Rating: 
Summary: Evolutionarily Inferior
Review: It is probably safe to say that the conclusion to the original 1968 "Planet of the Apes" is one of the most famous endings of any movie, period. The ending of that movie alone guaranteed its entry into history, but the 120+ minutes that preceded it were also worth it. "Apes" had a sense of humor, a sly wit, and a point to make about its material. When it was released, there was a measure of grousing about how far it had deviated from Pierre Boulle's novel (which is worth reading on its own), but the results were strong enough to stand on their own.Flash-forward to 2001. Now we are graced with a remake, or a re-imagining, or a re-something, of "Planet of the Apes." Is this drawn from the book? Not really. A new version of the movie? Not really. It's a bland series of compromises that mostly seem to have been cobbled together for the sake of a limp trick ending (one which anyone with half a brain could see something miles off). There are so many individual things wrong with the film I'm not sure where to begin. The casting of Mark Wahlberg is definitely a deficit -- he's so ruminative, apologetic and glum that he manages to undermine most of the energy in any scene he's in. He's a lousy action hero, frankly. He doesn't make you believe in the impossible. Wahlberg isn't the biggest problem, though -- there's the story, which boils down to a bunch of hastily-assembled chases and confrontations that don't evoke any emotional reactions from the audience. Much of the movie is underlit and unappealing; what little visual imagination there is has been invested on the ape makeup. The single finest thing about the movie IS the ape makeup, actually -- it's so good, so expressive and realistic, I wanted a better movie to be wrapped around it. No such luck. Another big mistake is to make the apes the most interesting things on screen. The humans, by comparison, are so drab that they don't hold our attention, and we wind up not caring about them. If the movie had picked up on that and run with it -- say, by making us root for the apes more than the humans in a showdown between them -- they could have had a really fine piece of work here. Instead, it reminded me all too much of Tim Burton's earlier "Mars Attacks!": all setup and no payoff. Here's a movie that is hemmed in by the kind of thinking that seems more appropriate for a TV show: disposable, cheap, brainless, uninvolving. Tim Burton is a talented director, but he only seems to be as good as his material. The Grand Guignol slam-bang horror of "Sleepy Hollow" was eye-opening. This one's sleep-inducing.
Rating: 
Summary: Ape Crazy
Review: I went into this movie expecting to see a stupid movie. But I have to say that I was very surprised. The makeup was amazing and the acting wasn't bad. Mark Walhberg was good in the movie contrary to what people have said. I think this movie is one of the best blockbusters of the year. It's entertaining and thats all that should matter from a movie like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Planet of the Apes Mark Wahlberg
Review: This film was so bad that I could only stand to watch it for about 20 minutes. After the original Planet of the Apes series, this remake leaves a lot to be desired. The time and effort put into the original makeup and set design was not evident here. They could not even come up with an original title such as "Planet of the Apes, a Lousy remake"
Rating: 
Summary: Great Departure....
Review: from the original....I really enjoyed this movie. Key scenes when the ape told Mark to get his dirty paws off of him. In the original it was the other way around. And why was Charlton Heston's name left off the credits in the movie. I didn't realize until the second time around that General Thade's father was played by Charlton Heston. I thought that was brillant and for him to repeat the same line he used in the original ape movie about damning them all to hell. What a great film....
