War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

After taking a couple days to enjoy my trip to Columbus and the Softball World Series event, I decided to kick back tonight and review the movie I saw over the weekend. That one is the finale of the Planet of the Apes reboot, 2017s War for the Planet of the Apes.

Plot/ After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.

I had heard a few different perspectives on this movie that covered the entire spectrum of film reviews. With that in mind, I figured that this would definitely be one of those love/hate entries that seem to be growing with every passing release. While that is fine (and somewhat expected), I am definitely at the point where seeing is believing. I absolutely loved this one and think that it is a film that does have some elements that have to sit inside your mind before the entire depth of the storyline and script hit home. The storyline is detailed with a few different subplots woven in, the performances are solid, scripting works, and the CGI is amazing. In fact, the imagery created in this one was top-notch throughout. Yes, it does have a slower pace and there are many silent moments used for effect, but those elements only add to the meaning of the film and work well for emphasis. In the end, I can see why this will be a polarizing film and a movie that will fall into the love/hate category. Sure, there could have been some more action and some of the storyline is a touch absurd, but that happens in many films. For me, this is a movie with a message and one that was a perfect capstone and one that left me wanting more. Check it out and make your own decision.

King Kong (1976)

Last night, I was finally able to finish my children’s writing assignment, as well as, American Horror Story Asylum. Needing some type of mindless horror to help pass the afternoon, I decided to watch something from my childhood. Plus, seeing Jessica Lange in a more relaxed role was cool. My selection for the evening was the 1976 creature feature, King Kong.

Plot/ A petroleum exploration expedition comes to an isolated island and encounters a colossal giant gorilla.

It had been a long time since I had visited this edition of King Kong. For me, it was my introduction into the mythos when I was young, but looking at it now, I can see that the hype with the marketing was much better than the movie itself. While not a terrible movie by any means, it definitely suffers from many flaws once Kong arrives and the effects take over. Over all, the movie has some solid performances, some comedic moments, and an outstanding cast. Unfortunately, between the rough effects, some head scratching dialog, and uneven chemistry, the movie never quite reaches its potential. In the end, it was a nice change of pace to sit back and revisit something from my youth. While it may not have held up as well as some movies, it is also better than most of the creature features being pushed out today. If you are in the mood for a creature feature, give it a shot. 

Planet of the Apes (2001)

After returning the flicks from last week to Family Video, I let my daughter Jillian pick out a few flicks for the week (fortunately, Jillian is a huge horror fan). Not to my surprise she decided to grab a variety of interesting stuff. The first film we watched is the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes.

Plot/ An Air Force astronaut crash-lands on a mysterious planet where the evolutionary process is reversed. Evolved apes are the dominate species and humans are primitive. He may discover secrets that would change the planet.

While there was no reason to ever remake the classic Planet of the Apes, Hollywood decided otherwise, and this entry is the result. Yes, there are some similarities between the films (even a cameo from Charlton Heston) , unfortunately, there was no way for Tim Burton’s vision to ever live up to the complex and visually stunning original (especially the ending). The idea behind this flick lacks the social commentary that set the 1968 version apart. Sure, there is the underlying fight for freedom, but the action scenes definitely overrun the storyline. Honestly, I did like the decision to bring more ape-like characteristics to the planet showing them running on all fours with a definite mean streak, to me, that is how I would imagine the species is one existed. On one side, the acting was OK, the tension so-so and there was little characterization (not to mention the ending was a bit unspectacular). However, the make-up effects and the action sequences did add a little something that the original lacked. In the end, I found this revision less appealing than the original, but then I grew up with the Planet of the Apes saga, something that would definitely influence my feelings (I am sure many like me would feel the same). That being said, my daughters actually enjoyed this version much more than the original with the overriding action / adventure feel; proving that people who have never watch the original will definitely enjoy it.

Planet of the Apes (1968)

One of the great arts at watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes was that the daughters finally became interested in experiencing the entire Planet of the Apes story arc. Being a fan myself of the classic tales, and remembering the days when Superhost had them on Saturday afternoon’s, I decided it was time to break one out. Last night, it was time for the classic 1968 flick, Planet of the Apes.

Plot/ An astronaut crew crash lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved.

I am not sure what else I can say about a cinematic classic that has not been said already. The original Planet of the Apes is one of the best Sci-Fi films that has been made. Yes, some of it may seem a bit dated by today’s standards, but that does not in any way detract from the greatness created in 1968. The cast and performances are tremendous with Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter and Maurice Evans delivering in every scene. The direction, cinematography and soundtrack work in unison to capture the intricacies of the personal elements in the projected upside-down world, and they do this in a way that takes the vast sceneries to a new level; it is truly one of the most visually appealing Sci-Fi movies I have seen.  The make-up effects are solid, and personally I love this original ape look more than the newer CGI incarnations and the ending may be one of the best ever in the science fiction arena. In the end, while chalked full of idealistic, religious, and humanity driven overtones, Planet of the Apes succeeds at taking on social consciousness and building something bigger and better and is truly one of the most entertaining and groundbreaking Sci-Fi films of all time. If you have not seen it, definitely check it out!