I actually was pleasantly surprised by the 2001 version of the B-movie classic Planet of the Apes. I wasn't expecting much, but there is plenty in this rendition that is worth the admission price.

Plot summary

Mark Wahlberg is Captain Leo Davidson, a hotshot Top-Gun-style pilot who is part of what appears to be an interstellar survey expedition. When the survey ship encounters a mysterious storm in space, he chafes while Pericles, a chimp he's been training, checks out the phenomenon in a one-person(?) probe and loses contact. Davidson launches himself in an unauthorized rescue attempt, only to be swept away in the storm and dumped in the far future on a planet where gorillas are the prime primates.

Fresh from a heavy-duty crash landing, Davidson is an easy mark when a bevy of the super-strong, armored apes come whizzing along in pursuit of a pack of wild humans, and soon finds himself behind bars awaiting sale into slavery.

Most of the apes despise humans--in particular one General Thade (Tim Roth) whom one suspects would cheerfully exterminate them root and branch--but not all. Davidson catches the eye of one "human rights agitator," Ari (Helena Bonham Carter), and must parlay that slender reed of support, a few scraps of his remaining high-tech equipment, and his knowledge of how things "should" be into a human revolt, with the psychopathic Thade as the foil.

What's to like?

* Excellent cinematography and set design. There are many pictorially stunning moments in this film, from the opening credits down to "ace" Davidson's final crash landing.

* Peerless acting by Roth. He's vicious, venomous, merciless--he's just itching to beat the pulp out of every human and human-lover in sight, and he creates an aura of palpable menace in almost every scene. Attila the Hun in a gorilla suit.

* A powerful, evocative score by Danny Elfman, thudding, insistent, and ominous, that meshes beautifully with the dark, brooding lighting of much of the film.

* Thoughtful and persuasive scripting for Carter. As the bridge between humans and apes, most of whom are one-dimensional characters, she has to do the bulk of the thinking here, and the writers prove up to the task. By the film's end, Davidson is convinced that she's better than human, and it's easy to agree.

* Genuinely humorous comic relief from Paul Giamatti, who portrays Limbo, a cheerfully amoral, opportunistic ape dealer in human slaves, and helps keep POA 2001 from taking itself too seriously.

* Some terrific action sequences. These apes bullet after their prey like simian artillery shells, and there's no doubt who will come out on top when they make contact. (Parents be warned, however: there are also some fairly violent scenes.)

* Realistic apes. Whether fighting, throwing a tantrum, making love, or exulting in a victory, these folks display behavior that is clearly derived from that of wild animals.

What's not so hot?

* Wahlberg, unfortunately, is among those one-dimensional individuals previously mentioned. He shows a glimmer of depth now and then, but with all the action and tension swirling around in this film, he seems impassive to the point of catatonia.

* An overly generous helping of B roles: the strong, silent, adoring, buxom female "lead" (Estella Warren); the aging, tragic patriarch (Kris Kristofferson); the lovably impetuous wanna-be-heroic youth (Luke Eberl); and more.

* A sudden mass psychological and religious conversion of the ape nation, convenient plotwise but a bit hard to swallow.

* A definite B-movie surprise ending that blows away the relative consistency of everything that has gone before. It's baffling.

The final word . . .

I enjoyed POA 2001, and I think you probably will too, if you can restrain the critical side of your judgment a bit while still appreciating the highlights. Roth's frenzy, Carter's compassion, and production values nudge this one into the "recommended" column.

What else is out there?

If you do like this version of Planet of the Apes, you might try:

The Postman, an adaptation of one of David Brin's early SF novels about a post-nuclear-apocalypse scientist who disguises himself as a letter carrier for the "Reorganized United States of America," only to find to his surprise that the pretense takes on larger-than-life qualities. Sprawling, pretentious, and overlong, it could have used a Giamatti character, and a good editor. It got terrible reviews, but is actually not that bad--I'll say 2.5 stars.

Blade Runner, the quintessential dark vision of the future, with Harrison Ford starring as a "blade runner" whose job is to find renegade androids (artificial humans) and liquidate them. Poorly received by the critics, it's become a cult classic. With: Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, and more. This one I own--4.5 stars.

The Time Machine, starring Rod Taylor in an adaptation of H.G. Wells's old-time classic SF novel. Dated but still fun to watch--3 stars.


Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older