“Planet of the Apes” has been one of Fox’s most popular and enduring franchises, as well as one of its most profitable. In fact, each of the last two installments, the 2001 reimagining by Tim Burton and the recent “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” have netted the studio over $300 million. The question remains, though, which of these two new versions deserves more respect? Without a doubt, the newest version is by far the more superior, for the following reasons.
Better Apes
One of the key strengths of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was its utilization of motion capture technology to bring the apes to life. Thus, rather than seeing the almost comical apes that were the result of (admittedly quite good) makeup that we saw in the Tim Burton version, here we feel as if the apes are more substantially real apes, rather than humans in suits. Of course, we are always at least somewhat aware that the apes are nothing more than computer-generated, but the texture of the computer animation is unrivalled and really raises the bar for other films that seek to use the same type of technology.
A Stronger Storyline
Although Tim Burton’s film was a lot of fun to watch, it was also somewhat silly in places and the ending, while it attempted to be clever and to reference the earlier film, ultimately fell flat when a sequel was never realized. The newer film, though, does not contain the same camp aesthetic as its older cousin, and as a result of that fact it comes across as a much more serious movie. Like all science fiction films, it’s best not to look too closely at the mechanics, but if you suspend your disbelief you will find that the storyline is actually quite compelling. Perhaps most surprisingly at all, you may just find yourself hoping that the apes will succeed in their efforts to take over the world.
More Compelling Ape Characters
Lastly, the new “Apes” movie features much more compelling ape characters than those found in the Tim Burton version. Caesar, for all that he barely speaks throughout the film (in comparison to the very talkative apes of the Tim Burton film), is nevertheless one of the most compelling nonhuman characters you are likely to experience in the cinema. We find ourselves identifying with him as he suffers through the trials and tribulations inflicted on him by the humans who seek to control his every action. When he finally leads his fellow apes to freedom, we really want him to succeed and feel vindicated when the apes overcome the humans that try to keep them imprisoned.
All in all, both of the most recent incarnations of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise succeed in their different ways. However, the newer “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” succeeds on more levels than its predecessors, and that’s probably for the best. After all, no one wants to see a new movie make the same mistakes as an old one. Let’s just hope the sequel (if they make it), keeps up the good things we saw in this film.
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Box Office Mojo-“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Planet of the Apes”
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