Planet of the Apes (2001)

45% of critics liked it
(155 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(339,303 ratings)

This big budget "re-imagining" of the 1968 original departs somewhat from both that classic science fiction film and the source novel by author Pierre Boulle. Mark Wahlberg stars as Leo Davidson, an astronaut of the early 21st century whose unauthorized mission to rescue a chimp companion from a… More This big budget "re-imagining" of the 1968 original departs somewhat from both that classic science fiction film and the source novel by author Pierre Boulle. Mark Wahlberg stars as Leo Davidson, an astronaut of the early 21st century whose unauthorized mission to rescue a chimp companion from a mysterious space storm goes awry when he and his ship are lost through a rip in the fabric of time. Leo crash-lands on a planet where intelligent, talking apes are the dominant species and humans a conquered slave class. Befriending both a chimpanzee activist named Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), who's sympathetic to humans, and a beautiful human rebel, Daena (Estella Warren), Leo quickly becomes a prominent figure of resistance to his fellow humans. This makes him an instant source of irritation for the militant and ambitious General Thade (Tim Roth) and his trusted adjutant, Attar (Michael Clarke Duncan), who intend to hunt Leo down and crush the burgeoning human uprising. War looms between ape and human as Leo and his band head for a sacred site deep in an off-limits desert, where secrets about the planet's ape and human ancestry wait to be revealed. Planet of the Apes is directed by Tim Burton and features the original film's star, Charlton Heston, in a cameo role as the dying father of Thade. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 4 hr. 3 min.
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Mark Rosenthal, William Broyles, Lawrence Konner
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jul 27, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Nov 20, 2001
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Splendidly envisioned and boldly executed.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Call it a letdown, worsened by the forces of shoddy screenwriting.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
A campy, juiced-up ker-splat, busy with clumsy pyrotechnics and never nearing the vicinity of satire.
David Edelstein, Slate
Offers proof of Hollywood's simian instincts: Monkey see old hit, monkey do remake.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
One more disappointment in a summer of lackluster 'event pictures.'
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Works equally well as a popcorn adrenaline-heart-pumper as it does a pop-philosophical inquiry into the nature of humanity.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Decent re-imagining of the classic.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
If you're a fan of Tim Burton or the original Planet of the Apes, this lifeless and lackluster remake is going to be a disappointment--especially if you want your science fiction to make sense.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
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
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
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.
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
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
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...one of the most entertaining check-your-brain-at-the-door flicks in recent years.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
Like Burton's Sleepy Hollow, another grim triumph of set design over story.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
The apes of '68 may now appear more comical than scary but their 2001 descendants are truly terrifying.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

Tim Burton's re-imagination of the 1968 science fiction journey is nothing like the original. That's not to say it's a bad film--but it's surely not good, either. The director, who is clearly known for being quirky, dark, and (usually) brilliant, just tried too… More
Tim Burton's re-imagination of the 1968 science fiction journey is nothing like the original. That's not to say it's a bad film--but it's surely not good, either. The director, who is clearly known for being quirky, dark, and (usually) brilliant, just tried too hard with his unique interpretation of PLANET OF THE APES, and it ultimately became a so-so production. Don't get me wrong--this is a decent film, as a stand-alone sci-fi work of its own; but as a remake, it isn't anything good. And really, if the film was looked at a second time before put in the cinemas, the last scene should have definitely been removed from the final picture, as it is utterly confusing, and it makes no sense. Without spoiling how the film does end, even the "deus ex machina"-type scene that was right before it would have made a much better ending.
Jeff "

