This 2001 blockbuster was a remake of the classic 1968 movie. The effects, filming and soundtrack were brought up to date and the film had a very successful re-run but the story was basically the same. It's the year 2029 and interstellar reconnaissance is being carried out by chimpanzee pilots. They come from Oberon which is a space station built way out in deep space. One of the chimps disappears from the radar and Leo Davidson goes out on a rescue mission. It isn't long before he gets into trouble to and ends up on a planet that resembles earth but is covered in tropical jungle. The apes here speak English and appear to be in charge of things and ...  Read the complete review

A proposed remake of 1967's 'Planet of the apes' had been mooted around Hollywood since the early 1990s. Depending on what you read Oliver Stone was going to do it, then James Cameron, but the directorial reigns eventually ended up in the hands of Tim Burton. The headlines in the magazines and newspapers suggested Burton was treading on dangerous ground. The original is regarded as something of a classic science-fiction film and his film would undoubtedly suffer endless unenviable comparisons with it. Not having seen the original, I was able to judge this remake on its own merits. THE PREMISE The story is set thirty or forty years in the ...  Read the complete review

Director - Tim Burton Starring - Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Estella Warren, Paul Giamatti, Kris Kristofferson Length - 110 minutes Cert - 12 I wasn't really all that keen on watching this movie. But I couldn't avoid it. I don't think anyone can. It's one of those massive event movies you just have to watch no matter what, so that in another 30 years time you can tell your children "I remember watching Planet of the Apes in a building known as a cinema. And back then they didn't have 3-D screens where you can touch or taste what you see." Well, you never know! Things may change ...  Read the complete review

I was a massive fan of the old Planet of the Apes movies - they had some great stories, great characters and were all carried off in a highly imaginative format. It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I awaited the release of the new big bucks Hollywood version that was released in 2001. One of the big cinema blockbusters of the year, the film was heralded with seemingly relentless press coverage, and interviews with the stars were on nearly every single TV show for a period of about two months. The DVD release was advertised with similar pomp - this was the "future of DVD" apparently. Set in the year 2029, the film opens on the space station ...  Read the complete review

Bill Bryson, while not a noted film critic, summed up Summer movies perfectly by calling them 'extremely costly mayham'. I can’t help wondering what he makes of this Summer’s latest blockbuster, Planet of the Apes. It was certainly costly and it does contain a great deal of grunting, battling and mayhem. It isn’t a film for PhD students to sharpen their wit on, but it is a surprisingly watchable film and will no doubt provide much fodder for Dooyooers for weeks to come. ~ THE PAST ~ The film, of course, is a remake of the 1968 Charlton Heston film, and follow-up television series and films. Apparently it is the original Planet ...  Read the complete review