Where did those damned dirty apes come from, anyway? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the complete timeline for The Planet of the Apes. Since we’ll be discussing the plots of these films in depth be warned, there'll be plenty of spoilers.
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00:00 "I didn't believe that."
00:01 "What?"
00:01 "He's asking your permission."
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're breaking down the complete timeline
00:08 for 'The Planet of the Apes.' We'll be discussing the current 'Planet of the Apes' films,
00:12 which exist in a separate continuity from the original movies and Tim Burton's 2001 version.
00:16 Since we'll be discussing the plots of these films in depth,
00:19 be warned, there will be plenty of spoilers.
00:26 Acting as a new beginning to the franchise, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' is set in
00:30 the present day, showing a world not yet dominated by apes.
00:34 "Are you watching this?"
00:34 "This is unbelievable."
00:39 The film opened with poachers capturing a chimpanzee who was, unbeknownst to them,
00:45 pregnant. That chimp, later known as Bright Eyes, was tested with an experimental drug,
00:50 a virus known as ALZ112, created by chemist Will Rodman.
00:54 "112. It works on just the one primate. One is all we need. Full cognitive recovery. We're ready."
01:03 Working for the biotech company Gensys, Will had spent five years developing the drug as
01:08 a potential cure for Alzheimer's. Thanks to the drug, Bright Eyes showed an extreme spike
01:12 in intelligence before secretly giving birth. Attempting to hide and protect her baby,
01:17 Bright Eyes was gunned down in a rampage through Gensys' labs.
01:21 "Help! Help! Help! Help!"
01:26 Subsequently, Will adopted the newborn, and his father Charles, who was revealed to suffer from
01:32 Alzheimer's, named the chimp Caesar. After three years, it became clear that Caesar inherited his
01:37 mother's intelligence with the effects of the drug being passed down genetically.
01:41 "The green in his eyes indicates that the ALZ112 was passed genetically from mother to son,
01:47 and B, that in the absence of damaged cells that need replacing, the drug in his system
01:52 has radically boosted healthy brain functioning."
01:56 During this time, Will gave Charles the ALZ112, seemingly curing him. However, five years later,
02:03 the disease returns with even more severity. After an incident where Caesar attempted to defend
02:08 the confused Charles, Caesar was placed in a primate sanctuary.
02:12 "He hasn't spent any time with other chimps." "Oh, we're used to that. He'll be a little
02:18 skittish at first, but we'll integrate him." There, he encountered the orangutan Maurice,
02:24 his closest ally for years to come, and fellow chimp Rocket. In an attempt to once again cure
02:30 his father, Will developed a more aggressive strain of the virus, ALZ113. As a test subject,
02:36 a bonobo that bore scars from years of lab tests was chosen. Lab tech Franklin accidentally became
02:42 exposed to the now airborne strain during the test, though. "Franklin, get your mask on!"
02:46 [Coughing] "Got it?" "More!"
02:52 The ALZ113 was even more effective on apes than the 112. As Franklin would soon find out, however,
02:58 it proved deadly and highly infectious to humans. Before dying, Franklin would infect Will's neighbor.
03:04 "Doc! Doc!" "The hell are you-"
03:06 [Coughing]
03:11 "Get out of here!" "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
03:15 Meanwhile, Caesar, after some tribulations, becomes the leader of the apes in the sanctuary,
03:20 and in a reference to the original Apes movies, uttered the first spoken word by an ape.
03:24 "No!"
03:27 He steals the ALZ113, freeing the sanctuary apes, the ones at Gensis, including Koba, as well as
03:36 many in the nearby San Francisco Zoo. He leads the group across the Golden Gate Bridge, causing a
03:41 violent standoff between species, with the apes ultimately escaping into the woodlands.
03:46 "Okay. Caesar's home."
03:55 Will's now-infected neighbor was revealed to be a commercial pilot, and the ALZ113 virus began
04:03 to rapidly spread across the planet, becoming commonly known as the Simian Flu.
04:08 "Source of the virus was traced back to drug testing done at Gensis Laboratories in San Francisco."
04:13 Only about one in 500 humans was immune to the effects of the virus, and before long,
04:18 civilization collapsed, with many of the survivors perishing in the infighting. While pockets of
04:23 humanity survived, Caesar's apes thrived in the forest, creating an enlightened ape society.
