Kong On The Planet Of The Apes brings together two classic franchises for the first time. The original Planet Of The Apes arrived in 1968 and was loosely based on the Pierre Boulle novel of the same name. The movie cast Charton Heston as astronaut Taylor, who crashlands on a mysterious planet where talking apes are the dominant species and mankind is enslaved. In one of the most spoiled twists in film history, Taylor learns the planet is really Earth in the far future. It was both a critical and commercial hit even convinced the studio to press ahead with a sequel, which was a rare occurrence at the time.
A spanner was thrown in the works when Heston declined to return for Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, though he eventually agreed to an extended cameo on condition Taylor literally blew up the planet in the finale. This attempt to prevent further sequels didn't work, with three more follow-ups, a TV show and even a cartoon series following in quick succession. The franchise is an evergreen classic of the genre and has been rebooted a couple of times, most recently with a trilogy fronted by Andy Serkis.
Another legendary - or Legendary - ape-based franchise is King Kong, with the original movie arriving in 1933. The original has been remade three times now, with the broad beats of each version finding a group of explorers coming to an uncharted island called Skull Island, which is home to a gigantic ape named Kong and other mysterious creatures. They capture Kong and bring him to New York, which predictably ends in tragedy. Somehow, it took until the arrival of 2017 comic series Kong On The Planet Of The Apes to bring these franchises together.
Kong On The Planet Of The Apes was written by Ryan Ferrier and drawn by Carlos Magno and is set within the continuity of the original Apes series. It takes place between the events of the first and second movies, with Dr. Zaius leading a manhunt for Taylor, and not only finding the Statue Of Liberty but the washed-up corpse of a giant ape. A bit of research leads Cornelius, Zira, Zaius and others to seek out Skull Island, where they find another descendent of Kong and - unwisely - bring him back.
Kong On The Planet Of The Apes was clearly created by fans of both franchises, and they're linked together in smart ways. While the story itself could have used more work it's a fun ride that moves fast and has something for followers of both Kong and the Planet Of The Apes.
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