One of the best scenes from the original Planet of the Apes to the subversions of the franchise entry, the Planet of the Apes The franchise is iconic for its bold storytelling and mind-bending twists. However, it's unfortunately also known for some moments that don't really make sense, particularly with timeline irregularities and unexplained stories. The series has always mixed science fiction with big ideas, but along the way, continuity has often been sacrificed in favor of new directions.
As the story shifts between timelines and introduces new characters, it becomes more difficult to connect all the dots, especially for those tuning in for the first time. Despite this, the Planet of the Apes films remain an evolving cultural touchstone. Each new Planet of the Apes the installment offers something new while also challenging audiences to question the future of humanity in a world ruled by intelligent monkeys, even if the path to get there is not always completely clear.
10
Nova's unrealistic survival
Planet of the Apes (1968)
When you combine the fact that humans can't speak in the original Planet of the Apes movie with their complete lack of any meaningful survival skills or tools, it's intriguing to wonder how they managed to survive. Nova's survival, for example, is one of the most confusing elements of the story. After Colonel George Taylor (Charlton Heston) crash-lands on the planet, Nova (Linda Harrison) becomes increasingly dependent on him – to the point of being unconvincing.
The 1968 title doesn't explain exactly how Nova survived before meeting Taylor. Although it is implied that humans in their state survive purely based on luck or basic elimination, Nova's apparent lack of abilities makes little to no sense in a world where she had to fend for herself before Taylor showed up.. However, because her role seems to exist solely as Taylor's companion rather than as a fully developed character, her life before this doesn't receive much attention.
9
Role of Dr.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Despite being one of the most terrifying villains because he was innately right, Dr. Zaius, played by Maurice Evans, plays two contradictory roles in the original. Planet of the Apes film. He is both the Minister of Science and the Chief Defender of the Faith, which creates a compelling but paradoxical character. Namely, as Minister of Science, Zaius aims to be the most experienced ape, charged with overseeing the scientific progress of his species.
However, despite his scientific training, Zaius rejects any evidence that threatens the dominant position of apes in the world, especially Taylor's proof that humans were once highly advanced. The discrepancy makes Zaius a confusing personality: he is a scientist and a fanatic driven by fear and the need to maintain power, instead of seeking the truth. Even though it enriches the story, Dr. Zaius' characterization doesn't always make a lot of sense.
8
Taylor's lack of knowledge of Earth
Planet of the Apes (1968)
When he falls to Earth at the beginning Planet of the Apes film, Taylor is surprised by the state of the planet. Although the timing can be attributed to his limited perspective as an individual unfamiliar with Earth's full history or even the ever-changing Planet of the Apes franchise timelines, it seems highly unlikely that an advanced space-traveling society he came from wouldn't be aware of such changes.
Although, from the 1968 title, it's clear that no one knows that humans were once the dominant civilization on Earth. However, once again, it appears that a technologically superior species would be somehow aware of this past. In particular, Taylor is shocked to discover that humans are no longer the dominant species. Given that he is a mild-mannered astronaut sent to a future version of Earth, Taylor should have been prepared for humanity's collapse. to a reasonable degree.
7
The unveiling of the Statue of Liberty
Planet of the Apes (1968)
The moment Taylor discovers the ruins of the Statue of Liberty in 1968 Planet of the Apes the ending marked one of the most iconic and memorable twists in film history. However, while it serves as a crucial revelation that turns the narrative upside down, the scene makes no sense.
The environment surrounding Taylor looks completely different, with no recognizable landmarks or features from the iconic New York City landscape, but somehow the Statue of Liberty has managed to survive to the point of being recognizable. The way it emerges from the sand makes it look like it has been buried for centuries, but apparently nothing else has survived. Although it is a shocking twist in the story, environmental incompatibility makes it very difficult to believe that Taylor is actually on Earth. Additionally, the film doesn't provide many clues as to what caused this major change in the setting, leaving many questions unanswered.
6
The disappearance of human technology
The Original Planet of the Apes Series
The disappearance of human technology in the original Planet of the Apes The series is a fascinating and somewhat disconcerting element of the story. At the beginning of the franchise, especially in the 1968 original, humans had already fallen into a state of near extinction. On the other hand, apes have somehow failed to take advantage of any of the advanced technologies once available to humanity.
