Featured Audience Ratings

• Emil K

  
  Majestic, thrilling and truly one of a kind science fiction film from visionary Tim Burton. This reimagining is a rare beast as a film. Somehow it succeeds in marrying visual trademarks of Burton's with huge big-budget entertainment and succeeds. The end result is an auteur film… More
  Majestic, thrilling and truly one of a kind science fiction film from visionary Tim Burton. This reimagining is a rare beast as a film. Somehow it succeeds in marrying visual trademarks of Burton's with huge big-budget entertainment and succeeds. The end result is an auteur film that has a language completely of it's own and a film which is quite possibly one of Burton's greatest in his own career. When Planet of the Apes was released back in 2001 it certainly did not gain the critical reputation it deserves. While many find this as a lesser film from Burton is in my opinion actually a very much like many of his other films with it's dark and familiar themes about human nature and being a outsider in a society. Burton also adds just right amounts of dark humour into his film and keeps his touch playful all the time. The style is pure Burton but just transferred into pure science fiction. Where Mars Attacks was more of an homage to 50's sci-fi this is much more serious affair. This film came after Burton's magnificent Sleepy Hollow which also was darker and more straightforward horror-film than any of his earlier films. It seems to me that these two films actually has some visual resemblance and their dark tone also is very similiar. With these two films Burton was clearly working at the peak of his career as a filmmaker so far. He has made good films before these two films and some good films afterwards but none of them has touched the greatness of Sleepy Hollow or Planet of the Apes. This is exactly the kind of filmmaking i admire. It is best kind of entertainment made with gorgeous artistic touches. Once again there can be seen the typically gothic production design, by Rick Heinrichs, which is a trademark for Burton. Whenever the characters of this film sets their foot in the woods the ominous brances and fog comes in the focus. City of apes is also work of a beauty in terms of a design. It still rivals any of todays big blockbusters with it's huge palaces and houses build around trees and jungle. The whole planet where the main character, astronaut Leo Davidson, crash lands is a world that only genius like Burton could have concieved in his mind. All of this great elements are lensed by one of the most gifted cinematographers of our history, Philippe Rousselot. His usually rich eye brings elegance and artistry to each and every scene. Another trademark is clearly the music by Danny Elfman who has composed music in almost each and every of Burton's films. Elfman and Burton is a perfect collaboration and their work is always playful and something new. With Planet of the Apes Elfman has made one of his best scores so far. The way he uses his instruments here is brooding, thrilling and most of all glorious to listen at. The music itself in here is a element that should go down to history as a one of the greatest scores written to any film. When i stop and think of Planet of the Apes i cannot but think mostly superlatives. This film also lives up to many viewing experiences and there are elements and little details that reveals themselves in further viewings. I earlier mentioned the many brilliant technical sides of this film but forgot to mention the fantastic actors who all does fantastic work and some of them beneath from the Rick Baker's amazing make-up effects. Mark Wahlberg has just right amounts of charisma to be the films main character and sort of hero from the sky. Helena Bonham Carter's performance is still films most assured performance. Her make-up and the way she performs behind the mask is truly beyond words. She is completely believable even as a human-ape. Tim Roth is delicious in role of a greedy villain and Paul Giamatti brings nice touches of comedy through his character. Planet of the Apes is a work of a master filmmaker. Director Tim Burton is one of the most important filmmakers of our times and one who has style and visual eye completely of his own. Horror, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, drama, animation, you name it. No matter what genre he is working with, he turns it into Burtonesque feast for eyes. Like everyone he does not always succeed with his films but when he does he truly makes them something larger than life at their best. Planet of the Apes is one of my favourite science fiction films. It is a fantasy film without boundaries made for those who love their fantasy films with great ideas, depth and original vision.

• Daniel P

  
  Watched this again, for the first time since it came out, now that I've seen the original, and now my fascination with this franchise will have to delve even deeper, to the source material. I'm not sure if Burton & Co. worked from the novel, but this is a wildly… More
  Watched this again, for the first time since it came out, now that I've seen the original, and now my fascination with this franchise will have to delve even deeper, to the source material. I'm not sure if Burton & Co. worked from the novel, but this is a wildly different film than the original, and I liked it much less. The original's themes, particularly those that had to do with the possession of knowledge and the ethics of science, have been replaced by cheap suggestions of racial profiling... and instead of an insistent doctor, the ape sympathetic to the humans' plight is a generic revolutionary, complete with military surplus-style coat. I have to acknowledge the excellent end scene - I won't spoil it, but suffice to say it's hard to measure up to the original's - and the early line, "Get your hands off me, you damn dirty human," which was playful, but this film doesn't even have the B-movie charm. It's lazy action that's too long, complete with a too-epic Danny Elfman score, and it does a disservice to decent acting by, among others, Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter. Finally: why was Dr. Zaius basically written out? This adaptation came out around the same time the Republicans regained power in the U.S., and I wonder if the replacement of the catholic-esque philosopher king Zaius by the power-through-might Thade in this version was to direct our eyes in that direction...? In any case, it's an adaptation interesting enough to generate discussion, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed watching it. Without question, the original will outlast this remake.

• 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.

• Jim C

  
  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.

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