Rating: 
Summary: An Acceptable Remake of a Film Classic
Review: This remake of the 1968 classic starring Charles Heston has the benefit of better technology, costumes and special effects. The apes look like real creatures instead of the stiff-mouthed rubber masks of the original, and the outer space scenes are realistic and impressive. In this remake, Major Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) of the United States Airforce is propelled into a distant future when his space pod encounters a weird electrical storm. He crash lands on a forested planet, and the tale begins much like the original. He finds himself among a passive herd of humans who are suddenly attacked by a troop of horse-riding apes in battle regalia. As the humans flee in panic, Major Davidson is captured with all the rest. The film relies on strong metaphors with ante-bellum America and chattel slavery. The attacking apes wear conical helmets that bear a strong resemblance to Klan hoods. The captured humans are chained and caged for sale to masters. But an ape-abolitionist, a female ape named Ari (Helena Bonham Carter) comes to Major Davidson's rescue. As the well-placed daughter of a senator, her social position somewhat protects her from her outspoken advocacy of species-equality. She helps the Major and some of the other humans escape bondage, in a kind of underground railroad. The symbolism might have been more effective had it not been so obvious, but at least the apes weren't given a Southern accent. The apes pursue until the grand confrontation, and the ending has a twist that leaves the door open for a sequel. I felt the movie relied a bit too much on self-parody, where some of the famous lines of the original version are reversed in this remake -- it provides a comical note that does not advance the film's credibility as a serious tale. Most of the characters were forgettable, but Helena Bonham Carter as Ari was clearly best of the lot. For an ape she's pretty cute, and believe me, I've dated worse.
Rating:
Summary: Anticlimactic and absurd
Review: If you prefer style over substance, then 2001's "Planet of the Apes" was made with you in mind. "Apes" certainly has eye candy going for it. The make-up work is absolutely amazing, and more films should take lessons. CGI is not the solution to every special effects question, people. There is still a lot of ground to be broken with more traditional effects, and "Apes" proves that. However, as a movie, "Apes" is not much of an achievement. Though "Battlefield Earth" was hailed widely as the worst movie of 2000, it is, in many ways, better than "Planet of the Apes." At least it knew where it was going (even if it didn't seem to know how best to get there). But "Apes" is a whole other story. I certainly TRIED to like the film, but there are massive holes in the plotline, and the dialogue is poorly written more often than not. But worst of all, "Apes" is boring. And even when things seem to be picking up near the climax, it fizzles into an anticlimactic solution and adds insult to injury with an absurd ending. On top of this, many of the visuals seem unfinished and raw (make-up aside). The wirework is poorly done in particular, as both humans and apes defy all known laws of gravity - but this isn't "The Matrix," so there's no excuse for it. This film suffered from a rushed production and was only completed days before its theatrical release this past summer, and it shows. While it had vast potential to be an entertaining sci-fi flick, the experience is completely hollow and devoid of much in the way of personality. It's just not very entertaining, and that's the bottom line.
Rating:
Summary: APE SHALL NEVER KILL APE!
Review: Don't let the Planet of the Ape Nerds tell you that it's "brainless", and not as good as the original. Rent or Buy it for yourself and you be the judge. I was really "pig headed" when I first heard they were making this movie, but I just rented it and it is great. Don't get me wrong, I loved the first movies but this one stands on its own and is just as good. Just go into this movie with an OPEN MIND. Don't listen to the critics. A MUST OWN!
