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I eagerly anticipated the release of the Planet of the Apes remake for two reason. First, I was anxious to see what was Tim Burton's visionary take on the infamous ape series, and second, this was the first time I would be attending a press screening as a movie critic. I'm happy to say that both experiences turned out great. The first thing that pops to mind after seeing Planet of the Apes is that this is NOT a remake. Well, technically, it is, but not really. When 20th Century Fox said that Burton was just "revisiting" the film, they weren't lying. There are very few elements in common between the 1968 and 2001 adaptations of Pierre Boulle's classic novel. In fact, the only elements remaining are that an astronaut lands on a planet ruled by apes and that these apes are now the dominant species. That's pretty much it. This daring move could have spelled disaster for director Tim Burton (Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Batman), but instead it proved, once again, that Burton truly is the king of darkness.
One of the most innovative modifications in this version is that the apes do not act like mere humans dressed in ape suits, but actually act like apes. The filmmakers planned every aspect of the apes, from walking, jumping and their behaviour in general. The realism of the movie is only heightened by such simple scenes as apes sniffing one another or having dominant characters scare their subordinates away. Another great improvement is the sound effects that have been added to the voices of the actors playing apes, which adds even more distinction between them and the humans. The story from screenwriters William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal has a much darker tone than the previous series. Through the role-reversal technique, the writers teach us a lesson about the way humans currently treat animals. The dialogue is full of observations which initially make us laugh but, hopefully, also make us think about the animal condition. I also particularly enjoyed the background story before Captain Leo Davidson's crash on the planet, since these scenes add depth and cohesion to the story.
Davidson is played by Mark Wahlberg (Three Kings, Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm), who does a fair acting job, but who's nowhere as good as in his previous work. However, Wahlberg is convincing enough to carry us into this strange world, but not enough to have us root for him. The "strange world" in question is absolutely Burtonesque. As with other Burton films, the cinematography and art direction are simply stunning. Art directors John Dexter and Sean Haworth created a world where fantasy meets reality. The integration of day-to-day activities in the ape city was a very nice touch as well. I always appreciate when filmmakers try to be realistic — even if the story is pure fantasy — by featuring such mundane activities as someone getting a haircut or playing ball with friends.
One of the most impressive acting performances of this movie is delivered by non other than Tarantino-favourite Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Four Rooms). Roth plays General Thade — a ruthless and ambitious man who will do anything it takes to get rid of the humans — with such conviction that it is very easy to forget that there's a human underneath that costume. The interpretation required Roth to be very physical and aggressive in his acting, a task he performed with cunning flair.
The other strong performance is that of Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, A Room with a View, Margaret's Museum), who plays Ari, a human rights activist and daughter of the influential and respected Senator Sandar (Warner). In contrast to Roth, Carter plays Ari — the object of Thade's affection — in a calm and understated fashion, but as always, her performance is very impressive. Carter is one of the best actresses in the industry, but she has yet to achieve public recognition.
Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile, The Whole Nine Yards, Armageddon) is even more imposing than ever as Attar, Thade's right-hand, er..., Gorilla. "Hollywood Big Mike" also had to be very physical in his acting, but that didn't seem to be a problem for the 6' 5" actor. After seeing The Green Mile, I didn't think that Duncan would last very long in Hollywood, not because he's not talented (I thought he was brilliant), but because he looked like a giant, which turned out to be partly a camera effect.
While most of the movie is very serious, there is fair amount of comedy relief brought on by the Limbo character, a slave trader played by Paul Giamatti (Saving Private Ryan, The Truman Show, Donnie Brasco). Since 1997, Giamatti has played some very interesting roles and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in a lead role soon. Kris Kristofferson (Lone Star, A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries, Payback) delivers a sub-par performance as Karubi, a human captured by the apes. I felt that Kristofferson was just going through the motions and didn't put his heart into the character.
Similarly, the Daena character — Karubi's daughter — is played with very little conviction by Estella Warren (Driven). A Canadian national champion synchronized swimmer and world bronze medalist, Warren needs to improve her acting skills if she wishes to survive in Tinseltown. Of course, her good looks and shapely body could help her stay afloat a while longer. This is the ninth time that Danny Elfman has composed a score for a Tim Burton feature film and, clearly, this match was made in heaven. Elfman's work, much like Burton's, is very creative and dark in nature, which enhances the dramatic aspects of Planet of the Apes. Overall, I think Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes is a great movie that clearly stands on its own and this is exactly how remakes should be done: by respecting the spirit of the original while remaining creative artistically. While I do not think that this is the best action movie of the summer, it is nevertheless a very good one and it should be seen if only to give you another perspective of the Planet of the Apes series or to catch Charlton Heston (who played the stranded astronaut in the 1968 version of the film) in a very interesting cameo role. Reviewed on July 25, 2001 |
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This page was last updated on: Sunday, 21-Mar-2004 16:25:06 CST © 1998-2004 Luc-Rock Paquin. All Rights Reserved. All movie images © by their respective owners. Used with permission. Before "borrowing" something from my site, please ask me. "Reel Canadian Movie Critic" logo by FranclyGraphic.com. 
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