There’s no shortage of lovable ape characters in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise, who act to balance out the grim, philosophical nature of the narrative – and exemplify the best potential of non-human humanity at the same time. The chimp scientists Zira and Cornelius in the original series, Caesar’s closest ally Maurice the Orangutan in the rebooted trilogy, and Raka in the recently released Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes fit perfectly in this trope. Despite having very brief screen time in the movie, Raka became a fan favorite character through his humorous antics, but especially because of what the character represents in the larger context of the overarching narrative. Even though Raka possibly didn’t survive (or did he?), by the end of the movie, as a character he has left a lingering effect on the future of the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, which...
- 5/14/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
I love me some damn dirty apes, and I’m not alone. Ever since the first Planet of the Apes movie in 1968, it’s been one of Hollywood’s most consistent (on a quality level) franchises. Think about it. Has there ever really been a lousy Planet of the Apes movie? Not really. Yet, it’s often unheralded when we talk about the great franchises. So, let’s look at the series as a whole, with this Planet of the Apes movies ranked list (from worst to best). And don’t worry – you’ll get to have your say tomorrow with a poll I’ll be publishing, so check back for that.
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Tim Burton’s remake of the original 1968 classic is a mixed bag. Mark Wahlberg was a little too green at this point in his career to make a captivating action hero, with him paling...
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Tim Burton’s remake of the original 1968 classic is a mixed bag. Mark Wahlberg was a little too green at this point in his career to make a captivating action hero, with him paling...
- 5/11/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Ever since Charlton Heston climbed out of a little rocket ship in the toxic waters of the Forbidden Zone, science fiction has never been the same. The film in which he starred was based on a Pierre Boulle novel, but by the time it reached the big screen, it felt like an epic cinematic version of The Twilight Zone (and it had the Rod Serling writing credit to prove it).
The ending of the film is still one of the all-time great “twists” in cinema history, birthing the first modern science fiction franchise. And it’s never let up since. When Wes Ball’s latest installment in this upside down universe, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, hits big screens this coming weekend, the series will have seen nearly a dozen films released over the span of about 60 years. Some have been good, some have been bad, but almost...
The ending of the film is still one of the all-time great “twists” in cinema history, birthing the first modern science fiction franchise. And it’s never let up since. When Wes Ball’s latest installment in this upside down universe, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, hits big screens this coming weekend, the series will have seen nearly a dozen films released over the span of about 60 years. Some have been good, some have been bad, but almost...
- 5/7/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Grossing over $2 billion worldwide since its inception in 1968, the Planet of the Apes franchise has turned out to be one of the most successful ones in Hollywood. Based on French author Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel La Planète des singes, the title has released a total of nine movies, expanding its lore, with a tenth one, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes starring The Witcher actress Freya Allan in a leading role and set some 300 years after the events of the last outing.
A rough outline of all the movies involves humans, intelligent apes, and some sort of conflict. However, the dystopian setting where mankind comes down on its knees to face a brutal twist of fate sets the narrative in different orders for the different iterations. Someone who has just embarked on watching, or one who wishes to refresh their memory of the events of the films, need not watch all nine of them.
A rough outline of all the movies involves humans, intelligent apes, and some sort of conflict. However, the dystopian setting where mankind comes down on its knees to face a brutal twist of fate sets the narrative in different orders for the different iterations. Someone who has just embarked on watching, or one who wishes to refresh their memory of the events of the films, need not watch all nine of them.
- 5/6/2024
- by Imteshal Karim
- FandomWire
1972's "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" is a movie I'm betting many of you haven't seen. I'd like to make the case that you should amend that. How, dear reader, is it that this is relevant right now in 2024? With the release of "Dune: Part Two" upon us, there has been much discussion recently about great sci-fi sequels. Many of the early reactions to Denis Villeneuve's film have effusively praised "Dune: Part Two" as one of the greatest sequels in the genre of all time, right up there with "The Empire Strikes Back." While I have yet to see Mr. Villeneuve's film (as of this writing), it got me thinking about the genre that I love so much and the sequels I think hit it out of the park. That brings us to the movie at hand.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson, "Conquest" is the fourth...
Directed by J. Lee Thompson, "Conquest" is the fourth...
- 3/1/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Planet of the Apes is one of the most successful and durable science fiction franchises in Hollywood history. Starting in 1968 with the original film, the Apes series has generated more than $2.1 billion in box office grosses over the course of just nine movies, with a highly-anticipated 10th entry, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, due for release this May. The property has also spawned both a live-action and animated TV series, books, comics, video games, and toys – the latter produced in the wake of the first film’s success and arguably the template for future movie merchandising campaigns.
