"I never met an ape I didn't like."

Up until my teenage years, summer vacations were always road trips to Twin Falls, ID to visit Granny and Granddad. And, do know what? We couldn’t have had better trips! Twin Falls had it all: Shoshone Falls on the Snake River, the Pioneers minor league baseball team, endless potato farms, rocks of all kinds and J.J. Newberry where Granny worked. We got to go to her ‘secret ‘office upstairs and spy on all of the customers. Granny even let us open the safe and look at all of that cash! The summer of 1968 was no exception. One night on this trip was “guy’s night out.” My Granddad, Dad and me went out for a movie. All the girls stayed home and played games. We saw this new Sci Fi picture starring everyone’s favorite movie star, Charlton Heston, in The Planet of the Apes. Of course we loved the movie. That Statue of Liberty scene had to be one of the greatest film endings of all time. The three of us talked for hours, after the movie, about time travel, Einstein’s Theory, and time dilation. But the big question was, could apes really learn how to talk? I have been a devoted “Ape” fan ever since. I loved all those sequels in the early 70’s and gave a big thumbs up to Tim Burton’s 2001 remake starring Mark Wahlberg.  But, last week the sacred scrolls were rewritten! It was with much anticipation that my daughter and I went to ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ on Friday and with very lofty expectations. Those expectations were fulfilled beyond my wildest dreams!

This is the perfect summer movie. It has it all, great performances, great plot, incredible special effects, the perfect prequel to Planet of the Apes. It was a true thrill for Ape fans everywhere. Hopefully, this will reboot the franchise once again! Homage to the original film was paid by using the two most memorable lines:

"Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!" ….and

“This is a madhouse!”

Interestingly enough, both of these lines are spoken by the same character in the new film whose life meets a ‘shocking’ end. Go see the movie! Call me, I’ll go with you! This is not a movie review per say, so I won't spoil the ending, but you will not be disappointed. But, c'mon, you probably know how it comes out. Your next visit to Muir Woods in Marin County, CA (just across the Golden Gate from San Francisco) will never be the same. Don’t forget to look up………... It could be 1968 again. Hail Caesar!!!!