Tim Burton's lackluster Planet of the Apes is a definite insult to the original classic. I'm usually a fan of Burton's work, and he's made quite a few classic films. However with this remake, he crafts a film that is boring, uninspired and he tries to camouflage… More
Tim Burton's lackluster Planet of the Apes is a definite insult to the original classic. I'm usually a fan of Burton's work, and he's made quite a few classic films. However with this remake, he crafts a film that is boring, uninspired and he tries to camouflage the film lame plot by fancy special effects. Tim Burton has made a dud with this remake. The only good things going for the film are good actors (which unfortunately can't save the movie), and special effects. There is nothing else that is exciting about this film. I'll stick with the original Planet of the Apes. What's really missing in this film is a sense of wonder, mystery and intrigue; the elements that made the original so special and ultimately a classic. Of all the Tim Burton films that I've seen, this is his worst yet. Oh well, every director has a bad film or two up his sleeve, for Burton this is the one. This film could have been a wonderful piece of cinema, instead it was a lazy film that didn't try to give the viewer any sense of wonder or mystery. Looking back since its initial release, Planet of the Apes was a pretty cool flick when it first came out, but it's one of those films that doesn't demand repeated viewers, and when you view it, you realize how pointless it is. You realize that it's a film with great special effects, and little substance in terms of story. Planet of the Apes fails in being an engaging film, and you're left in disbelief. Luckily Rise of the Planet of the Apes got it right, because this one didn't.
Brad W

Tim Burtons Planet of the Apes is a terrible and boring remake. The story is basically like the original, with a few changes but almost every bit of this story is a terrible and boring experience. The cast is awful and so weird, I mean how can anyone honestly say they enjoyed Paul… More
Tim Burtons Planet of the Apes is a terrible and boring remake. The story is basically like the original, with a few changes but almost every bit of this story is a terrible and boring experience. The cast is awful and so weird, I mean how can anyone honestly say they enjoyed Paul Giammati in a monkey suit. The special effects were pretty good, it looks more like how I would picture their universe, but the special effects cannot make up for a purely horrible film. I hated this movie.
Sophie B

Whilst I like the original idea, I think this one got a little off track.
Phil H

Now I will admit I love Tim Burton and most of his work but I too was shocked and fearful of his agreement to take the helm of this sci-fi action flick revamp/re-imagining. Many directors were considered and to be honest I think many of them would have been perfect for the film but… More
Now I will admit I love Tim Burton and most of his work but I too was shocked and fearful of his agreement to take the helm of this sci-fi action flick revamp/re-imagining. Many directors were considered and to be honest I think many of them would have been perfect for the film but Burton does add his usual unique artistic style which can be glimpsed throughout the film in armour design, landscapes sets etc.. So straight to the point I actually liked this Burton version of 'Apes' mainly because its a fun romp which is both silly entertaining cheese and has that classic semi serious sci-fi element to it. First up the visuals in the film are tremendously good and really make the film stand out, total kudos to Rick Baker and his team, the man totally nails the ape look for all the characters to a tea. The best clearly being Roth as 'Thade' with a fantastic makeup job, next up must be Duncan in his gorilla makeup but how about Shadix and Giamatti in their orangutan (I think) makeup..amazing! The film wins with the look for sure, not only is the makeup excellent but the sets are nicely worked, location is well suited, the apes costumes and battle gear is well designed and the space sequences also look and work well, all in all it pretty much like a top class Star Trek film hehe I mean a good Star Trek film by the way ;) Casting choices were good accept for Wahlberg who wasn't quite right for me, thankfully we had no Depp to endure here but the use of many solid character actors such as Warner and the imaginative use Tagawa really help lift the film, who could imagine Tagawa as a gorilla. I really enjoyed the film on my second viewing, my first was on release at the cinema, and I believe its because the 'Apes' classic plot can be made many ways and is open to interpretation from different angles, its not a case of it only works one way like allot of classic films, 'Apes' is a franchise that you can seem to mould and recreate without upsetting the originals. This Burton vision is simple yet highly enjoyable as a fun sci-fi romp, not too heavy, not just copying the original, touch of artistic license and the attempt at a twist ending which was brave but rather illogical, trying to equal the original but failing there I'm afraid. Still the little use of cgi for much of the film is always nice in my book.
Melvin W

