Captain Kirk on the Planet of the Apes

Once again a fantasy concept from STF: The Lost Issues has turned into reality!  I originally had this cover slated for a couple of weeks from now, but I decided to move it up in the rotation due to the announcement that publishers IDW and Boom Studios are teaming up to present a Star Trek/Planet of The Apes comic.  That sounds very cool, it will be great to see the two worlds collide.

The Apes are really on a roll - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a commercial and critical hit, and deservedly so.  I loved how the film expanded on the set up from Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and really turned up the tension.  It did a great job of presenting realistic and believable motivations for all the characters, even the villains.  The special effects were once again top notch and the directing provided a visual feast to go with the thought provoking narrative.  I can't wait for the next installment!

The Phantom on the Planet of the Apes

Some felt that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was a bit too dark of a sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but I found myself enjoying it quite a bit.  I liked how the film resisted taking sides, and showed that while most humans and apes wanted to live in peace, it only took a few malcontents in each faction to stir up fear and anger.  The motion capture was amazing again.  I look forward to seeing what else is in store for future sequels.

Batman and The Planet of the Apes

I watched the first Planet of the Apes film recently and it still holds up. It's my favorite Charlton Heston role and I am always impressed by how much emotion Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter were able to portray under such heavy ape makeup. Of course, Nova wasn't too hard on the eyes either. I have vague memories of watching the TV show when I was a kid, and I know I must have liked it because I had a Planet of the Apes Lunch box for a while!

The Tim Burton movie had some nice makeup and visuals but the story just did not do it for me and in the end it was a pale and unnecessary imitation of the original. I understand there is a new film in the works with James Franco titled Rise of the Apes, which is meant to be a prequel. I am a bit wary after the last attempt, but I will still keep an eye on this and hope it can capture some of the old magic again.

Sgt. Rock on the Planet of the Apes

I missed War for the Planet of the Apes in the theaters, but I enjoyed the first two installments enough to put an order in for the Blu Ray, so I will be checking it out as soon as it is released.  I have been a fan of the whole franchise since I was a kid.  I can remember watching the TV show, with plenty of Apes merchandise around the house - we had trading cards, lunch boxes, coloring books and action figures, they were pretty big in the 70's. 

The Hulk on The Planet of The Apes

One of the sequels I am most looking forward to is Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it turned out to be my favorite movie from 2011.  Still, the sequel seems to be a tougher film to pull off, and it will be interesting to see how they approach the continuing story of an ape populace gaining intellect as the human race is dying off.  Hopefully, it will live up to the standards of the first installment.

Robocop on The Planet of the Apes

I am looking forward to War for the Planet of the Apes, as I have really been enjoying the new Apes franchise so far.  Matt Reeves did a nice job expanding the world of the film in the last outing and I expect him to do so again, given the all-out war theme.  I like his visual style and action sequences, so I am very interested in what he is going to do with The Batman once that film finally gets underway.

Princess Leia on the Planet of the Apes

 It's been announced that more Planet of the Apes movies are on the way.  Now that the trilogy featuring apes' leader Ceasar is completed, it will be interesting to see where the story goes.  I am assuming a significant time jump, perhaps Ceasar's adult son will be the new protagonist.  If they are able to keep up the quality of the last 3 films, I'll be glad to check it out.

Sgt. Fury on the Planet of the Apes

 

There's talk of more Planet of the Apes movies on the way, but I'm not sure where in the timeline they should take part in.  I really enjoyed the last three installments, but they ended at a natural place.  Do audiences really want to see a movie about the apes finally crushing down the last remaining sickly humans?  Maybe it would be better to jump forward in time and depict an all-ape conflict.

Detective Chimp on the Planet of the Apes

I enjoyed War for the Planet of the Apes and felt it completed the new trilogy well.  I do find it a bit too convenient that the same disease that destroys humanity and also grants apes higher intellect, but that's something you just have to go with.  Techinically, the movie looked great, the motion capture was very well done for the most part.  I look forward to seeing what director Matt Reeves does with Batman.

