Planet of the Apes / Quest for Fire (2001)

Planet of the Apes: Billed as a "reimagining" of the original 1968 film, Tim Burton's extraordinary Planet of the Apes constantly borders on greatness, adhering to the spirit of Pierre Boulle's original novel while exploring fresh and inventive ideas and paying honorable tribute to the '68 sci-fi classic. Burton's gifts for eccentric inspiration and visual ingenuity make this a movie that's as entertaining as it is provocative, beginning with Rick Baker's best-ever ape makeup (hand that man an Oscar®!), and continuing through the surprisingly nuanced performances and breathtaking production design. Add to all this an intelligent screenplay that turns Boulle's speculative reversal--the dominance of apes over humans--into a provocative study of civil rights and civil war. The film finally goes too far with a woefully misguided ending that pays weak homage to the original, but everything preceding that misfire is astonishingly right.

While attempting the space-pod retrieval of a chimpanzee test pilot, Major Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) enters a magnetic storm that propels him into the distant future, where he crash-lands on the ape-ruled planet. Among the primitively civilized apes, treatment of enslaved humans is a divisive issue: senator's daughter Ari (Helena Bonham Carter) advocates equality while the ruthless General Thade (Tim Roth) promotes extermination. While Davidson ignites a human rebellion, this conflict is explored with admirable depth and emotion, and sharp dialogue allows Burton's exceptional cast to bring remarkable expressiveness to their embattled ape characters, most notably in the comic relief of orangutan slave trader Limbo (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti). Classic lines from the original film are cleverly reversed (including an unbilled cameo for Charlton Heston, in ape regalia as Thade's dying father), and while this tale of interspecies warfare leads to an ironic conclusion that's not altogether satisfying, it still bears the ripe fruit of a timeless what-if idea. --Jeff Shannon

Quest for Fire: Quest for Fire is so detailed in its depiction of prehistoric man that it might have been made by time-traveling filmmakers. Instead it's a bold and timeless experiment by visionary director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Bear), inviting scientific debate while presenting a fascinating, imaginary glimpse of humankind some 80,000 years ago. Using diverse locations in Kenya, Scotland, and Canada, Annaud tells the purely visual story of five tribes (some more advanced than others) who depend on fire for survival. They "steal" fire from nature, but the actual creation of fire remains elusive, lending profound mystery and majesty to the film's climactic, real-time display of fire-making ingenuity. Employing primitive language created by novelist Anthony Burgess and body language choreographed by anthropologist Desmond Morris, a unique ensemble of actors push the envelope of their profession, succeeding where they easily could've failed. They're carnal, violent, funny, curious, and intelligent; through them, and through the eons, we can recognize ourselves. --Jeff Shannon

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Great movies, especially if you like sci-fi!!

I absolutely love Planet of the Apes. Keep in mind, this is nothing like the older film with Charlton Heston. This film has great computer effects and the makeup is amazing. I would recommend this movie combination to everyone. January 14, 2008

unique combination

how they came up with a Planet of the Apes/Quest for Fire combo is is unknown to me but it sure works. Quest for Fire is my favorite movie of all time. the movie is older, 1981, and contains no words or dialogue in any modern language. this is not a hindrance to the film but just the opposite. the use of facial and body expressions are acting gold in this film. the story centers around a group of pre-historic cave men trying to find fire to replace the one extinguished during an attack on their tribe. this is a spell binding movie that i am sure you will watch over and over again. as soon as i saw this movie back in 82 i was hooked. trust me buy the DVD you will love it.
Planet of the Apes is a updated version of the hit 70's movies and series. i remember one of my younger brothers actually having a planet of the apes "fan club" in our neighborhood. of course with modern technology the apes are very realistic and all of the special effects are outstanding. the acting is very good and casting is bang on. this is another one of my favorite pics. definitely one to add to your DVD library February 9, 2007

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