Ari: It's disgusting the way we treat humans. "You'll be sorry you were ever born human" Tim Burton's remake in no way comes close to the original, but I still had a fun time watching it. I'm completely fine with Burton remaking Planet of the Apes,… More
Ari: It's disgusting the way we treat humans. "You'll be sorry you were ever born human" Tim Burton's remake in no way comes close to the original, but I still had a fun time watching it. I'm completely fine with Burton remaking Planet of the Apes, like I am with him remaking Willy Wonka. Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan and Helena Bonham Carter give cool performances as apes. Mark Whalberg does an admirable job in his role also. His role probably could have been casted a little better but he's okay. I think they take it to far in showing just how alike us the apes are though. Like when it shows them getting high and partying. Also, I understand why Burton would want to change the ending. He didn't want everyone to know how it was going to end. The movies ending is completely different then the original and not very satisfying. The movie has it's moments of excitement and humor, but I can see why the majority of people really don't like it. I can't really say I like it either, but I'm not going to say I dislike it. I'll just say, when it comes down to it; I'll take the original any day over the remake.
Everett J

This is a perfect example of what is wrong with all of the remakes going on in Hollywood. This is basically a "re-imagining" of the original, and honestly is an irrelevant movie. I mean, if someone wants to watch "Planet of the Apes", they will just go to the… More
This is a perfect example of what is wrong with all of the remakes going on in Hollywood. This is basically a "re-imagining" of the original, and honestly is an irrelevant movie. I mean, if someone wants to watch "Planet of the Apes", they will just go to the original. This movie changed quite a few things around, but didn't really have any of the "wow" factor that the original had. Big budget's don't always equal great movies. The action is good, and the apes look better than any of the other movies. But the story is kind of muddled around and tries to re-invent the entire mythology of the other films. I'm not saying the others films had their story so great it shouldn't be messed with, but this just takes it off into another direction and doesn't make as much sense as the others. Mark Wahlberg does OK, and Burton's direction is good(surprisingly this isn't as weird and off the wall as some of his other movies). Just like a lot of the horror movie remakes, this will ultimately be forgotten and the original preferred. Seriously, when people think of the "Apes" movies do they think of the Lincoln memorial or the statue of liberty?
Manu G

Rule the planet. Good movie! The story was a little bit slow for my taste but it was decent enough to enjoy. This film has a great cast of actors and they all did very well. The ending was kinda shocking and unreal but I liked it! It is the year 2029: Astronaut Leo Davidson boards a… More
Rule the planet. Good movie! The story was a little bit slow for my taste but it was decent enough to enjoy. This film has a great cast of actors and they all did very well. The ending was kinda shocking and unreal but I liked it! It is the year 2029: Astronaut Leo Davidson boards a pod cruiser on a Space Station for a "routine" reconnaissance mission. But an abrupt detour through a space time wormhole lands him on a strange planet where talking apes rule over the human race. With the help of a sympathetic chimpanzee activist named Ari and a small band of human rebels, Leo leads the effort to evade the advancing Gorilla Army led by General Thade and his most trusted warrior Attar. Now the race is on to reach a sacred temple within the planet's Forbidden Zone to discover the shocking secrets of mankind's past - and the key to its future.
Drake T

It's campy, pathetic attempts at humor and lack of social, cultural sophistication makes this SciFi a hell of a let down. It doesn't appear to excel at any point of the film, especially the visuals, something that anyone would expect far more from Burton. An interesting… More
It's campy, pathetic attempts at humor and lack of social, cultural sophistication makes this SciFi a hell of a let down. It doesn't appear to excel at any point of the film, especially the visuals, something that anyone would expect far more from Burton. An interesting piece of fiction without the details, complexities and engaging characters it needs to be a success.
Film C

Very disappointing. I liked the cast and i enjoyed the concept but i didnt enjoy the movie at all. The idea of a monkey falling in love with a human was even more ridiculas and i hated the ending even more, i think that might be because i didnt fully understnd how he changed the… More
Very disappointing. I liked the cast and i enjoyed the concept but i didnt enjoy the movie at all. The idea of a monkey falling in love with a human was even more ridiculas and i hated the ending even more, i think that might be because i didnt fully understnd how he changed the future but it really was a rubbish ending.
danny d

pretty good, but the end would have been better if apes and humans lived and mated together
Richard C

