Plot: What’s it about?
As part of a routine mission, Capt. Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) takes a spade pod on a recon tour, to gather information and such. But when he gets thrown into a wormhole, he finds himself launched through time & space, right into a crash landing. The pod smashes into an unknown planet, which Davidson has to explore on his own to obtain any insight. As time passes, he finds some other humans, but he soon discovers the truth about this strange planet, as the human race is ruled over by another group. This other race is a group of talking simians, who rank as superiors over the humans and hold the place Davidson is so used to holding himself. He soon learns that some of the apes are kind, like Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), but some are violent and seek to eliminate mankind, like General Thade (Tim Roth). If the human race is to survive Thade’s onslaught, Davidson must get some help from Ari, as well as a small band of human rebels. But can Davidson and the others overcome the odds, or will Thade demolish mankind’s future?
As a fan of the original Planet of the Apes, I was displeased when I learned of this new version, especially with Tim Burton at the helm. I suppose I just didn’t see the need, since the original had a base of dedicated fans and the series hasn’t been too popular in recent years. But this new working of the premise raked in a lot of cash and although I’m still not a fan of this version, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. As part of the summer’s block of mindless action pictures, Planet of the Apes delivers in terms of flashy visuals and action sequences, which is about all we could want here. The writing is basic and leaves a lot to be desired, while the human actors are laughable, especially when compared to the ones in simian costumes. Burton’s direction is thin as usual, but also as usual, his production design team saves him, thanks to the lush visuals. Like Sleepy Hollow and several other of Burton’s movies, the visuals are the main attraction and in truth, I think Burton’s presence is unneeded, as he couldn’t even get good performances from his cast in this case. But as a big budget, no thought needed sci/fi picture, Planet of the Apes is more than decent. And since Fox has issued a deluxe two disc package, the “reimagining” of the cult classic is more than recommended.
As one of Hollywood’s hip directors, Tim Burton seems to attract a fanbase who find him to be outside the mainstream, which I don’t understand. His movies often have a dark feel, but are still mainstream fluff, if you lift up the shadows and peek underneath. This is more than proved here, as Burton helms this example of Hollywood waste, an action picture with a massive budget and little soul. Burton’s direction is as flat as ever, as he is unable to guide his cast into solid performances, although the costumed ones do well enough. Burton steers Mark Wahlberg way off course and in the process, almost tanks this movie. I’d rather see his production design team at the helm instead, since they’re the reason his films are even worth a look in the first place. Other films directed by Burton include Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, The Yards), Tim Roth (Four Rooms, Pulp Fiction), and Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, A Room With A View).
Video: How does it look?
Planet of the Apes is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As this is a dark, but very detailed film in terms of visuals, I had some doubts about this transfer, but with Fox behind the wheel, I shouldn’t have been worried. The image here is crisp, clean, and well detailed, with no real problems to mention. A couple minor instances of edge enhancement aside, this transfer looks excellent and given the dark visuals, that’s impressive work. Fox has used a pristine source print here, which means no nicks or debris are evident, so the other elements are never hampered. The colors seem lush and natural, as they should be and flesh tones look normal, no inconsistencies to make note of there. The real praise belongs to the contrast however, as black levels are rich and refined at all times, which is vital in the film’s dark visual scheme. This one is not quite perfect, but it is close enough to deserve immense credit, so fans should be thrilled.
Audio: How does it sound?
This set includes 5.1 surround options in Dolby Digital & DTS tracks, so both camps should be pleased here. This is a nice balance between subtle presence and power, as both sides of the coin are explored and with excellent results. The surrounds don’t always assault the senses, but they are used very well and create a lot of atmosphere, which is important as well. There are scenes that let the speakers open up and rock the foundations, but the tracks also handle the smaller touches with ease. So you won’t always be shaking from the bass, but you will always be immersed within the movie, thanks to these effective tracks. No issues with dialogue either, as vocals remain clear and well placed from start to finish. In case you’re curious, I give the edge to the DTS track in this case, but both options more than deliver the goods. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As this is a two disc release, you’ll find a ton of bonus materials here, including a pair of audio commentary tracks. The first session is with director Tim Burton and as usual, he is not too talkative and leaves a lot of silence. Burton is more chatty than usual, but still lacks the ability to make decent use of the commentary, which is a real shame. I think getting another participant might have been a good idea, to help flesh this session out a little. The second audio commentary is with composer Danny Elfman and when he isn’t chatting, the isolated musical score is presented. Elfman is very relaxed and open in this track, providing a lot of information about the score and how he approached the project, which is cool. A special “enhanced viewing” option is also found on the first disc, which brings up small windows with behind the scenes clips and such, as well as the more traditional “click on the logo” method. Also on this first disc, you’ll find some NUON features, DVD-ROM content, talent files, and the THX Optimizer program.
The second disc houses the bulk of the supplements and when I say bulk, that is just what I mean, as this disc is packed. You can view a selection of extended sequences, but no commentary or introductions are offered, which is a let down. Even so, it is nice to have the scenes in this package, to be sure. Next is a series of eight featurettes, most of which are short, promotional pieces, but a couple of them have some power, which is good news. Ape School runs about twenty-five minutes and shows how the actors prepared for their roles, since they had to act more like primates, of course. The other substantial featurette is Face of the Monkey, which clocks in at about thirty minutes and explores how the look of the simian characters was created. The other featurettes include a promotional HBO program, On Location: Lake Powell, a costume design piece, Chimp Symphony: Op. 37, Swinging From the Trees, and some very well presented screen tests. On these screen tests, you’re shown four windows at the same time and as you cycle through the audio, you can select which one to hone in on, very cool indeed.
Even more featurettes can be found here however, in the form of four multi-angle presentations. In these featurettes, you can watch four scenes from the movie and then choose different angles, which of course, reveals alternate audio & video options. You can even check out conceptual artwork, script excerpts, and on set footage, which should thrill fans, without a doubt. You like still photos? I hope so, as this release has a massive archive of stills, divided up over a number of categories, to make navigation simpler. You can browse location shots, galleries of props, and even storyboards, more than enough to keep you busy for some time. This release also includes a selection of poster artwork & promotional stills, a Paul Oakenfold music video, more DVD-ROM content, six television spots, and the film’s theatrical & teaser trailers.
