Planet of the Apes

Reviewed by: Joe Blenkle

Rating:

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, and Helena Bonham Carter

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Producer: Richard D. Zanuck

Director: Tim Burton

Screenplay: William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Release Date: July 27, 2001

Running Time: 119 Minutes

	In the heat of battle, Thade (Tim Roth), the ape military leader, tries to subdue Leo (Mark Wahlberg) in 20th Century Fox's PLANET OF THE APES. Photo by Sam Emerson. © 2001 20th Century Fox. All Rights Reserved.

    Back as a 12-year-old, I remember that the original Planet of the Apes gave me nightmares. Maybe it's just being older, but the remake of this classic science fiction movie didn't have the same impact on me.
    Overall, it's still a good film, but the air of suspense that was found in the original just isn't there in the 2001 version. Going into the film, everyone knew what the basic premise was - they just lacked the details of EXACTLY what was going to happen.
    Planet of the Apes saving grace was that while it was based on the same idea as the old movie, it was different enough to hold your interest. It was easy to sit through the movie and think, "okay, this is where this or that is going to happen," but then you find that it isn't going to happen that way after all. The best comparison to make about this movie and the original is that there really isn't anything to compare.
    Same name, same idea (apes rule a planet and enslave humans) - totally different movie.
    Mark Wahlberg stars as Captain Leo Davidson. He's a researcher who trains chimps to pilot small exploratory spacecraft. When one of his chimps is lost, he defies orders and goes after it. Davidson goes through some kind of wormhole and finds himself crashing on an alien planet, eventually discovering it is ruled by apes.
    Of course it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the chimp disappearing would have some bearing later in the movie - how, I'll leave that for you to find out when you see it. It will keep you guessing!
    The ape costumes in this movie were very well done - much better than the original 1968 film. However, after looking at the fantastic chimp and gorilla makeup, you have to wonder about Helena Bonham Carter's. She played the humanist-chimp Ari and had the least convincing looking makeup of all. It was a distraction from the rest of the costuming.
    The actors in this movie did have their ape movements down, however. Especially with the apes charging into battle. Rather than running upright, they were down on all fours giving a very realistic look of how real apes run. But then on the downside, I could have done without the apes mounting their horses with a five-bank-shot movement rather than just jumping on them.
    Watch also for a few brief guest appearances by actors from the original movie. Linda Harrison, who played Nova in the original, is seen as a human prisoner and Charlton Heston has an unbilled appearance as the father of Thade, one of the apes.
    Despite a few picky little things, Planet of the Apes lives up to all the hype it has been getting. Just don't expect anything like the original. This movie goes an entirely different direction and you must enjoy it for that. The classic Planet of the Apes was the better film, but the 2001 version is close behind.  Return to The Movie Corner