Planet of the Apes

 Tim Burton describes his version of Pierre Boulle’s story as a “reimagination” of the 1968 film adaptation that starred Charlton Heston.  Why was he so keen to stress that his version is NOT a remake, NOT a sequel but a “reimagination”?  Perhaps it’s to disassociate itself with other remakes such as The Jackal or The Vanishing.

 Even the most casual cinema fan knows the ending to the original, when Heston finds a mainly buried Statue of Liberty and the audience is treated to the startling revelation that he has been on Earth all along.  The makers of the original are rumoured to have bought as many copies of the novel as possible, in order to keep the ending a secret.

 Burton’s ending does not have nearly the same impact.  This time around they have done something even stranger.  All the novelizations of the film end before the last scene, missing it out completely.  We can only speculate as to why this was done, perhaps to maintain the element of surprise (although it was hardly an original plot device), or perhaps this scene was added late in the day after the tie in books had been completed, or perhaps it was just too embarrassing.

 Personally, I wasn’t too offended by the new ending but I can understand why many people are.  Planet of the Apes, for me, does not carry the twenty odd years of emotional attachment as certain other films do.  I think, had this been the first incarnation of the film, then the ending would have been well received.  Unfortunately we’ve seen it all before, from Ray Bradbury to the countless episode of Star Trek that feature "wormholes" as just another “…… anomaly in the space/ time continuum”  (Stop me if I’m repeating myself).

 Aside from the disappointing ending, there is much here to recommend the film.  You cannot talk about Planet of the Apes without paying tribute to Rick Baker’s excellent make up.  General Thade is not only a very convincing monkey but the make up allows Tim Roth to be as expressive as he would be without the three hours in the make up artist’s chair.  There is some great stunt work, breathtaking scenery and excellent acting from the principals, especially Roth, who turned down the role of Snape in the forthcoming Harry Potter franchise, in order to play the malevolent General Thade. 

Charlton Heston has a cameo as Thade’s dying father but this isn’t the only affectionate nod to the original.  Michael Clarke Duncan’s Attar’s first line is a clever spin on one of the most famous lines in cinema history.

 If you can see past the hype surrounding the new ending then you might even enjoy this film.  Why not decide for yourself.