Rating:
Summary: Avoid preconceptions
Review: When I first watched this movie I was a little turned off and disconcerted because I was thinking of the original Planet. That was my mistake. This version of Planet of the Apes must be viewed not as a comparison to the original but as its own movie. This movie deliberately does NOT copy the original. Yes, of course, there are similar elements but that's as far as it goes. Burton was not trying to improve the classic. He wasn't trying to make any deep political statements. This is simply a movie and you can best enjoy this one by keeping your mind open, keeping the original out of your head, and watching it twice. Many reviewers may not know that this movie was an emergency fill-in. I have it from an excellent source that the intended movie deal fell through and the studio needed to plug SOMETHING into its schedule. Considering the limitations of time and budget, I think they did a pretty amazing job pulling together what they could on such short notice. That's not to say that the movie doesn't have its problems. It does. Several of them. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it for what it is -- simply a movie made to entertain you for a couple of hours. Period. Once you get over the initial confusion of trying to compare it to the first and being disconcerted by the behavior of the apes that was entirely unlike the original, it's worth viewing a second time because preconceptions will be wiped away by then. These apes have retained many ape-like qualities (and that's logical given the basis of this story) and it's absolutely amazing to watch the actors breath life into the characters who are humanoid but definitely not human. Rick Baker's makeup is nothing short of incredible when you realize that they did not use cables, animatronics, or CGI. They could have "cheated" but they didn't (maybe budgetary and/or time constraints prevented this or maybe it was a conscious choice). They let the actor's BE the characters and some of them achieved incredible performances. This Planet had quirks of humor. It's fluff with no underlying political or social statement. It's meant to be viewed and enjoyed simply as entertainment. It does have several shortcomings (overblown stunts, logic errors, inconsistencies in the physical strength of the apes)but that shouldn't stop an open mind from enjoying what IS there. I completely disagree with Burton's ending and his justification for it but I do have to admit that it was the one part of the movie that had me thinking -- trying to figure out what the heck he meant by it. lol If nothing else, if you're a fan of f/x makeup you will find things to marvel over in this movie. I found the extras on the second DVD to be worth the money alone because I am a fan of f/x makeup so I was riveted to the segment about the makeup and the simian academy sequence was also fascinating. In fact, I'd actually suggest watching the extras BEFORE watching the movie (if you haven't seen it before)to help clear out any preconceptions you may have about this one trying to copy or compete with the original. That wasn't the case. It was economics. The studio had to fill a slot after another movie fell through so a group of people were thrown together to whip out something to fill in the blank in the schedule. Unfortunately, the cast and crew suffered for the choice because the original is impossible to top. Burton didn't even try, knew he couldn't, so he took an alternative route. All fluff, no real substance, but don't let that distract you from some shining performances and fantastic makeup. So, if you're a die-hard original Planet of the Apes fan and feel there's absolutely no room for error, avoid getting your fur rubbed the wrong way and don't see this one. If you have an open mind, enjoy f/x makeup, and can keep in mind that this is not and was never intended to be a copy of the original, then you may enjoy this movie though you probably won't be overwhelmed by it.
Rating:
Summary: Very cool!
Review: I taught this movie was really pack with action! I mean it is not the ORIGINAL... but IMHO I think the action and amination worked out to make this movie come out and play really nice. Mark Wahlberg big great... and I am sure or HOPE there will be a part 2. I really liked the END. Some of my freinds at work hated this movie b/c theu that it had a wacky ending. But it made me think that" DAMN"!!! this (...)..... whats going to happen now?? Well well see if there is a PART2. Oh if none of you seen the ending.... I loved it..... and then you know why there should be a part 2.
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly Bad.
Review: The problem with Tim Burton films is, well...Tim Burton. When he does his best work you get "Edward Scissorhands" or "Sleepy Hollow". When he's off a bit, you get "Batman Returns" and this load of garbage. The original “Planet of the Apes”, and its many sequels, thoroughly worked through any shock value that a madhouse world where apes are higher than humans may have. All that's left is bringing the special effects up to date, so this movie is mostly about jumping and screaming monkeys. Now the jumping is impressive, and the screaming is quite loud. If you're the kind of person that doesn't get enough of loud, hyper monkeys at your local zoo or on the Discovery Channel, then this is the perfect movie for you! The rest of you can laugh at the plot, which mostly consists of time travel and class struggle in addition to the aforementioned jumping and screaming. All this leads to a battle royale, and it looks like the apes are going to win. But then the humans remember they have a nuclear reactor and the battle stalls with several humans and apes you cared nothing about meeting bloody ends. (...) Except for the main man (Wahlberg). Horribly miscast (as someone with talent), he yearns to return to his own planet or time or wherever it was from whence he came. (...) Although the movie then ends, we can imagine that Wahlberg goes on to bridge the gap between ape and man through rap music (...). Perhaps he aspires to be an actor, but that's for the sequel or a different time period. It sure doesn't work here.
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