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Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes

List Price: $29.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A wasted effort.
Review: I'm being generous with three stars. It's more like 2 1/2. As with most blockbusters, these days, you get your great visuals and costumes at the expense of a good plot and characters. The script was pure trash from beginning to end. Here are some examples of the screenplay: "I'm having a bad hair day", "Get your hands off me you damn dirty human", "Can't we just all get along?". These are lines that my 12-year old would have come up with for a movie. Unfortunately, this type of writing seems to be the norm. The casting is ok, except for Wahlberg. A department store dummy would have had more life.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Great special effects... NO CLOSURE!!!
Review: COME ON!!! This is a PRETTY good story with REALLY good specail effects. BUT THERE'S NO CLOSURE!!! When I watch a film I want closure. Is that too much to ask? I don't mind a little bit of an open end which could POSSIBLY lead to a sequel, but, for the LUVVAGOD, let's don't end a film with the OBVIOUS plans of a sequel. Uhhh if there's no sequel planned then... well, that just makes the movie that much worse, doesn't it.

This film has no ending. When the film stops rolling I was sitting there saying to my wife... Is there another cd?

No Chaz. That's all there was... You picked it.

All that aside, if you don't care about closure, if a complete story means nothing to you, and your whole movie-watching life revolves around action and good special effects, then yeah, this movie was a renter. Sorry, but I can't bring myself to buy it.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Snarling, Biting, and Burton...
Review: First off, a commendation to those responsible for dvd production. Though slightly repetitive, the two disks have all the fact's needed to be a planet-ite. I have said many times before that when something is created to display a world of its own there is no room for speculation. Unfortunately with Apes pluses come many, many minuses.

Pluses: Tim Roth, completely disappearing and submerging into the dark, evil Thade, carries the entire film on his shoulder's. Applause to costume, art, make-up, stunt coordination, and FX department's. If your soul purpose in seeing Planet is the visionary, then be prepared for many new and improved distinction's. Micheal Clark Duncan seperates himself from his Green Mile counterpart to portray Thade's right hand general in warfare. Helena Bodham Carter (stunning in Hamlet, incredible in The Theory of Flight) plays a daughter of councel, and is perhaps the most attractive ape ever on the screen. Danny Elfman pulls of yet another unique and jungle-like soundtrack full of rhythm's and vicious war music. Once you see how Tim Burton placed Planet on Celluloid you will see a reason to appreciate the terrific editing.

Minuses: The screenwriter('s) need to be choked for the absolute and obvious denial of the human character's. There are three main character's that, I don't even know if they were named, have no real purpose whatsoever. When watching the scenes with Wahlberg running away with Carter in the escape scenes, these pointless humans tag along and provide nothing for the film. They are needless. A boy, fiesty as all boys are in a jungle setting, stays through the entire picture only to be trapped beneath a horse at the end for a photo opportunity of a fleet of on-coming apes. The "lead" female doesn't say two words, only looks at Wahlberg as if he should mate with her, and hurts her feelings when he pays more attention to the Carter character. That's all she's supposed to do right? Why not cut two minutes out of the film and not have her at all? She is there to look concerned. Period. Her Father, played well, get's killed off in a supposedly tear jerking off-camera slaughter. Why? To slow the bad apes down of course. Unfortunately the other character's do not understand this, as they watch his fate unfold nearly to the last second. How long does one fragile old man pospone the demise of his daughter, Wahlberg, and the other's? Nearly an entire second! Cheers! But ofcourse how does he know this, when he has been seeing their power for the entire length of his life. How many apes is he trying to "hold back"? About a hundred. Noble jesture, but as J. Cricket says, "Not at all logical." There are other human's too, but you only get glimpses of them as they are systematically killed off.
Not even Wahlberg get's a word in. Atleast in the original Heston had a good excuse to remain silent, he was shot in the throat. The dialogue throughout the entire film lacks both spine and brain. Perhaps someone pulled a fatality on the intellect department.

The lowest Minus - The kicker...the absolute kicker of this entire movie: Near the end Wahlberg, Carter, and the unimportant characters must rendezvous with his returning ship. They are fairly close when they come to a camp filled with Ape soldiers and red tent's. Now, this encampment is surrounded by very small hills, more like humps. A five minute walk to Alabama boys. Anyway, it is suggested to Wahlberg that they..."go around"...the camp and safely cross a creek. He will have nothing of it. "No," he says, "it will take too much time. We will wait until nightfall and steal their horses and ride straight through the center of the camp." They do this, but before breaking out and riding in a screaming rage, Wahlberg pop's a bright red flair over the camp, just in case there is any doubt of the Apes knowing that they are coming. Along the way he manages to destroy the entire camp with two torches. FATALITY!

