20th CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT continues to "outdue" themselves with "outstanding" boxed set releases!  Their newest entry offers fans of the "PLANET OF THE APES" films a chance to own all the films plus a great documentary all together at a reasonable price, SRP $99.98!   While not all of the films in the series live up to the creativity and quality of the original, all of them have merit, and are entertaining.

The first film, "PLANET OF THE APES" is the best of the series.  Charlton Heston stars as a surviving astronaut whom has landed on a planet run by apes!  There's something striking and unforgettable about the image of an Ape riding a horse!  Images like this appear throughout the film, and it's really provocative.  The apes also speak, and while the costumes are terrific, there's something unconvincing about the speech, or the way it manifests itself when the actors behind the masks talk.  Still, it's great fun, and only in a film with talking apes can Charlton Heston appear not to overact! 

The transfer is quite good, although it's a shame that this film and the rest are not in 16:9 anamorphic!  The 2.35:1 image is sharp, but there are some instances of grain and age from the original source.  Fleshtones are fine and contrast is good.

The dolby digital 5.1 sound is a new mix, and somewhat limited in range by the sound design of the period in which it was made.  There's no abundance of directional effects, with most separation appearing up front.  The Jerry Goldsmith score does get a boost however, and the sound design is an improvement over the other films in the series.

"Beneath the Planet of the Apes" is the 2nd entry.  James Franciscus stars and does a remarkable job here as another astronaut meeting not only apes, but a society of telepathic mutants.  The special effects are more abundant here, and the production design is really impressive, at times reminding one of what Ken Adams achieved with the "Bond" series!  The image is a little more grainy here, although there's no artifacting anywhere.  The contrast is fine and fleshtones are consistent.

The dolby surround sound offers minimal directional effects, but the frequency range is impressive and dialogue is clear.

"Escape From the Planet of the Apes" is perhaps the best of the sequels.  Ricardo Montelbalm stars as a really decent "human" out to rescue a baby chimp from a real dastardly villain bent on murdering it and the rest of the apes that have arrived on present day earth(1970's) from the future.  There's a lot of social commentary behind all of the "Apes" films, but seldom as moving as it is here.  When an ape attends a boxing match, he asks what the pleasure is from watching two men hurt each other?  Food for thought?   The image suffers a lot from grain here and colors appear subdued at times.  Still, the image is better than previously available on laserdisc.  The mono sound is clear and free of any distortion.

"Conquest for the Planet of the Apes" has a more futuristic image to it, and it speaks to the civil rights movement. One of the leads, a black man, is unquestionably the hero, whom can empathize with the apes being made to literally work as slaves.  While the revolution that ensues is somewhat mechanized, it achieves its aim to shock the audience, with a disarming effect!  The image is excellent, with minimal grain, excellent contrast and colors are more solid than in the other films.  The surround sound offers some decent directional effects, though minimal.

"Battle for the Planet of the Apes" is considered the weakest of the series.  But, it's not at all bad, just not as innovative as the other films, it's almost redundant at times.  Still, there's  a real sentimental moment at the film's end which actually works and may shed a tear or two from the audience.  The transfer is fine, although grain is present.  The fleshtones are consistent and contrast is sharp.  The surround sound is impressive while offering minimal directional effects.

A documentary, "Behind the Planet of the Apes" hosted by the late Roddy McDowell, is included with the boxed set, and is one of the best things about it!  It offers an abundance of behind-the-scenes footage, and everything that any fan of the series could ever want!  There are great interviews with almost everyone important to the series, great effects moments, as well as footage of the make-up application, information about the development of every film, and much more!!!  While the boxed set isn't flawless, it's worth owning!  We just wish FOX had offered it with 16:9 enhancement!