Planet of the Apes is a remake of the 1968 classic that trades its satirical edge for spectacle, and the result is a film that looks bigger but feels smaller. Tim Burton directs a version of the original that sacrifices its sharp political commentary for sheer scale, and the tradeoff shows throughout.
Mark Wahlberg plays Leo Davidson, a research primate who gets pulled through a wormhole and lands on a planet ruled by apes. He is captured by a gorilla named General Thade (Tim Roth) and his lieutenant, Archa (Helena Bonham Carter), who treat him as an animal. He escapes and finds a human settlement led by Ari (Rose Byrne), who runs a resistance movement against the ape regime.
Trailer, via Planet of the Apes.
Leo’s Capture
The opening sequence is the strongest stretch of the film. Wahlberg moves with surprising agility, and the set pieces involving his capture feel tense. The film establishes its central conflict quickly: humans are the prey, apes are the hunters, and the power dynamic never shifts.
But the momentum stalls once Leo reaches the human settlement. The screenplay, adapted by William Broyles Jr., spends too much time on exposition and not enough on character development. Byrne’s Ari is supposed to be the moral center of the story, but she is underwritten and her scenes often feel like filler.
Thade and Archa
Thade and Archa are the villains, and Roth and Bonham Carter bring some menace to their roles. But their motivations are thin. Thade wants to maintain the status quo because he is comfortable with it, and Archa is driven by ambition. Neither gets a backstory that explains why they care so much about crushing the human rebellion.
The action sequences are loud but hollow. Burton stages a battle between the apes and the humans that is meant to be epic, but it plays like a video game rendered in live-action. The stunts are impressive, but the editing is so frenetic that the audience never has time to register what is happening.
The Message
The original Planet of the Apes was a satire about human nature. This version is more interested in spectacle than commentary. The message that humans are capable of destroying themselves is present, but it is buried under special effects.
The film also leans heavily on the idea of a world where intelligence is judged by species rather than individual merit. That is a worthy theme, but it is handled with broad strokes rather than nuance. The apes are cruel and powerful, and the humans are weak and oppressed. There is no middle ground, no gray area, no room for the audience to engage with the characters beyond their assigned roles.
Sound and Music
The sound design deserves credit. The roar of the apes, the clatter of their weapons, the crunch of metal against metal — all of it is mixed with precision. The music, composed by Danny Elfman, is appropriately dark and ominous. It is a technical achievement that is undermined by a screenplay that cannot sustain its own tension.
Supporting Players
The supporting cast includes Estella Warren as Daena, a human fighter who is introduced late in the film and given little to do. Johnny Weir plays Attar, a chimpanzee who helps Leo escape. Both performances are competent, but neither is memorable.
There is also a subplot involving a young ape named Lucius (Tyler Mane), who questions the morality of his species. It is a noble idea, but the film does not know what to do with it. The scene where Lucius expresses doubt is sincere, but it is undercut by the film’s refusal to follow through on the implications of his character’s journey.
The Running Order
| Scene | Time |
|---|---|
| Leo’s Capture | 20 minutes |
| Escape to the Human Settlement | 30 minutes |
| Battle Between Apes and Humans | 25 minutes |
| Final Confrontation | 15 minutes |
The film runs 137 minutes, and the pacing suffers from a bloated middle section. The final act rushes through the resolution, which is a shame because the premise of a human trapped in a hostile alien society offers rich material for exploration.
The Ending
The ending is a letdown. Without spoiling the plot, the film resolves its central mystery in a way that feels rushed and anticlimactic. The moment of revelation is underplayed, and the film ends on a note of defeat rather than triumph.
That is a bold choice, and it could have worked if the film had spent more time building to it. As it stands, the ending feels like a concession to the demands of commercial filmmaking rather than a statement of artistic intent.
What Remains
Planet of the Apes is a technically proficient film that fails to connect emotionally. Burton’s direction is competent, but his vision is limited by a screenplay that cannot find its voice. The performances are adequate, but none of the actors are given material that allows them to shine.
The film is not a disaster, but it is not a success either. It is a film that tries to be both a blockbuster and a statement, and it manages to be neither. The visuals are stunning, but the ideas are shallow.
Planet of the Apes earns a 5.8 out of 10.
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