Planet of the Apes

2001  PG-13  SCIENCE FICTION  2h

CAST— Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clark Duncan, Kris Kristofferson, Estella Warren, Paul Giamatti

MUSIC— Danny Elfman  DIRECTOR— Tim Burton  BASED ON— Planet of the Apes (novel), by Pierre Boulle

     What is it about remakes? They can be big at the box office and can even be as good (or better) than the original. Well, remember Psycho, the 1998 version? It was almost a scene by scene recreation of the 1960 original, minus the direction of Alfred Hitchcock, of course. But then again, consider The Fly (1986). It was almost a completely new movie, with few similarities to the 1958 original. Tim Burton here takes the middle ground. He tries to give a new generation a new vision (“re-imagining”) of the classic sci-fi movie Planet of the Apes (1968). People raised such a fuss over little things that weren’t “right” (okay, we all do that), that they didn’t see that this version is actually quite good. Mark Wahlberg plays Air Force Captain Leo Davidson, who crash lands on a primitive planet run by intelligent, talking apes, and has to escape being turned into a slave. The premise is basically the same as the original, but is delivered with such an impact that little flaws seem to just pass by as of little consequence. It doesn’t have the best acting ever put on screen, but it does have good effects, and the terrific make up makes the original’s look like the face putty that it is. We also don’t have Charlton Heston’s zealous overacting (“Madhouse! A MAADHOUSE!!”), but instead get Wahlberg’s blank, unemotional deadpan. Take your pick, but don’t forget about this one.

OUR RATING— ***

ORIGINAL— Planet of the Apes (1968)