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Planet of the Apes (2001)
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Reviews Counted:153
Fresh:68
Rotten:85
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: This remake of Planet of the Apes can't compare to the original in some critics' mind, but the striking visuals and B-movie charms may win you over.
Runtime: 2 hrs 4 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: In remaking this classic sci-fi horror film, director Tim Burton takes on a whopping challenge and succeeds. Astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) is part of a space station crew that, in the year... In remaking this classic sci-fi horror film, director Tim Burton takes on a whopping challenge and succeeds. Astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) is part of a space station crew that, in the year 2029, is conducting experiments in training genetically engineered chimps to perform complex away missions. When Leo's chimp disappears into a worm hole, Leo unadvisedly goes after him, ending up in a parallel world in which the monkeys are the keepers and humans are traded and caged like animals. It's a horrifying place, and the whole atmosphere, colored by Burton's direction and Rick Baker's incredible special effects makeup, is charged with terror. Leo becomes a heroic figure in the eyes of his defeated human brethren, and he puts his trust--and his hope for escape--in Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), a forward-thinking ape who believes in human rights. But Leo has formidable opponents in Thade (Tim Roth) and Attar (Michael Clark Duncan), two power-hungry, testosterone-charged apes who wish to rid the planet of humans altogether. This excellent rendition of PLANET OF THE APES is more than just a remake: it includes intense physicality on the part of the actors, complex mythology lacing the story, chilling philosophical realizations, and an amazing cameo by original APES star Charlton Heston. The combination of those complex parts makes for a riveting viewing experience. [More]
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Kris Kristofferson, David Warner, Erick Avari, Luke Eberl
Director: Tim Burton
Director: Tim Burton
Screenwriter: Mark Rosenthal, William Broyles, Lawrence Konner
Producer: Mark Rosenthal, Richard D. Zanuck, Ralph Winter
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Planet of the Apes
Burton's singular vision is missing from this mishmash of a remake, part sci-fi, part adventure, part ape-human romance, but unsatisfying on any level. Mark Wahlberg's pallid turn doesn't help and neither does the PG-13 rating which proves confining
While Edward Scissorhands could have come from no other imagination, Apes could have been directed by any action director and come out fairly similar to this.
It is like an elaborate card trick that has 30 steps but the deck was rigged so that the card you picked was obviously predetermined
...one of the most entertaining check-your-brain-at-the-door flicks in recent years.
Like Burton's Sleepy Hollow, another grim triumph of set design over story.
The apes of '68 may now appear more comical than scary but their 2001 descendants are truly terrifying.
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February 13, 2007:
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