Planet of the Apes visually, along with Roth, Duncan, and Carter, is a terrific grade "A" film. But when you Add all of the many mind blowing fault's, it's grade drops severely. Another example of matter over brains. It's too bad, because there was so much work placed in this film.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: If you have seen the original, then this is simply bad
Review: I was expecting to see somthing new with this "revisiting" of planet of the apes movie. Instead, it is just an amatuer attempt to add some insight to the thought-provoking themes of the original movies. The first half of the movie was a complete waste, the slave/master issue was clearly dealt with in more detail in the original movie. So many movies these days focus so much on set design and makeup and not enough on plot or character development. The ending was surprising I thought, as I a couple of things could have happened in my opinion. Overall, just another modern action/sci-fi movie with no good plot, characters or action for that matter

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Entertaining....
Review: Movie is enterataining. Worth at least a rental, possible purchase. I saw it at the drive-in and it kept me interested.

Special effects were great!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: YEAH, WIERD! (ENDING SPOILER)!
Review: As far as remakes go, PLANET OF THE APES fairs well. It's got that appealing story with great characters and exciting and stirring storytelling mixed with awesome visual effects. Mark Wahlberg proved he can take the responsibility of the lead actor. All the other performances were good, and Estella Warren is totally hot! But I just couldn't give this film four or five stars. The reason being is the surprise ending. Him getting back to Earth and finding it ruled by Simians just totally ruined the film. I'll still watch it, and my sister is going to get it from me for Christmas. Watch it if you're in the mood. If not, skip it. Watch PEARL HARBOR or the original APES films instead. At least the endings make more sense. Grade: C+

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Average and anti-climatic
Review: I'm a huge Tim Burton fan! I enjoy everything he does because he has such a unique look at things. Yet, of all of his movies, this one lacks development and leaves you with a "so-what" feeling.

The costumes were fantastic and the make-up effects of Rick Baker were oscar caliber. Yet, the one thing that the original "Planet of the Apes" had that this version does not is realism. In the original, you believed that they were on a strange planet. In the new version, you can't help think that they're on a set somewhere. Some back-lot.

More importantly though, the story was poorly written, and the ending jumped too much without explaining some details. There were just too many coincidental things that you were just supposed to believe. The first sign of a poorly written movie that needed a way out. Like, where did all the humans come from and how did they hear about the rebellion so fast. Oh, it doesn't matter, it's just a movie. They had to be there, or there couldn't be a battle scene.

All in all, I bought the DVD. I buy all of Tim's movies. Despite the fact that the movie was a little of a disappointment, the DVD is awesome. Excellent special features, and when it comes to the movie... don't read too much into it... it's just a movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Judge on its own merit.
Review: I base my review of any movie firstly on the degree that it entertained me. This film did the job! I was well entertained.

Being familiar with the original Planet of the Apes, staring Charleton Heston, I found myself comparing the two and looking expectantly for the Statue of Liberty scene at the end. Along the way it finally dawned on me that this movie ought to be viewed as a unique film experience. It should be viewed on its own merit alone, and totally apart from its predecessor. When judged on its own merits, the film is fun, clever and enjoyable.

The make-up artistry provided by Rick Baker, master of the genre, is wonderful. The effort put forth by the cast to learn ape behavior and movement shows throughout. The special effects are splendid. One particular example that i found entertaining was a scene that can best be described as ape "foreplay" that is interrupted by the escape of our hero and his entourage. Another was the alarm of the female ape when confronted by water and the propsect of swimming.

I found this film entirely entertaining, artistically competent, and entirely believable. I enjoyed the film, have watched it several times, and will likely watch it again myself and with friends. It was good clean fun and provided a pleasant diversion.

This film is good, solid film-making at its best, and will prove abundantly entertaining when judged on its own merit.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not quite a waste of time
Review: I was disappointed with the original movie, having previously read the book by Pierre Boulle. This version is even worse. Aside from straying even further from the book, I looked at the makeup on some of the actors and wondered what had happened to all of the advances in special effects and makeup from the last 30 years.

I must say that the explanation for the origin of the ape society was a nice twist, but the ending left me with the question as to WHY things went as they did since Captain Davidson presumably went BACK in time, judging from the chronometer in the pod.

There were isolated moments that were entertaining, but I doubt if I'll bother to watch it again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I Loved everything
Review: But I loved Helena Bonham Carter the most.

I was amazed at how Ms. Carter was able to be
so femenine and sexy, and sooo appealing
while wearing latex on her face.

Wow!

I think I'm in love.

I don't know much about her performances, but I will
correct this.

I also think Mr. Burton is fantastic, I really liked
all the characters, Mike Wahlberg was great - evvery one was.

Do NOT hesitate, buy it and enjoy it.

Watch Helena Bonham Carter, if this woman is not
LOUDLY acclaimed, I'll eat my toes.

I mean it.

Lord P. Bermingham


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