Planet Of The Apes


Starring Mark Wahlberg, Estella Warren, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Giamotti, Lisa Marie, Charlton Heston. Directed by Tim Burton.

Leo Davidson (Wahlberg) is a restless pilot aboard a space station in 2029. He's involved in training chimps to drive spacecraft into troubled areas of space, in an effort to avoid the loss of human lives in dangerous missions. The space station happens upon a large metallic storm and they send a chimp in, but the chimp's shuttle is lost and presumed destroyed. Without permission, Leo hops on a shuttle and plunges in. He soon loses control and crashes on an unknown planet. When he gets out of his shuttle, he's in the middle of a bunch of humans being chased by some strong and very cunning apes. He and the rest are captured by cynical slave trader Limbo's (Giamatti) men, and cleaned and caged for sale.

Senator's daughter Ari (Bonham Carter) is an activist against the poor treatment of humans. Ari buys Leo and a female Daena (Warren), and eventually helps them escape to the rainforests. Sadistic General Thade (Roth), rejected by Ari in his romantic overtures, has been waiting for his chance to crush the humans and get back at her. He convinces Ari's father she has been taken against her will, and convince him to allow martial law and give Thade the ability to kill as many humans as he wishes, ostensibly in an attempt to get Ari back from the humans. And the hunt begins.

There are several changes, a few for the better, in this version of Planet Of The Apes. The ape makeup is far more realistic than the masks used in the original. The original relied on few special effects - this one revels in them, and the visual set designs are generally interesting. In the new version, human beings can talk, live in their own communities and have their own culture. The apes are in charge because they are physically stronger and quicker. They round up humans to be slaves and the youngs ones to be pets for their children. One of the kids insults Ari as a "human lover". At a dinner party, politicians and their pampered society wives talk about "dirty", "inferior" humans without high-level thinking skills. They are terminally paranoid of the superior-in-numbers humans rising up and threatening their way of life. The language has eerie similarities to that used to support racial bias against black and other minority groups in our own world.

Wahlberg is a curiously bland and uninspiring hero. Perhaps that was on purpose - an ordinary fighter thrown into a situation doing the best he can, like Bruce Willis in Die Hard. But that avenue is inconsistently followed. On the plus side, Tim Roth is unrecognizable, and fantastic. He's a seething ball of anger and paranoia, ruthless in obtaining his goals and reinforcing his biases. When he's around, the film is at its best. Some of the best special effects occur in watching Thade bounce around from tree to tree and then jump on his horse and ride away. Also excellent is Bonham Carter's sensitive and strong-willed activist Ari. Despite the pounds of makeup, her feelings shine through her eyes.

One of the improvements in the new Planet Of The Apes is that it does a much better job in providing an explanation how Apes came to rule the planet over humans, which the original film didn't really bother doing. It also provides an interesting, unfilled love triangle between Leo, Daena and Ari - Ari's interest in Leo is far more than compassion and zoological interest. On the other side, the touchy, feely conclusion to the ape-human war is far too convenient and simplistic and one of the biggest credibility weaknesses in the film. Now, for the twist ending that people either love or hate. I liked it - it leaves the door wide open for a sequel (which supposedly is planned), and it captured a little of the excitement and tone of the original, superior 1968 Planet Of The Apes.

I liked this film, but it's tone is inconsistent - sometimes intense and exciting, sometimes flat. Planet Of The Apes is worth seeing, but it could have been better.




If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail



Press Here To Go To The Review List Page