Planet of the Apes

Tim Burton
2001
Second Viewing

This is a good place to start in pinpointing Tim Burton's nearly decade long decline from one of cinema's most creative fantasists to one of it's most adequate. With the notable exception of "Big Fish" (2003), everything he's done since (the passable but disappointing "Corpse Bride" (2005), his shrill reimagining of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005)) has come far short of the caliber of earlier efforts like "Beetle Juice" (1988), or "Mars Attacks!" (1996). This classic sci-fi remake is definitely tedious when viewed alone, but downright lame when compared to the original. Burton's take on the tale of an ape-run world has stock hero Mark Walberg passing through a cosmic wormhole and crashing on a planet where anthropomorphic apes rule over human slaves. Burton ups the action quota significantly and adds more visual detail to the ape's world, but these inclusions come at the cost of a worthwhile and engaging storyline - Burton's film is one of visuals, but the original is a film of ideas. The characters are generally one dimensional, particularly the permanently snarling General Thade, a performance by Tim Roth that grows unintentionally comical midway through the picture. There's a nice conceit that reconciles the conflict and the inevitable "twist ending" is a hoot, but overall the "Planet of the Apes" redux is a great advertisement against remakes.