Planet of the Apes

Rating:
Summary: just as good as......
Review: THIS FILM IS EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINALS!!

Rating:
Summary: THE SIMIAN SOLUTION...
Review: This remake of the 1968 blockbuster is an entirely different movie. If the viewer expects it to follow the original, the viewer will, undoubtedly, be disappointed. While the storyline is basically the same in that simians have enslaved humans, it has decidely different twists.

First and foremost, Rick Baker's ape make-up surpasses that of the 1968 version. It is unbelievably good, almost remarkable. The make-up, coupled with the simian specific behavioral nuances and the final filip brought to the simian characters by the actors themselves, brings the simian characters to life, making them very three dimensional.

The storyline is fairly simple. A Major Davidson, while traveling in a spaceship, attempts to rescue a space pod containing one of his favorite chimpanzees and finds himself caught up in an electro-magnetic disturbance. This storm causes him to crash land on a planet, where simians are the dominant species, and humans are their slaves. No sooner than he lands, he finds himself enslaved and enbroiled in survival.

He discovers that there are two opposing camps of thought amongst the simians on the issue of humans. One school of thought, favored by Ari (Helen Bonham- Carter), favors equality, while the other, espoused by the sinister General Thade, urges extermination. There is also a romantic sub-plot between these two protagonists.

What happens to them all provides much food for thought. Wahlberg is somewhat wooden in his portrayal of Davidson, which is somewhat surprising, as he is usually a pretty competent actor. Tim Roth is absolutely terrific as the single minded and ruthless General Thade. While Helen Bonham-Carter is good as the liberal simian, it is Paul Giammatti who very nearly steals the show as Limbo, the slave trader. Look for Charlton Heston in the role of General Thade's dying father. This unbilled cameo is a nice touch and a salute to the 1968 film.

Tim Burton did an excellent job with this remake until the very end, when the movie seriously goes off course . This is unfortunate, as it serves only to have a jarring effect on the viewer, leaving the viewer to wonder what happened. With a better ending, it could have been a five star film.