arrive in the future, on an unknown planet with 3 men and one woman to do what? Repopulate with no way to every communicate with Earth? Total sketchy mission to say the least.

I understood that the mission was to return to earth. His beginning monologue is quite clear on this. And so in fact, it all went according to plan. I never quite understood why he kept on saying they were on another planet (and his mates were not too convinced either).... they even sent out a distress call as they initially believe to be on Earth at first..

My take is like this: This was the first space mission to test long term space travel's effect on humans. So initially they were to travel fast go into suspended animation and simply return 18 month later - and by Earth time a couple of thousand of years. In the first 6 month on the spaceship about 700 years had already passed on Earth - this is said directly to us. So, in fact they were expected to arrive far far in to the future...

So the mission was to send humans far in to deep space and have them return way into the future.... a bit silly as it mean present research will not give any knowledge until perhaps thousands of years later.... well, who knows? Perhaps scientist on Earth was in contact and so got data from the ship continuously... and perhaps humans were so far thinking that we were considering to establish space colonies in the far future and we already knew in 1972 that we would then need some data on how deep space effects humans... and so here we are....

When I think about it, going to the moon and space and all this is with long terms glasses on in our real world too. For example, we sent out two Voyager space shuttles in 1977 with the added purpose of perhaps obtaining first contact way into the future - even billions of years into the future..... so NASA indeed, have visions far ahead. Only difference is that the ICARUS was with 3 men and a hot chick and not just a gold plated long play record like on the Voyagers.... so perhaps, indeed the mission did make sense?

However, it was succesful and not a fail as Taylor kept ranting on....

Taylor and the rest of the crew didn't realize they were on earth because it was so different from what they knew and expected. They weren't expecting a primitive, post apocalyptic world where apes had evolved and taken over, while the humans were now treated like animals.

@FlyingSaucersAreReal said:

Taylor and the rest of the crew didn't realize they were on earth because it was so different from what they knew and expected. They weren't expecting a primitive, post apocalyptic world where apes had evolved and taken over, while the humans were now treated like animals.

Surely, and yet his mates expressed sceptism to Taylors rant on them being on another world. And remember once the Apes appeared the three men were separated to never really meet again, and so only discussed/challenged Taylors view in the beginning...

However Taylor aluted to the fact himself (while on the space ship) that the future world that awaited them could be ahead or behind the 20th century , so the concept of post apocalyptic setting was not totally foreign to him.

In fact, he was a bit stubborn on this fact. For example:

• They were supposed to arrive several thousands of years into the future of Earth. Which they did.

• The spaceship clocks confirmed they were in fact several of thousands of years into the future, as planned

• The world had Earth apes, humans and earth horses... and general habitats

• The world had perfect spoken and written English as the main language (the movie made of point of this)

• The world had archeological diggings of a past advanced human culture, including medical dentures, pacemakers and the like he knew from Earth.... AND a freaking toy doll precisely like those any toy shop has, with a white dress, Curley blond hair and even the flip-n-talk thing.

• and again I mention, the mission was supposed to bring them to the far far future of Earth

.... and yet, Taylor (and in truth, us the viewers) needed the damn weathered head of The Statue of Liberty to convince him/us....

Look, I love the movie. That being said; I do not think it holds to day. The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience. I cannot deny though, it worked marvelously back then...👍

Look, I love the movie. That being said; I do not think it holds to day. The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience. I cannot deny though, it worked marvelously back then...👍

And it's also given away with the previous scene where they show artifacts that Humans were once above apes in society, with them finding the human doll. Weird that it fooled anyone.

@Urban Commando said:

And it's also given away with the previous scene where they show artifacts that Humans were once above apes in society, with them finding the human doll. Weird that it fooled anyone.

Don't forget how Sci-Fi was at the time and this was right around when the original Star Trek was airing so the viewing public was likely used to the notion that when visiting other planets in space, you were going to find the inhabitants spoke English and conditions were similar to Earth societies except for one or two major differences that made them "alien" cultures. So it may not have crossed a lot audiences mind.

@Moonglum9 said:

@Urban Commando said:

And it's also given away with the previous scene where they show artifacts that Humans were once above apes in society, with them finding the human doll. Weird that it fooled anyone.

