"Somewhere in the Universe, there must be something better than man!"
Planet of the Apes - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!
— George Taylor
Context:
Spoken when Taylor is caught in a net by gorillas, struggling to escape. It marks the first time he speaks after regaining his voice.
Meaning:
This is the moment Taylor violently asserts his humanity and sentience. It shatters the apes' worldview and establishes him not as a beast, but as an equal.
You maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!
— George Taylor
Context:
Screamed by Taylor in the film's final scene as he falls to his knees before the ruined Statue of Liberty.
Meaning:
The ultimate realization of humanity's failure. It is a powerful condemnation of nuclear war and the self-destructive tendencies of mankind.
I can't help thinking that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man. Has to be.
— George Taylor
Context:
Spoken by Taylor in his opening monologue while recording a log aboard his spaceship before going into hypersleep.
Meaning:
Sets up Taylor's misanthropic worldview and the film's central irony: he traveled through space and time hoping to escape humanity's flaws, only to find the terrifying end result of them.
Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed.
— Cornelius
Context:
Read by Cornelius from the 29th scroll during Taylor's tribunal.
Meaning:
Highlights the apes' religious justification for oppressing humans, while also serving as a stark, accurate warning about human nature that foreshadows the film's ending.
Doctor, I'd like to kiss you goodbye. / All right, but you're so damned ugly.
— George Taylor and Dr. Zira
Context:
Exchanged just before Taylor and Nova ride off into the Forbidden Zone.
Meaning:
A touching, humorous moment that shows a genuine cross-species connection and mutual respect, while playing on the relative nature of physical beauty.