Product Description

Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan ,Paul Giamatti, Tim RothDirector: Tim Burton

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17272 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Science Fiction
• Released on: 2007-05-14
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: German
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds
• Running time: 124 minutes

Synopsis
In remaking this classic sci-fi horror film, director Tim Burton takes on a whopping challenge and succeeds. Astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) is part of a space station crew that, in the year 2029, is conducting experiments in training genetically engineered chimps to perform complex away missions. When Leo's chimp disappears into a worm hole, Leo unadvisedly goes after him, ending up in a parallel world in which the monkeys are the keepers and humans are traded and caged like animals. It's a horrifying place, and the whole atmosphere, colored by Burton's direction and Rick Baker's incredible special effects makeup, is charged with terror. Leo becomes a heroic figure in the eyes of his defeated human brethren, and he puts his trust--and his hope for escape--in Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), a forward-thinking ape who believes in human rights. But Leo has formidable opponents in Thade (Tim Roth) and Attar (Michael Clark Duncan), two power-hungry, testosterone-charged apes who wish to rid the planet of humans altogether. This excellent rendition of PLANET OF THE APES is more than just a remake: it includes intense physicality on the part of the actors, complex mythology lacing the story, chilling philosophical realizations, and an amazing cameo by original APES star Charlton Heston. The combination of those complex parts make for a riveting viewing experience.

Customer Reviews

A fairly decent remake of a classic
Mark Wahlberg stars in this 2001 remake of the 1968 classic `Planet of the Apes'. This version is directed by Tim Burton and also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Tim Roth and Paul Giomatti. The story is about a flight captain who goes through an electrical storm in space and crash-lands on a planet that is dominated by extremely evolved and intelligent apes who treat humans as slaves and pets.

The film isn't nowhere near the quality of the original but it is still a very fun, action-packed blockbuster that is something different from the usual, dark movies from Burton. The thing I liked the most about this was the makeup and special effects that were very impressive and looked like it was actual talking apes as the actors. There's a little too much CGI near the beginning of the movie but once Wahlberg lands on the planet this is toned down a bit and is replaced (not completely) by more stunts and some large-scale battle sequences. This kind of film with great special effects and some breathtaking landscapes is usually perfect for Blu Ray but isn't the best picture quality I've seen as on some of the darker scenes the picture can be a little grainy. Otherwise in the lighter scenes, the picture quality is pretty impressive.

Overall this isn't the classic it could have been, but then remakes never are, but it is still definitely worth a watch if you enjoy action and sci-fi films. In my opinion it's not worth the full Blu Ray price as the picture probably isn't that much better than on an upscaled DVD version.