Planet of the Apes

PLANET OF THE APES
STARS: MARK WAHLBERG, TIM ROTH, HELENA BONHAM-CARTER, MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN.
DIRECTOR: TIM BURTON
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 9

Review by Paul Fischer

In the year 2020, astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) finds himself marooned on a planet inhabited by intellectually superior apes, a planet on which humans are the caged, and the apes their barbaric captors. In order to survive, he enlists the help of the sympathetic Ari (Helena Bonham-Carter), who is not convinced that apes and humans cannot co-exist.

No film of the past year has remained as high in expectation as Tim Burton's revisiting of Pierre Boulle's seminal novel, first filmed in 1968. For once, the anticipation has been worth the wait, for Burton's cinematic vision goes hand in hand with the masterful screenplay that does justice not only to the original source material, but the original film. On a purely simplistic level, this Apes is an exciting tension-filled chase movie, with military apes determined to quash humans who may have, unwittingly, unlocked an age-old secret. But there is far more to this Apes, as with its predecessor than meets the eye. Thematically, the film is as dense and philosophical a treatise on evolution as one can get, and the age-old debate focussing on Evolution Vs Faith, is an underlying and powerful theme here. Is Wahlberg's character a futuristic Moses? Are the Apes and humans the Israelites versus the Egyptians?

While Planet of the Apes may well be a Summer blockbuster, Burton has been allowed to make a remarkably philosophical film, underpinning a central dramatic centre. The film is as gripping and cinematically breathtaking, as it is surprising literate and profound, liberties rarely undertaken by mainstream Hollywood. Sci-fi fans will revel in what it says about humanity, others will enjoy the richness of the material and the exciting interplay between some exciting characters. While Wahlberg makes an effective hero, the Apes steal the show. As the ambitious, ferocious and paranoid soldier Thade, Tim Roth goes beyond clever make up to deliver a truly masterful performance. Aside from his uncanny ability to create a credible Ape-like character, Roth goes beyond the physical and inside a tormented, ruthless character. Bonham-Carter is a delight as Ari, providing the perfectly gentle contrast to the other characters. Using eyes and voice to beautifully create this distinctly 'human' ape, Bonhsm-Carter is sublime.

Burton's depth as a visualist has never been more evident here, and he utilises all the tools of great cinema at his disposal, from the pure genius of cinematographer Phillippe Rousselot, to the haunting score of Danny Elphman, through to the intricate make up designs of Rick Baker, Burton's Planet of the Apes, is a visceral work of depth, imagination and the mastery of cinema. Combined with a provocartive script, these Apes are spellbinding.

Planet of the Apes is not only a thrill-a-minute Summer film, but one that has the courage to make audiences think about some interesting and timeless issues.


Planet of the Apes is the exciting new movie based on the classic novel by Pierre Boulle and is directed by famed Hollywood director Tim Burton whose unique vision and style is breaking new ground in story, design, makeup and visual effects. The film is set in the year 2029 where interstellar reconnaissance missions are relegated to chimpanzee pilots from the space station Oberon in deep space. On one such mission, a chimp loses communication and vanishes from the radar. Fearless astronaut Leo Davidson launches a rescue mission and, following a malfunction, lands on a jungle-like planet not unlike the earth. To Leo's astonishment, English-speaking apes and primitive humans inhabit the planet. Following his capture by the apes and subsequent escape, Leo assembles a small band of defiant humans and empathetic apes in an attempt to re-establish contact with Oberon, but his focus changes following an unexpected discovery. Armed with this new information, Leo leads a rebellion against an overpowering ape force that will result in freedom or complete annihilation.

Planet of the Apes boasts a star-studded cast including Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham-Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kris Kristofferson and Paul Giamatti.