| Rule The Planet PLANET OF THE APES UK Release Date: 17/08/2001 Certificate: 12 Official Website Director: Tim Burton Producer: Richard Zanuck Screenplay: William Boyles Jnr., Lawrence Konner & Mark D. Rosenthal |
| Perhaps inspired by this month's earlier talking-animals flick Cats and Dogs, Tim Burton directs speaking simians in Planet of the Apes. It is also a "re-imagining" of a little movie of the same name from 1968. Mark Wahlberg plays Leo Davidson, the astronaut who, like Charlton Heston before him, lands on the eponymous ape-infested planet. To his suprise (or, in Wahlberg's case, embarassing lack of it) he finds that on this planet apes are the dominant species, while the physically weaker humans are enslaved. |
| As you might expect this version is visually far more impressive than any of the original five Apes movie. The apes' city is rendered in great detail, creating a more interesting backdrop than the caves that their sixties counterparts inhabitated. The make-up used to create the locals is equally amazing, allowing facial expressions that were previously not possible. Combined with the movements and body language the actors learned at "ape school", the effect is very convincing. The society the apes have developed is reminiscent of that of the Romans (unlike in the original novel, Monkey Planet, where they possessed cars and satellites). So the most sophisticated weapons available are swords, leading to an excellent, visceral, bone-crunching battle towards the movie's climax. |
| Unfortunately Mark Wahlberg does not possess the presence to take the lead in a movie, let alone step into the boots of a Hollywood legend like Charlton Heston. He has acquitted himself quite well in more ensemble pieces like Three Kings, but his first foray into big movies without George Clooney leaves him looking a bit insipid. Although rumours of a Clooney-as-ape cameo abound, so perhaps he still has not made that leap. Wahlberg has the show stolen out from under him, in fact, by Tim Roth, on great form as the evil General Thade. His barely-controlled rage and psychopathic hatred of humans makes for compulsive viewing. |
| As Davidson tries make his way to rendez-vous with his mothership, he is accompanied by some rebel humans (unlike in the original, the humans here can speak) and human-rights-campaigner chimp Ari, played by Helena Bonham-Carter. Much has been made in the press about how attractive Helena Bonham-Carters looks as a chimp. No. She's not even good-looking without the layers of prosthetics. Throughout the journey she and the gorgeously full-lipped and full-breasted human rebel Daena (Estelle Warren) exchange jealous glances, as they have both developed crushes on the former underwear model. |
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| Without giving anything anyway, it is pretty obvious that the most discussed aspect of this version will be the ending. It was made emphatic from very earlier in the publicity drive that the original film's "it was Earth all along" ending was out. This is definitely an alien planet. Although the origins of the Planet are pretty obvious from early on, the actual closing scene could not be predicted at all. Clearly Burton needed something on the same scale as the original, and to help forget about the rather pat denouement to the human/ape conflict. But as to whether he just wanted to piss people off, or has constructed a very clever device for sequels, only time will tell. 5/10. |
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