| Cast: | Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren, Kris Kristofferson |
| Genre: | Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure |
| Director: | Tim Burton |
| Screenplay: | William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner, & Mark Rosenthal based on the novel by Pierre Boulle |
| Cinematography: | Philippe Rousselot |
| Composer: | Danny Elfman |
| Runtime: | 119 minutes |
Being a big fan of the original Planet of the Apes I decided I had to see the new version from Tim Burton, a great visual stylist who would at least make it interesting if not good. Ultimately, I was quite disappointed with how it turned out. Casting Mark Wahlberg in Charlton Heston's role was always a mistake. When it was announced he was the lead I feared he wouldn't be able to play anything like the indignant and rugged hero that Heston did. Let's face it...you can't even imagine Marky Mark pulling off a line like "Get your stinkin' paws off me you DAMN DIRTY APE!" without laughing.
But as it turned out it wasn't that the baby faced and soft spoken Wahlberg was too light (he was but it wasn't the most glaring problem), it was that he was just plain boring as the marooned astronaut. His emotions were either nonexistent or too subdued for someone who just crash-landed on a planet dominated by apes. Part of the problem may be that he was given way more ironic and intended to be funny lines than raging bravado lines that Heston was able to get into and bring to life.
As a sidenote, a disturbing and foolish trend in many movies nowadays is littering pop culture references (like an ape declaring "can't we all just get along?") in a film whose context and tone would preclude these from occurring. It just seems that a cheap laugh like that doesn't add anything other than a cheap laugh but sacrifices much instead in the process. I feel like I'm thrown out of the world of the film, and if the movie has done a good job of bringing me into that world it's a shame. I understand that Tarantino changed everything, but his movies don't take place on a mystery planet in the future with talking orangutans...who somehow remember what Rodney King said.
Burton's version just doesn't take itself as seriously as the original. And for that it suffers. The original Apes played around with its ideas yet still retained a sense of earnestness and focus. I was mildly amused when the classic 'dirty ape' line was uttered by Michael Clark Duncan after capturing Wahlberg ("get your stinkin' hands off me you damn dirty human"), but it could have been done better and when the film had Heston, playing General Thade's (Tim Roth) dying father, pull out the other classic line ("Damn them, damn them all to hell!") it came across as forced and trite. To me, his cameo was enough of a nod to the original and the further irony wasn't needed.
Fortunately, the supporting cast is very good and carries Wahlberg. Roth is exceptional as General Thade. He reminded me slightly of an ape version of the sniveling but intelligent and adept villain he played in Rob Roy. Duncan is also noteworthy as Thade's second in command. His deep voice blended with his physical stature really combine to make a character you wish you saw even more of. Helena Bonham Carter is good in a tough role that calls for a lot of ability behind an ape costume. Unbelievably she is able to pull off the task of being social conscience of the apes along with reverting to instinct on a few occasions as well as a sort of love interest of Wahlberg without making it ridiculous.
I must say that I'm a fan of adventure movies that develop a secondary rivalry that is given a climactic battle of their own instead of the usual main bad guy vs. main good guy ignore everyone else storyline that is too prevalent. Duncan has a nemesis (another Gorilla - the best warriors of the many species of apes) and we are given scenes and small tidbits that explain why they hate each other intently. It isn't much, but it kept me interested and when they met in the middle of the final battle and the camera beautifully circled from one to the other I got excited. The intensity of a so far lackluster battle was instantly ratcheted up (for an example of a good build and climax of 'seconds' think of The Black Hole when Maximillian and Bob finally meet, for a bad example think of Return of the Jedi when Boba Fett is dispatched not in a climactic battle with Han Solo but by a simple goof...all the good work in Empire Strikes Back lost - ugh), but the scene was ultimately disappointing. The build was there, but the battle was over too fast and the film quickly forgot it and went on to the horrible ending instead of giving those two (and their contributions) their just due.
About the ending: it would have been sufficient enough to end it about 7 minutes before Burton did. Instead it becomes a clustermess of epic proportions. Even before the nonsensical (yeah I know it wasn't supposed to "make sense" as far as plot but that doesn't excuse it does it?) and unimpressive 'shock' ending it steps wrong. The perfect opportunity to end the film arrived with the 'astronaut' returning. That's about as far as I can go without spoiling the film, but I'll add that it would have been perfect if said 'astronaut' just ran and jumped into someone's arms and it ended there. But I didn't direct the film so I have to comment on the ending Burton went with. It simply leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth and sends you on your merry way wondering how in the hell they botched a competent if unspectacular (was pretty decent and entertaining for about an hour and a half) new version of Planet of the Apes.
If the credits didn't tell you that Burton had directed this you would probably never guess that he did. I just found it odd that a director who is known and praised for his unique sets and vision went with mostly sterile and run of the mill sets and direction. I just expected Burton, who gave us Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow to at least give us a whole new outlook and tone, at the very least, to the Planet of the Apes story and he disappointed. He should have gone for interesting and bizarre over safety.
Last comment...Rick Baker's effects team outdid themselves. The apes are vivid and surprisingly retain many features of the actors who inhabit the costumes. While this is due to some great acting by Roth and others, the effects team made that possible while making it believable. Their movements are also top quality and I rather enjoyed the many stunts and unique ways the apes would mount the cavalry horses. Surely the effects team behind this film deserve an Oscar (definitely harder to pull off and worthier than simple computer work). All in all this new version of Planet of the Apes was more entertaining than other goofy summer movies in large sections of the film yet failed miserably in other respects that the original excelled in. With Burton at the helm I expected more.
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