For any sci-fi fan, it will be hard to resist watching this movie. The original Planet of the Apes (POTA) opened the door to this new world and made it interesting and believable.
This movie is very different than the original. About halfway though, it is clear this movie is going in a different direction. Basically, a astronaut crash lands on planet populated by apes (the dominant species) and humans (the ones who exist in the wild, and as slaves). Soon after he is captured, he picks up the homing beacon to a rescue ship... and the story progresses from there.
That's a pretty great setup, and the story progresses in a totally different direction than the original. I really appreciated that because it made the movie all the more interesting.
The special effects were one of the big treats of this movie. Not only do we get scenes with the spacecraft, space station, etc. at the beginning (unlike the original), but the character makeup of the apes was fantastic. The variety of body builds, faces, personalities, etc. was very entertaining to watch. Somehow they made Helena Bonham Carter look "sexy" as a young animal rights activist/chimpanzee... and Tim Roth look more threatening and aggressive than just about any character I've seen in the movies. Brilliant work.
The ape habitats were also kind of cool. If you want to know what an ape kitchen, dining room, bedroom, etc. looks like, you'll get a peek in side some of them in this movie.
All the thematic hallmarks of the original are present (role-reversal, overt prejudice and cruelty, fight for equal-rights). While they are probably not as impactive as they were given how times have change, they still deliver a sting about who unpleasant such a society is.
While I wouldn't say this is as strong a movie as the original, it is still a fun movie see and worth checking out.
