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Great apes and more in new 'Planet'
[Photo: Twentieth Century Fox]
In the heat of battle, ape military leader Thade (Tim Roth), left, tries to subdue Leo (Mark Wahlberg) in Planet of the Apes. |
By BILLY NORRIS
© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 30, 2001
Movie: Planet of the Apes
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Capt. Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) is an Air Force pilot living on a space station in the year 2029. He goes on a mission to rescue his chimpanzee comrade, Pericles, without authorization from his commander and ends up getting caught in an electromagnetic storm that sends him forward in time thousands of years. Leo crash lands on a planet inhabited by highly evolved talking apes that rule over the "inferior" humans very strictly. After being captured by the apes, he plots an escape with the help of the only compassionate one, Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), who believes humans and apes can live as equals. They, along with a family of captured humans, set off on a journey full of surprises.
My view: Before I saw the new version, I viewed the original Planet of the Apes (not easy to find), which came out in 1968. I absolutely loved it! It was really ahead of its time and completely changed my attitude about seeing the current film. Until then, I was thinking that the new movie would be just for science fiction fans and that I would hate it. I was wrong! It was very different from the original, but still paid tribute to it in several ways. The makeup and costumes were stunning! There was a lot humor, as in the first one, that made this great flick even better. There were tons of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end, which was just as jaw-dropping as the surprise ending in the first version.
Favorite part: This movie had so much happening throughout that it never stopped being exciting.
Least favorite part: Everything in this film entertained me, so how could I say anything negative about it?
Recommendations: Before you go to see this one, which you definitely should, try to find a copy of the original if you haven't seen it already. It's not a necessity, but it will enhance your understanding of this brilliant new version. Because of a lot of violence that might be scary to young children, this movie is right for ages 11 and up.
Grade: A+
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Billy Norris, 13, will be in the eighth grade at Seminole Middle School, and is a former member of the Times X-Team.
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