Planet of the Apes

For over half a century now the Planet of the Ape franchise has captivated audiences, with it's adventurous spirit, revolutionary effects and gripping philosophical undertones. The 1968 film, loosely based upon the 1963 novel of the same name would release to enormous fanfare, spawning 4 direct sequels, a television series, a remake, a currently ongoing reboot series and more.

The film follows astronaut George Taylor, played by Charlton Heston, who crash lands on a mysterious planet where humans are ruled by a society of apes. There Taylor comes face to face with the three dominant species of ape society: the bullyish and violent law enforcement, the Gorillas, the bigoted and duplicitous spiritual/political leaders, the Orangutans, and finally the good-natured and inquisitive scientists, the Chimpanzees. Its a film full of twists and turns, and its one of my absolute favourites, so naturally I wanted to translate as many of my favourite scenes into Lego as possible.

My aim was to capture a slice of the films primary and aptly named location 'Ape City' with its iconic irregular sandstone architecture, it's perilous walkways and its teeming wildlife. It's a city full of bizarre angles and curves that were a pleasant challenge to translate into bricks. I'm especially happy with the building on the left as it was the first building I designed; its unorthodox shaping I believe would stand out on any Lego shelf in the best way.

The leftmost building's ground floor depicts the jail area where Taylor meets his love interest, Nova, and is familiarised with the cruelty of the oppressive gorillas. Above this is the lab of the kind-hearted chimpanzees, Zira and Cornelius, where Taylor is taken to be understood. The centre building features the museum section through which Taylor attempts part of his escape, with bizarre fossilised displays and a 'primitive human' exhibit where he makes a grizzly discovery! The ground floor of the building to the right represents the courthouse, where Taylor is interrogated by the scheming orangutan Dr Zaius. Finally the floor above depicts the medbay where Taylor and Nova awake following their capture in the fields.

In total I have included 11 minifigures: George Taylor, Nova, Thomas Dodge, Cornelius, Zira, 3 Gorilla Guards, Dr Honorius, President Gaius and Dr Zaius. In order to bring the city to life I have included a couple of market stalls, horses, a cart, vegetation, the shore of a lake alongside a handful of references to other films in the franchise (How many can you spot?).

Thank you to everyone who has checked out my project! It's my first ever Lego Ideas submission so I hope you all enjoy seeing it and consider sending a vote my way!