John’s “Planet of the Apes” (2001) flashback review, April 13, 2018
“Planet of the Apes” — Director Tim Burton and writer William Broyles’s re-imagining of the 1968 sci-fi classic isn’t exactly an intellectual exercise, but by summer blockbuster standards, it’s pretty good. Mark Wahlberg crash lands on an ape-dominated planet after going through a time warp; oppressed humans rally around him in their fight with the apes. The film is technically brilliant, featuring realistic ape costumes and behavior and a lush city that contrasts with the desert setting of the original. A couple of wink-wink lines (“Get your stinkin’ hands off me, you damn dirty human!”) and a cameo by Charlton Heston provide the necessary homages. Ironically, while the original’s surprise ending tied everything together, this film’s surprise ending is confusing and unnecessary. B+
— John Hansen, NDSU Spectrum, Aug. 28, 2001