04:28 [Apes laughing]
04:40 Ten years after the Battle of the Golden Gate, they remained unsure if any humans were even
04:45 left alive. That was until they came face to face with them. A group of survivors,
04:50 including a man named Malcolm and his family, encounter Caesar's apes.
04:54 [Screaming]
05:01 In San Francisco, the remains of human civilization have clung to life,
05:05 but face certain death as the city has lost any means of power. Seeking to utilize a dam in the
05:11 heart of Caesar's territory to power the city, tensions run high as members of both human and
05:16 ape society remain distrustful of each other.
05:18 "I didn't know."
05:27 "Human, leave. Now!"
05:30 Despite these tensions, by working together, the power is restored,
05:34 and for one glorious moment, there is a tentative peace.
05:38 "It worked. All these tears did."
05:44 A peace that's tragically shattered when Coba, who still despises humans after years
05:49 of experimentation, steals their guns, sets the ape home on fire, and shoots Caesar.
05:54 Framing humans for the attempted murder, Coba storms San Francisco,
06:07 taking over the city and causing the city dwellers to radio for military assistance.
06:11 Barely surviving the assassination attempt, Caesar returned to face Coba in a climactic
06:16 final battle where he ultimately killed the traitorous ape. Despite his victory,
06:20 "You are not ape."
06:29 he could not undo the war begun by Coba, and, and Caesar bid a tearful goodbye to Malcolm,
06:35 knowing that the military would be coming for him and his kind.
06:38 "I am sorry, my friend.
06:44 I thought we had a chance."
06:51 The remnants of the U.S. Army sent the Alpha Omega Squadron to deal with Caesar,
06:56 who spent two years hiding from them.
06:58 "I did not start this war. The ape who did is dead."
07:08 During this time, the simian flu mutated, causing human survivors,
07:11 already carriers of the virus, to become mute and seemingly primitive. Alpha Omega began to
07:17 execute those displaying signs of infection, which caused a schism between them and the
07:21 remainder of the army.
07:23 "They told me you were smart, but that's impressive. No, they won't be joining me."
07:31 "They are against you."
07:33 "They fear me."
07:36 Alpha Omega became more cult-like, with a powerful devotion to their colonel,
07:40 who killed his own son when he became infected. After a gorilla, Winter, betrayed Caesar,
07:45 the colonel found his hidden base, killing Caesar's wife and child.
07:49 "I offered you peace, and you killed my family."
07:53 Caesar's apes set off for a new home, a promised land in an oasis. But Caesar
07:58 embarked on a mission of revenge against the colonel, accompanied by Maurice and Rocket.
08:03 "I may not make it back."
08:06 In his travels, Caesar encountered the infected human girl later nicknamed Nova,
08:11 and the chimp Bad Ape, proving that even apes outside of Caesar's society have
08:16 contracted the virus and evolved.
08:18 "How long have you been here?"
08:20 "Long time. Long, long time."
08:23 However, on their pilgrimage, the apes were kidnapped by Alpha Omega and forced into slave
08:31 labor, building a wall to defend the squadron from the impending attack from the rest of the
08:35 military. Maurice, Bad Ape, Nova, and Rocket came to Caesar and the rest of the kidnapped apes' aid
08:40 to execute a great escape. Just as the breakout was occurring, the military began their assault.
08:57 Ignoring the chaos outside, Caesar could not yet let go of his need for revenge on the colonel.
09:02 When he finds him, though, Caesar discovers he's been infected by a doll left behind by Nova,
09:07 and asks Caesar to end his life.
09:26 Caesar walks away, and the colonel ends his own life.
09:29 In an act of bravery and self-sacrifice, Caesar manages to cause an explosion to take down
09:33 Alpha Omega, which in turn causes an avalanche burying the other military combatants.
09:38 Only the apes and Nova are spared by climbing the trees.
09:52 Caesar finally leads his apes across the desert to their new oasis home,
09:56 giving them peace and finding some for himself. As his apes celebrate,
10:00 Caesar succumbs to his wounds, ultimately passing into legend.
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10:24 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will pick up in a world where humans and many apes have
10:30 forgotten the teachings of Caesar almost 300 years after the apes arrived at the oasis.
10:35 Are you excited for the next installment in the Apes saga? Let us know in the comments.
10:40 "Are we thankful for the words of Caesar? Do we bend our hate?"
10:48 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
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10:59 [Music]