Mister Miracle must escape The Planet of the Apes

 

I think before I ever had a superhero action figure, I had a couple of Planet of the Apes action figures to play with.  I recall having some Planet of the Apes trading cards and a lunchbox too.  They were a pretty big deal at the time, I think this was around the time when there was a TV series in addition to the movies.  Ape mania had swept the country - or at least my household!

Planet of the Apes Vs. The Terminator

Last summer's movie season held a big surprise for me.  I went in looking forward to seeing Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America and The X-Men on the big screen.  Little did I know, my favorite hero of the Summer would be Ceasar, from Rise of the Planet of the Apes!  That movie wasn't very high on my radar, and then I saw the first trailer and my interest began to grow.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film and eagerly await the follow-up, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  Terminator: Salvation didn't quite relaunch the franchise in the way studios were expecting, but it didn't tarnish it so much that I would not want to see future installments.  I'm sure we'll see another entry in the series before too long.

Doctor Doom on the Planet of the Apes

 

I remember the early 70's when Apes were everywhere.  My brothers and I would watch the Planet of the Apes TV series and we had lunch boxes, trading cards action figures and more dedicated to the post apocalyptic franchise. Something about that monkey world really grabbed my young imagination.

Mars Attacks the Planet of the Apes

Both of these properties have crossed over with other comics and franchises, but as far as I know they have never crossed over with one another.  It seems like a natural pairing to me.  I know that this would be one instance in which I would definitely be rooting for the apes!

Doctor Who on the Planet of the Apes

 

Doctor Who with Tom Baker was appointment television after school when I was growing up. I was also a fan of the short lived Planet of the Apes TV series.  If there had been a crossover between the two, I think that I would have been beside myself.

The Six Million Dollar Man on the Planet of the Apes

The Planet of the Apes franchise seems to be in good hands these days, and now it seems that Steve Austin will be getting his chance at a resurgence of his own.  Peter Berg is set to direct Mark Wahlberg in The Six Billion Dollar Man.  I hope to learn more about the project, because both have had recent missteps with the sci-fi/action genre - Berg with Battleship and Wahlberg with the last Transformers.  Let's hope a little more care is put into the Bionic Man's big screen debut.

Boba Fett on The Planet of The Apes

 

I'm wondering If Boba Fett will show up again in the currently airing season of The Mandalorian.  It's only fair, after Din Djarin and Grogu pretty much took over the second half of his mini-series.

Fett may be able to keep The Empire away, but the rebels are a bit more informed.  Princess Leia visited the Apes in STF #3622, and brought Han and Luke back with her in STF #3893...

Gorilla Grodd on the Planet of the Apes

 

I think that I may have seen this match up suggested in the comments, and it really is a natural one.  I had to look up to see which intelligent ape civilization came first, PotA or Gorilla City.  To my surprise, the comic book version debuted first, in 1959, while Pierre Boulle's Apes novel came out on 1963.  I wonder if Boulle was a comics fan?

Madman on The Planet of the Apes

 

I checked out Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes recently, and I thought it was a pretty decent installment in the current run of  PotA movies. I'm not sure where the series will go from here, as it seems to be getting to the point in time where the original classic film took place.   

Ghost Rider on The Planet of the Apes

 

I'm not sure what the set up might be to a story like this, but I know that I would certainly be interested in discovering the resolution.  Sometimes it's more about the visuals, and a tale the features a Hell-spawned hero on a flaming bike waging war on a society of super intelligent apes would definitely provide lots of cool opportunities.

Spider-Man on the Planet of the Apes

I recently watched the original Planet of The Apes again, and it was as fun as I remembered.  Even for someone who can't speak for half of the film, Charlton Heston has a ton of screen presence.  The soundtrack really stood out to me as well, it really sets the tone and I am glad that composers of the new movies used it for inspiration.  The experience took me back to my youth, watching the film in wide-eyed amazement with my brothers.