And yet, as we’ve seen over and over again with blockbuster pop culture milestones like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and numerous others, Hollywood at the beginning was loathe to touch the property. After publicist-turned-producer Arthur P. Jacobs secured the rights to the novel upon which the original film was based,...
And yet, as we’ve seen over and over again with blockbuster pop culture milestones like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and numerous others, Hollywood at the beginning was loathe to touch the property. After publicist-turned-producer Arthur P. Jacobs secured the rights to the novel upon which the original film was based,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
By now, "Planet of the Apes" fans have made peace with the fact that, despite representing one of the longest-running and widely influential franchises ever made, these simian stories aren't typically considered a frontrunner for the best or most successful franchises in cinema history. The spotlight inevitably goes to more traditional picks, and it's easy to figure out why. The "Apes" movies don't have a sexy "hook" compared to most others, opting for a much nerdier, more thoughtful, and eminently pessimistic approach to sci-fi. Those of us who'd consider ourselves initiated in this club, however, would say those are the fundamental reasons that make "Planet of the Apes" so great and so idiosyncratic, at the same time.
Then again, maybe the relatively insular nature of the series can be explained elsewhere. For obsessives like ourselves, much of the "Apes" appeal is that the unique property can't resist thoroughly downer endings,...
Then again, maybe the relatively insular nature of the series can be explained elsewhere. For obsessives like ourselves, much of the "Apes" appeal is that the unique property can't resist thoroughly downer endings,...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering The Kindred was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Paul Bookstaber, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
We toe the line sometimes here at JoBlo Horror Originals with what movies we discuss. Some things can qualify for multiple shows like a Black Sheep or a Deconstructing on the same movie. Sometimes there are enough behind the scenes shenanigans to give it a proper Wtf or maybe its adapted from a story. Not today, though. Today is something that reflects the true nature of this show. I know some viewers get bummed when they see some movies, even some of their favorite movies, get covered multiple times, so today’s hopefully different. I’m hoping that today will be a best horror movie that you never saw for most and...
We toe the line sometimes here at JoBlo Horror Originals with what movies we discuss. Some things can qualify for multiple shows like a Black Sheep or a Deconstructing on the same movie. Sometimes there are enough behind the scenes shenanigans to give it a proper Wtf or maybe its adapted from a story. Not today, though. Today is something that reflects the true nature of this show. I know some viewers get bummed when they see some movies, even some of their favorite movies, get covered multiple times, so today’s hopefully different. I’m hoping that today will be a best horror movie that you never saw for most and...
- 10/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Marvel is boldly going to revisit one of the most classic eras in the history of sci-fi history -- in comic book form. The publisher has announced a new limited series set within the timeline of the original "Planet of the Apes" films. Specifically, the series will serve as a prequel to the original 1968 classic starring Charlton Heston. That's right! It's prequel time. So get ready for "Beware the Planet of the Apes."
Marc Guggenheim is set to write the comic, with Álvaro López handling the artwork. The series will include familiar characters, such as Cornelius (played by Roddy McDowall in the films) and his wife Zira (played by Kim Hunter). Perhaps most importantly, the woman who we come to know as Nova (played by Linda Harrison) is also involved. A synopsis for the series reads as follows:
Into the Forbidden Zone! In a hostile world run by aggressive gorillas,...
Marc Guggenheim is set to write the comic, with Álvaro López handling the artwork. The series will include familiar characters, such as Cornelius (played by Roddy McDowall in the films) and his wife Zira (played by Kim Hunter). Perhaps most importantly, the woman who we come to know as Nova (played by Linda Harrison) is also involved. A synopsis for the series reads as follows:
Into the Forbidden Zone! In a hostile world run by aggressive gorillas,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The nearly 60-year long "Planet of the Apes" film series runs the gamut in terms of quality. You have a masterpiece like the original 1968 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, an utter catastrophe in the 2001 remake by Tim Burton, and everything in between. That being said, there's one thing that basically every film succeeds in, and that is the look of the apes themselves. Whether it's through revolutionary makeup techniques or extremely impressive performance capture technology, the rendering of these characters is distinctive and believable. Even the aforementioned 2001 catastrophe sports truly mind-blowing prosthetic work by Rick Baker that was rudely dismissed by the Academy.
As someone who is always going to prefer tactility in filmmaking, I gravitate more towards the makeup work than the performance capture, and it all comes from my admiration for the designs by John Chambers, who won an honorary Oscar for his work on "Planet of...
As someone who is always going to prefer tactility in filmmaking, I gravitate more towards the makeup work than the performance capture, and it all comes from my admiration for the designs by John Chambers, who won an honorary Oscar for his work on "Planet of...
- 8/27/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
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