VERSUS THE SCARECROW EPISODE 18: The Remakes. I decided to challenge myself and really open the doors of my film knowledge and take on “The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide”. It’s 808 pages of movies and movie reviews from some of the most knowledgeable movie people you don’t know. It’s a book put together by a staff that praises, and destroys, some of our favorites and not so favorites. You can read the rest of my series here.
Just a quick refresher: each episode, I’m going to tackle three films from three different categories. Two films will be films I’ve never seen before and one will be one I’ve seen before or own. For the new films, well, new to me, I’m going to review them like a typical FTS review using the TOAST Rating system. But, for the films I’ve seen, I’m going give a quick paragraph or two about why I like or don’t like the film. We’ll try to include the poster and trailer for each film. “….and here. We. Go!”
Remakes aren’t all bad… are they? this week I found out when I take a look at remakes of the Planet of the Apes, The Blob, and I reflect on my like/dislike relationship with Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11.
Planet of the Apes (2001) Directed by Tim Burton. Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter. IMDB says: “An Air Force astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet where evolved, talking apes dominant a race of primitive humans.”
“Time to explain evolution to the monkeys.”
I really wanted to like this film. Really. I did. But I found myself getting bummed out at how dark the film was and how winks and nods to the previous Apes films fell flat. In interviews, Director Tim Burton has said that this is more of a reimagining of the 1968 classic than a remake. I’ll agree with him because as the film progressed, it became it’s own idea which was much darker and more violent than the original. Burton’s version, to me, completely skipped over what made the originals so deep and thought provoking. Maybe when this film was released we didn’t have a social struggle worth commenting on. Or maybe this version played closer to the books than the 1968 version did. All I know is that I was not impressed with the film. It’s the story of Captain Leo Davidson (Wahlberg), a US Air Force pilot who crashes down onto a mysterious planet where Apes act like humans, and humans are treated like animals.
The acting was solid for what it was. Mark Wahlberg was the highlight in a cast that included Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clark Duncan, and Paul Giamatti. There was some over acting and some far-reaching, especially from the Ape characters, but that was expected given the nature and tone of the film. I hoped they would be a bit more reserved, but when your leader is angry all the time and slowly losing his grip, your sub servants will take that anger and decompress it amongst themselves, creating a stressed/angry environment. The film did a great job at that (establishing atmospheres) and the set pieces were designed perfectly to fit that atmosphere. The soundtrack fit right in with the vibe but didn’t stand out one way or the other to me. One thing this film did approve on, as it rightfully should have, were the special effects. Here I was very impressed at how they were able to advance the make-up and costume design of the apes making them look just like apes, but allowing them some human qualities. Skin and facial designs looked smooth and natural instead of rubbery and fake. Then again, the original was made in the 60s, and this film was made over 30 years later. If this film didn’t look better, we would have had a bigger problem.
If you want to check the film out you’re more than welcome to via Netflix or VOD. It’s got great special effects and the acting isn’t bad. Personally, I say skip it altogether and seek out the 1968 original starring Charlton Heston.
Check back tomorrow to read my review of The Blob and then again on Thursday for the conclusion of episode 18 with my reflections on Ocean's 11. If you're interested in more, you can find the rest of the Versus The Scarecrow series here.