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"PLANET OF THE APES"
(2001) (Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
*Minor Mild Extreme *Moderate Moderate
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor Minor Heavy None Mild
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild Minor Minor Mild Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Action/Adventure: A space traveler crashes on a planet where talking apes rule over subservient humans and then attempts to elude them while trying to follow a beacon to safety.
PLOT:
It's the year 2029 and Captain Leo Davidson (MARK WAHLBERG) is stationed on the Oberon, a large U.S. Air Force space station that contains a large collection of apes used for space exploration. When one of his chimps mysteriously disappears in an odd outer space electrical storm, Leo disobeys orders and sets out on a rescue mission. While doing so, however, he's sucked into the storm and transported far into the future where he crash-lands onto a planet teeming with talking apes that rule over subservient humans.

He doesn't have long to think about that, however, as he soon finds himself on the run with other resident humans, such as Karubi (KRIS KRISTOFFERSON) and his adult daughter, Daena (ESTELLA WARREN). They're all quickly captured by the militant apes and subsequently delivered to Limbo (PAUL GIAMATTI), an opportunistic orangutan who specializes in the human slave trade.

As Leo tries to figure out this world, he gains an important ally in Ari (HELENA BONHAM CARTER), a compassionate chimpanzee who believes in human rights and gets away with that unpopular notion due to being the daughter of Sandar (DAVID WARNER), an influential simian senator.

Her beliefs don't sit well, however, with Thade (TIM ROTH), the aggressive chimp who runs the military with an iron fist and the aide of Attar (MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN), his right-hand gorilla. Thade wants to eradicate all humans from the planet, and thus it's not long before Ari and former gorilla general Krull (CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA) help Leo, Daena and other humans escape.

From that point on, and as he attempts to locate what he believes to be a rescue crew, Leo sets out across the desolate Forbidden Zone, all while trying to elude Thade and his forces, eventually leading to the discovery of answers explaining this topsy-turvy world.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Due to the marketing efforts and memories/knowledge of the original film, it's a good bet that many teen and older preteen kids - especially boys - will want to see it.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For some sequences of action/violence.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • MARK WAHLBERG plays a USAF pilot of the near future who finds himself stuck even further in the distant future on a planet ruled by apes. Accordingly, he tries to escape and then elude the simians, hoping to find a rescue party, and then lead the humans in battle against the apes.
  • TIM ROTH plays the aggressive military leader of the apes who wants to eradicate the human presence and is interested in Ari.
  • HELENA BONHAM CARTER plays the compassionate chimpanzee and champion of human rights who puts everything at risk by helping the humans escape.
  • MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN plays Thade's right-hand "man" who follows his orders in dealing with the humans, but is a deeply religious ape (to a simian god).
  • PAUL GIAMATTI plays an opportunistic "conman" who's essentially a human slave trader.
  • ESTELLA WARREN plays a human who doesn't have much to do other than show cleavage and sport a doe-eyed look.
  • CARY-HIROYUKI TAGAWA plays a former gorilla leader who now helps Ari and the humans to escape.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is a quick look at the content found in this action/adventure film that's been rated PG-13. Violence consists of many scenes of action-based fighting, including that of apes and humans battling each other, apes knocking humans around, apes fighting apes, and various killings (some for certain, others implied in battle).

    While there's some blood, most of the scenes are not overly bloody or graphic in that sense, but may be unsettling, suspenseful or even frightening to some viewers, particularly younger ones. That, of course, depends on the viewer's age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material (that includes the sight of menacing-looking apes).

