Planet of the Apes
Year: 1968 - Present
Created by: Pierre Boulle
Films: 10
Created by: Pierre Boulle
Films: 10
"A planet where apes evolved from men?." - George Taylor
Whilst the Planet of the Apes franchise may have been birthed from Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel 'Le Planete des Singes', the truth is that the film adaptation of the novel bears little resemblance to Boulle's novel, and had been in production before said book had even been published. One of the longest running film franchises of all time, the Planet of the Apes films have impacted cinema in immeasurable ways, and spanned almost sixty years.
Collected here are my reviews for all the Planet of the Apes films, categorised by their own sub-series.
Collected here are my reviews for all the Planet of the Apes films, categorised by their own sub-series.
Original Films (1968-1973):
Following the crash landing of an astronaut named Taylor (Charlton Heston) on a world where monkeys rule over man, it is revealed that this may have been humanity's own doing, with some apes even trying to escape into the past to alter the course of history.
A strong original film that received a string of rushed and cheap to produce sequels, the original Planet of the Apes series is evidence of what can happen to an incredible property if its milked to death in the wake of success.
A strong original film that received a string of rushed and cheap to produce sequels, the original Planet of the Apes series is evidence of what can happen to an incredible property if its milked to death in the wake of success.
Tim Burton Remake (2001):
Following a nearly thirty year hiatus, the Planet of the Apes franchise returned with visionary director Tim Burton at the helm, hoping to create his own series of films based on the beloved property. But with underwhelming box office results and conflicts between Burton and Fox the remake series never got past its initial entry.
Reboot Films (2011-Present):
When a chimpanzee by the names of Caesar begins to show signs of advanced intelligence it signals the end for mankind. As Caesar inspires an uprising against his oppressors, our world becomes a planet of the apes.
Following the scrapping of Burton's series, work began of rebooting the franchise entirely. Whilst this reboot series may have got off to a slightly rocky start with the mixed reception to the first film, it has since gone from strength to strength, and widely recognised as one of modern cinema's most experimental and thought provoking action franchises.
Following the scrapping of Burton's series, work began of rebooting the franchise entirely. Whilst this reboot series may have got off to a slightly rocky start with the mixed reception to the first film, it has since gone from strength to strength, and widely recognised as one of modern cinema's most experimental and thought provoking action franchises.