B-
Martin S

It was actually pretty good....I didn't expect that
Dean M

I don't care how the reviewers think this remake of 1969 sci-fi films is disappointment, confused or crap. But I liked it. The usual action-adventure will place you in an environment with a highly intelligent creature that will then proceed to roam around and kill you off one by… More
I don't care how the reviewers think this remake of 1969 sci-fi films is disappointment, confused or crap. But I liked it. The usual action-adventure will place you in an environment with a highly intelligent creature that will then proceed to roam around and kill you off one by one. But, here, director Tim Burton has given us something better. He throws our typical cast of "survivors" into an environment where they are being hunted by a species just about as intelligent as they are. Tim Roth made an excellent performance as the villainous general ape.
Sanjaya &

I can't believe that this one's is a Burton's, because this movie is totally disgusting... Making a movie about apes taking the control of the earth and make humans their slaves, it just totally unreasonable... The only thing I like about this movie is the plot of the… More
I can't believe that this one's is a Burton's, because this movie is totally disgusting... Making a movie about apes taking the control of the earth and make humans their slaves, it just totally unreasonable... The only thing I like about this movie is the plot of the story which is bending the time and make us to think while watching this movie... But the apes behavior thing, the terrible act from the cast, not mentioning that Burton had a great cast in here (Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, & Paul Giamatti), but it just sucks... I can't even tell the difference from an ape to another apes except the main character played by Helena Bonham Carter... And the ending of this movie, maybe it sounds a little interesting, but how can that happened?? I mean it's totally nonsense for you to go to a planet who similar to earth like the oxygen thing why human can breath and live in this planet, or how can the earth in the future is ruled by the apes?? It's totally, totally nonsense I thought... And without any doubt, I think this is the worst Tim Burton's movie so far, since I haven't watch all of his movies...
Dead A

The monkey OR ape (in formal) seems racist! LoL. Not a bad movie though.
Conner R

A complete failure in terms of reinventing a franchise. While it is a visually stunning film, the story and acting was just not where it needed to be. Mark Wahlberg just didn't fit the role of a futuristic pilot. Michael Clarke Duncan was without a doubt the best aspect of the… More
A complete failure in terms of reinventing a franchise. While it is a visually stunning film, the story and acting was just not where it needed to be. Mark Wahlberg just didn't fit the role of a futuristic pilot. Michael Clarke Duncan was without a doubt the best aspect of the film, he gave a great performance as the unstoppable Attar.
Anthony L

Not even the excellent cast could save this misjudged stinker of a movie. Burton should have known better.
Red L

I preferred the first Planet of the Apes. This one was OK - the story kept you interested; peace reigns at the end. But just as the astronaut (Mark Wahlberg) is about to get killed, his monkey co-astronaut lands from centuries ago and saves the day -- how hokey is that? Plus the… More
I preferred the first Planet of the Apes. This one was OK - the story kept you interested; peace reigns at the end. But just as the astronaut (Mark Wahlberg) is about to get killed, his monkey co-astronaut lands from centuries ago and saves the day -- how hokey is that? Plus the ending -- it wasn't clear and wasn't any good as far as I was concerned - it was only made that way to enable a sequel to be made.
Jani H

"Get your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human!" This film is a remake that should never needed to me made. I'm not a big fan of remakes, infact I pretty much choose not to view them at all. If a film is already a classic, why film another version? Tim Burton… More
"Get your stinking hands off me, you damn dirty human!" This film is a remake that should never needed to me made. I'm not a big fan of remakes, infact I pretty much choose not to view them at all. If a film is already a classic, why film another version? Tim Burton is one of my favourite filmmakers. His vision to filmmaking is something that others can only dream of. So, in a way, this film had a lot of potential. A big budget and one of the most talented directors. What went wrong? First of all, Mark Wahlberg. He is in no way a leading actor. His character should be the one your caring for but I seemed to care more of the apes, especially Michael Clarke Duncan's Attar. Secondly, it looks good but lacks all the magic that we are used to see and get from Burton films. I'm sure that even Tim Burton himself sees "Planet of the Apes" as the only fault in his filmography. Sure, there's action and... Well, there is a lot of things in the movie but in overall all the potential has been laid to waste.