I am going to bat for the extended version, which can be found on Blu-ray. I understand in the age of streaming that watching a film on physical media might be a big ask, but in my mind, it is well worth it. I watched the movie for the first time several years ago, and because I picked up the Blu-ray box set, it happened to have the extended cut on it, which I watched just for the hell of it when I popped it in for the first time. Little did I know I was about to watch something that would quite literally become one of my favorite sci-fi films of all time. As a man who, like so many of you, understands that means at least having it dance around the same conversation as movies like “Aliens” (which is also one of the scariest movies ever made) and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” I’m aware that’s a bold statement.
It’s a bold movie. A dark, political movie with much to say. It almost works as a bait-and-switch once Caesar begins to take control as the leader of the apes. In its original, extended version, it is a brash take on the material that brings things full circle, completing the time loop and showing us how we got to “Planet of the Apes” in the first place. Does the theatrical version still work? Sure. But it doesn’t pack the same gutsy punch. Much like “Blade Runner: The Final Cut,” which is plagued with a multitude of endings, the extended edition is how this movie was always meant to be viewed. And I implore you to see it for yourself.
I spoke more about this movie and some other all-time great sci-fi sequels on today’s episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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