Don't forget how Sci-Fi was at the time and this was right around when the original Star Trek was airing so the viewing public was likely used to the notion that when visiting other planets in space, you were going to find the inhabitants spoke English and conditions were similar to Earth societies except for one or two major differences that made them "alien" cultures. So it may not have crossed a lot audiences mind.

Yes indeed. In its time it was great (although 2001 came out the same year). And when I saw in the early 80'ies I thought it was still great... But towards today's audience, I am sure we would have found it weak (unlike 2001). Not because of the effects but the story telling.

@HAL 9010' said:

@Moonglum9 said:

@Urban Commando said:

And it's also given away with the previous scene where they show artifacts that Humans were once above apes in society, with them finding the human doll. Weird that it fooled anyone.

Don't forget how Sci-Fi was at the time and this was right around when the original Star Trek was airing so the viewing public was likely used to the notion that when visiting other planets in space, you were going to find the inhabitants spoke English and conditions were similar to Earth societies except for one or two major differences that made them "alien" cultures. So it may not have crossed a lot audiences mind.

Yes indeed. In its time it was great (although 2001 came out the same year). And when I saw in the early 80'ies I thought it was still great... But towards today's audience, I am sure we would have found it weak (unlike 2001). Not because of the effects but the story telling.

Good point about the average mindset of the viewer at the time.

By HAL9010: "The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience."

Have you seen "The Mist"? It's ending makes POTA's ending look almost light-hearted.

@Jetfire59 said:

By HAL9010: "The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience."

Have you seen "The Mist"? It's ending makes POTA's ending look almost light-hearted.

Yes I have. Really really great ending. I read some place that earlier in the movie at the supermarket som old lady crackpot thinks his son is cursed and so must be sacrificed to lift the mist... and then when he is finally “sacrificed “ the mist lifts... so perhaps the son was the antichrist? I do not think so and the ending is so much more powerful just as it is. But fun observation :)

@Jetfire59 said:

By HAL9010: "The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience."

Have you seen "The Mist"? It's ending makes POTA's ending look almost light-hearted.

The Mist was a great King story. The ending was pretty bleak, just driving through the mist with no end in sight and Cthulhuian monsters roaming the world. I liked the movie ending a bit better though - if it followed the standard Hollywood type ending, the military would have shown up right before he pulled the trigger, so it was a nice change of pace. The Mist TV series from this past year was pretty much crap though.

@Moonglum9 said:

@Jetfire59 said:

By HAL9010: "The fantastic twist in the end is force fed to us way way to strong for the modern audience."

Have you seen "The Mist"? It's ending makes POTA's ending look almost light-hearted.

The Mist was a great King story. The ending was pretty bleak, just driving through the mist with no end in sight and Cthulhuian monsters roaming the world. I liked the movie ending a bit better though - if it followed the standard Hollywood type ending, the military would have shown up right before he pulled the trigger, so it was a nice change of pace. The Mist TV series from this past year was pretty much crap though.

The movie is more or less standard, a mist and dont go out.... blah blah... but with this ending, it becomes a great flick where a viewer needs this build up. I really applaud the story tellers here, cause I am sure the standard or even book ending was on the table. This ending made this movie for what it is. I think the book's ending works much better in writing than on the silver screen.

@FlyingSaucersAreReal said:

Were doctors still doing cigarette ads in the late sixties when this was made? I guess cigars were supposed to be healthy too.

Actually, by this time the surgeon general had already made the proclamation that cigarettes were bad for you. I guess the original poster doesn't remember flight travel back then. Shit was covered in smoke. If I was a smoker and I am on a mission where when I come back everyone I know will be dead then you goddamn right I am having a smoke before the long haul.

@movie_nazi said:

@FlyingSaucersAreReal said:

Were doctors still doing cigarette ads in the late sixties when this was made? I guess cigars were supposed to be healthy too.

Actually, by this time the surgeon general had already made the proclamation that cigarettes were bad for you. I guess the original poster doesn't remember flight travel back then. Shit was covered in smoke. If I was a smoker and I am on a mission where when I come back everyone I know will be dead then you goddamn right I am having a smoke before the long haul.

Nothing should stand between a man and his cigar and 18 year old Scotch...