TIM BURTONS PLANET OF THE APES

The forgotten Ape Movie.

Tim Burton’s re-imagining of

PLANET OF THE APES.

Most Gen Z's have probably seen Rick Jaffas Apes Trilogy, re-affirming simian dominance with its CGI apes. And as great as those movies are, they probably wouldn't have happened at all, if it wasn't for the ground-work laid down in Tim Burtons Planet of the Apes Re-boot. 

A movie largely forgotten in the wake of swanky CGI superstars such as Jacksons King Kong and Golem from Lord of the Rings, putting all physical make-up prosthetics to shame. But lets look at a simpler time. When CGI knew its place.  

It was the year 2001 and Burtons re-imagining of  Planet of the Apes  was released to an unsuspecting public. But news soon spread. 

I remember this movie was a big deal at the time. The first Ape movie since the 1970s? Wow. And directed by Tim Burton - master of the reboot - such as the Batman franchise. Not to mention Mark Wahlberg and Helen Bonham Carter. So the stakes were high and I was excited to see this re-boot.

DEVELOPMENTAL HELL

A re-boot that was some thirteen years in the making. Originally helmed by indy film-maker Adam Rifkin, he envisioned a more Gladiator Roman Empire approach. It almost happened too, with Rick Baker doing all the make-up.

That is until the suits got cold feet and cancelled the idea. Over the next few years the film fell into developmental hell, seeing various directors come and go, including Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi and Oliver Stone. Even James Cameron was in talks. Various ideas were put before the suits but nothing came of it.

Finally in 1999 Tim Burton agreed to do the job, with renewed interest from Rick Baker.

To save money the suits wanted CGI apes but Burton insisted on Bakers prosthetics. It would be the last time actors would wear make-up in an ape movie.

APE SCHOOL

While the sets were being built, the actors attended ‘Ape School’. An attempt to focus the actors into their characters. Principle actors Eli Roth and Helen Bonham Carter would learn to ride horses and work on simian attributes.

‘It was like going back to Drama school’ Reflected Carter.

For six weeks they had to learn to walk like an ape and make such gestures second nature. 

RELEASE

2001: A long queue stretched round the block. Eager fans waiting to get inside the cinema. And for what it was this movie was a fun roller-coaster ride.

Still from a critics standpoint it felt a little rushed, lacking character development and the slow pacing and realism of the original. 

I just wish it was given more space to breath. Probably should have had a couple of sequels. But hey.

WAHLBERG VS HESTON

Mark Wahlberg plays the ace hero - a stark contrast to the flawed and more realistic character of Charlton Hestons cynical Taylor: a world-weary dude tired of society and just glad to see the back of 20th Century Earth.

Taylor evolved. He started out as a jaded idealist searching for something better than man, but soon learns the hard truth about Ape society and ends up defending a world that he once turned his back on.

In contrast Wahlberg can’t wait to get back home. And this is the thing. Wahlbergs character remains cartoonish by comparison. And like cartoons he never evolves, is never scarred by the things that happen to him. 

Thus all his experiences come to nothing. He goes out much the same as when he went in: butch and boring. 

TARGET AUDIENCE

I think these flaws lay in the marketing of Burtons movie. Clearly the suits were making it impossible for this movie to be anything other than popcorn fodder. 

The original was targeted very much at an adult audience: Humans hunted and strung up like rabbits, rounded up and experimented on. All echoing the Jewish Holocaust most would rather forget.

On the other hand, Burtons movie was a much more dumbed down affair. Humans are enslaved yes but the horror is watered down, dismissed in favour of pandering to a younger audience. A sort of Disney-esque approach.

Despite these faults I still enjoyed Burtons version and Rick Bakers make-up was fantastic. 

The Twilight Zone ending suggested a sequel that would plant itself firmly as a direct adaptation of the Pierre Boulle novel. 

A sequel that never happened because Burton (tired of the suits) washed his hands of the whole affair. 

'I'd rather jump out a window' He said. 

Still the movie has endured. And without Burtons legacy, we wouldn't have Christopher Nolan doing Batman re-boots, let alone those pesky CGI Apes swinging past our screens.