Even though there are differences between Planet of the Apes' In the reboot timeline and the original films, in almost every entry, the loss of human technology is portrayed as a pivotal moment in the collapse of human civilization and the rise of the apes. Given the importance of this event, It's hard to believe that apes didn't immediately try to rescue any significant technology from humans. Given that their society is similar to early human communities, including the eventual use of English, it is clear that apes had the potential to at least adopt existing concepts.
5
Mae's Mysterious Mission
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes The ending is emotional, Mae's role doesn't hold up until the end. Played by Freya Allen, Mae is a human who appears out of nowhere and becomes crucial to the film's plot. Noa and Raka, portrayed respectively by Owen Teague and Peter Macon, decide to help her on her mysterious mission.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes still explores just a fraction of Earth, but it hints at a larger universe and teases something even grander on the horizon.” – Screen Rant's Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes analysis
However, at this point in the rebooted franchise's timeline, humans are seen as inferior to apes, which makes Raka and Noa's decision to help Mae quite strange. Furthermore, Mae's plan to revitalize humanity with the contents of the mysterious safe shown at the end left many perplexed.as it is not fully explored in the 2024 edition. With many plot elements appearing to set the stage for future films, Kingdom It has its fair share of confusing moments.
4
The time travel paradox
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
One of the most intriguing moments of Planet of the Apes franchise takes place in the third installment of the original series, Escape from the Planet of the Apeswhen Zira (Kim Hunter) and Cornelius (Roddy McDowall) travel back in time to the 1970s. There, Zira gives birth to Milo, later renamed Caesar (Walker Edmiston), who will grow up to lead a rebellion against humans , creating a confusing causal loop.
In the original ape future, humans destroy themselves, while the apes slowly evolve to become intelligent and take control. By traveling through time and giving birth to Caesar, Zira directly causes the accelerated rise of intelligent apes as his son becomes the leader of his revolution during his lifetime. In this case, if Caesar leads the apes to take over the world, then the original future where the apes evolved naturally without him cannot truly exist.
3
Caesar's origins
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Instead of starting from the time travel paradox of Zira and Cornelius, Rise of the Planet of the Apes It completely discards the timeline of the original series. The 2011 entry reimagined Caesar's origins, introducing him as a genetically modified chimpanzee who is much more intelligent than other apes due to experimental drug treatments. There is no reference to Zira and Cornelius being her parents, leaving her time travel contradiction of Escape from the Planet of the Apes unresolved.
While the focus on modern scientific experimentation works for the story and Caesar's character, the creation of a seemingly new universe with the same plot as the original films makes the overall narrative inconsistent. Additionally, without Zira and Cornelius as Caesar's parents, the rebooted film Planet of the Apes the series has likely lost the emotional weight that connected Caesar's legacy to the original timeline.
2
The Rise of the Monkey Race
The rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy
The Evolution of Ape Society in the Rebooted World Planet of the Apes the trilogy is a particularly confusing part of the franchise. The revived series not only changes Caesar's origin story but also shows the rise of the apes happening almost instantly as a result of human hubris. while the original titles describe it as a slower process driven by the collapse of human society.
In Rise of the Planet of the ApesCaesar leads the apes to freedom, after which they begin a very basic society in nature. However, in Dawn of the Planet of the Apeswhich should happen about 10 years later, ape society is already highly advanced, featuring complex infrastructure and a clear social hierarchy. This rapid development does not reflect what is shown in the original series, resulting in a fragmented narrative that can be difficult to understand, especially for first-time viewers.
1
The role of mutants
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
In Beneath the Planet of the ApesA group of mutant humans living underground worship an atomic bomb, called the Alpha-Omega Bomb, suggesting that nuclear war played a key role in humanity's downfall. The idea of genetically altered humans worshiping the remains of their civilization adds an intriguing twist to the series' lore, but is disturbed by the fact that the mutants never appear again.
His sudden disappearance is particularly obvious in the third part of the original series. Escape from the Planet of the Apeswhich investigates the fall of humanity without mentioning mutants. The mysterious group, which seems integral to the apocalyptic scenario and Earth's destruction at the start of 1970, is inexplicably forgotten. It seems their storyline was abandoned after the dark ending of Beneath the Planet of the Apesleaving an unresolved narrative gap and a lingering sense of incompleteness in the Planet of the Apes franchise.