Planet of the Apes

Without a hint of director Tim Burton's uniquely uncanny style, Planet of the Apes version 2.0 feels like nothing more than a generic (albeit overblown) sci-fi summer movie--and a forgettable, mediocre one at that. A passionless, elementary endeavor combining wow effects with a yawn plot (reinvented from the 1968 original), the film stars Mark Wahlberg as an astronaut who has crash-landed on a planet (not Earth this time) in the future where evolved apes enslave primitive humans. Kudos to F/X makeup maestro Rick Baker for creating incredibly convincingly and distinctively non-human ape faces (worn by the likes of Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter) that allow for an astounding range of emotion. But the unimaginative, dumbed-down lead-the-humans-in-revolt plot borrows more from "Sci-Fi for Dummies" than it does from the original source material, with the last half of the film riddled with absurdities and logical chasms that build to an insultingly predictable finale (followed by another, extraneous, utterly nonsensical surprise ending that has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the movie). Optional. [Note: While the movie is no great shakes, Fox has done an impressive job with the double-disc DVD, with no less than 6 documentaries on location, make-up, music, stunts, costuming and "ape school" (featuring teacher/choreographer Terry Notary); an HBO "making of" hosted by star Michael Clarke Duncan; 5 extended scenes; and quad-screen make-up, costume and movement tests; as well as a director's commentary, trailers, and more. If you do decide to go ape, then go ape on DVD.] (R. Blackwelder)