    Profanity consists of several expletives, while a non-explicit sexual reference is made and a female simian acts somewhat sensuous toward her mate before being interrupted by fleeing humans. Most of the apes have bad attitudes toward humans, and a few of them smoke/inhale unknown substances in several scenes. If you're still concerned about the content present in this film, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information about it.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Some miscellaneous apes smoke something from a long tube that may or may not be drug-related. In another scene, we see more apes doing something similar, but don't know what they're consuming/breathing.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Karubi has a little bit of blood on his head while another man in the same cart appears to be dead (and thus has that discolored look).
  • A dead gorilla suddenly pops up in front of Daena underwater.
  • Leo has a few bloody scrapes and cuts on his neck.
  • Thade jams a hot branding iron into Ari's palm, leaving a burn (and slightly bloody looking) mark there.
  • We see what looks like a small trail of chimp blood in some sand.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • Leo disobeys orders and takes off on an unauthorized rescue mission to save his chimp in outer space.
  • Thade and many others have bad attitudes toward humans, either using them as pets and servants or wanting to rid the planet of them.
  • We see that one ape was trying to cheat another while playing a game of some sort.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" could also be tense/unsettling to some viewers, especially younger ones.
  • The same holds true for various apes that appear/act menacingly toward others, as well as the image of some fierce looking ones during the opening credits.
  • An Earth-based chimp panics as the spaceship it's flying goes out of control and careens toward a planet (in what turns out to be a simulation/exercise).
  • Leo's space pod races toward the planet where it eventually crashes through jungle foliage until eventually stopping in a small pond where it sinks. He then races to free himself and get to the surface.
  • Limbo has various humans branded with a red-hot branding iron (we don't see the actual burning of skin). Later, Thade jams a hot branding iron into Ari's palm, leaving a burn (and slightly bloody looking) mark there.
  • Leo and the others try to escape from the ape city as various guards/soldiers assemble.
  • Leo finds a human skull in the sand.
  • A wave of gorillas scamper across the ground toward the humans and Leo must rescue a boy who's in their path, trapped below the weight of a horse.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Dual-blade knives: Used by Thade to kill two gorillas and a human.
  • Knife: Carried by Leo.
  • Futuristic handgun: Used by Leo and others to threaten or attempt to kill others.
  • Clubs/Spears: Used by humans to attack various apes.
  • Guns: Aimed by some apes at Leo.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "What the hell are you doing?" "Shut up" and "Damn them all to Hell."
  • JUMP SCENES
  • A dead gorilla suddenly pops up in front of Daena underwater.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of suspenseful and dramatic music plays during the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 4 damns, 3 hells, 2 uses of "Jesus" and 1 of "Oh God" as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • Daena shows cleavage in various scenes.
  • An ape comments that everything in the humans' culture takes place below the waist.
  • A female ape acts somewhat sensuous (in an ape mixed with human fashion) while standing in front of her older orangutan lover/husband, but they're interrupted before anything happens.
  • Some may take a line by Leo to Ari ("I'll show you something that will change your world forever") to have sexual connotations or be a double entendre, but he's referring to something else.
  • SMOKING
  • One ape smokes, while some miscellaneous apes smoke something from a long tube that may or may not be drug-related. In another scene, we see more apes doing something similar, but don't know what they're consuming/breathing.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • A human briefly reacts to her father being killed (she doesn't know this for sure, but assumes it).
  • An ape's father dies in his presence.
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • Whether humans would still be using primates for testing purposes in 2029 (such as with space programs, etc.).
  • Some of the apes being religious (praying to a simian god).
  • The time travel implications presented here.
  • The film's view of evolution.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Various apes jump on, hit and capture fleeing humans, including Leo who's backhanded by one (that sends him flying through the air). One human tries hitting a gorilla on the head (but only hits the helmet it's wearing) and various gorillas then hit him. Others continue jumping and landing on various humans, some of whom they hit when putting them into a cart.
  • Various young apes throw stones at the cart carrying various humans.
  • Gorillas remove various humans from their cages by snapping huge clamps (attached to long poles) around their necks and yanking them out. During this, Karubi tries to intervene, but a gorilla slams him back against a rock wall.
  • Leo grabs Ari and holds a hot branding iron to her (but only does so to stop Limbo).
  • Thade purposefully knocks Leo to the ground, yanks him up and pins him to a table, and then pries his mouth open (all while sarcastically seeing if humans have souls somewhere inside them). He then throws him aside.
  • Thade acts a bit menacingly toward Ari as he briefly corners her.
  • Needing to cover up a discovery, Thade leaps through the air and lands on two gorillas, repeatedly stabbing/cutting/slicing them with two dual-bladed knives he carries (but there's no blood or gore).
  • A human grabs another human and pushes him back against a cage.
  • Krull grabs and disarms Leo of his knife as the latter was prepare to attack Ari (although he didn't know it was her coming around the corner).
  • A human tries to stop Attar by hitting him with a torch, but the gorilla grabs him by the arm and Thade then kills him (by stabbing him in the back - not graphically seen).
  • Upset at him, Krull jumps and lands on Leo, pinning him to the ground.
  • A young human tries to attack Limbo who knocks him backwards. After others restrain the boy, he then kicks Limbo in the face. When Limbo then prepares to go at him, Leo fires a warning shot from his futuristic handgun that generates a small, nearby explosion. As Limbo then tries to grab something to use as a weapon, Leo fires another warning shot. Krull then grabs the gun and smashes it so that Leo can't use it against them.
  • On his father's command, Thade raises a large vase-like object above his head and throws it to the floor, breaking it so that he can get what's inside it.
  • Two apes get into a fight (over one cheating the other) until Attar knocks them aside.
  • Leo strikes one ape as he rides by on horseback as he and others race through an ape camp. We then see one ape partially on fire. More apes are knocked down, while torches are thrown onto canopies/tents to catch them on fire. Attar then throws something that grabs a horse's feet, causing Leo to be thrown to the ground. Various apes then throw balls of fire (or something that's engulfed in flames) at them as he and others make their way across a river.
  • While enraged, Thade cuts a cable that drops a large fixture to the ground below where it explodes/sparks.
  • Thade jams a hot branding iron into Ari's palm, leaving a burn (and slightly bloody looking) mark there.
  • Many gorillas are injured or killed as a huge blast blows them back through the air like rag dolls. The humans then attack those that survive with various items (clubs, spears and rocks, etc.).
  • Many gorillas and humans battle with each hitting, slicing or knocking the others aside in various fashions. During this, Thade breaks a human's neck, while another human's back or neck is broken (we hear that), but despite all of the fighting, nothing is very graphic or explicit in terms of wounds.
  • Attar and Krull battle each other (with hitting and the two flying into each other, etc.), while Thade and Leo do the same.
  • Thade and Leo struggle some more, with the former kicking the latter down through a hole in the ground. Once inside, Thade prepares to attack Leo, but a small chimp jumps on his back, causing Thade to throw it against some rocks, injuring the chimp. Leo then fires a futuristic gun with the shot grazing Thade's arm.
  • Thade repeatedly fires a futuristic gun at Leo, but a protective shield keeps the latter and others safe while causing the many shots to ricochet around Thade.



  • Reviewed July 24, 2001 / Posted July 27, 2001

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