Mark Wahlberg is regarded — and with good reason — as one of the finest actors of our generation. So why is his performance in Planet of the Apes remarkably uneventful?
Ah, it’s just one of the many mysteries that makes Planet of the Apes (which is not, as director Tim Burton has stressed a “remake” of the 1968 classic, but rather a “reimagining.”)
Whatever you want to call it, this new (and not improved) Planet of the Apes lacks some much needed plot structuring, but does deliver a power bevy of spectacular effects and fight scenes. For those who are won over by big budget spectacles, Planet of the Apes more than delivers the goods, even though it never reaches its potential.
The film blasts off with a bang, with an impressive crash sequence in which Mark Wahlberg’s character Leo (a U.S. astronaut on a space mission) lands on the titular ape-invested planet.
Things move along nicely from there, as hundreds of massive apes storm the scene (the costumes are fantastic) and a fight ensues. The basic plot unfolds as Leo attempts to free his fellow humans who are being held captive as slaves and pets by the menacing, talking primates.
Wahlberg, who has shown his notable talent in films such as Boogie Nights, strikes the unusual balance of both over and underacting all at the same time. He accomplishes this by rapidly switching gears, one minute making Leo brash and arrogant, the next playing him as dull and brainless. He spends the majority of Apes squinting and fixing a “very concerned” look on his face.
Acting-wise, Helena Bonham Carter is the film’s one saving grace. She’s a fine, gifted performer in every movie she’s in, but in Apes, she truly stands out. As Ari, a human-friendly ape, Bonham Carter projects depth and intuition that cannot be matched by any of her costars (though fellow Brit Tim Roth fares decently in the role of Thade, the leader of the evil apes).
Former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Estella Warren portrays Daena, a fellow human who has been imprisoned by the tyrannical apes. She’s given substantial screen-time, though her character really has no purpose. Warren utters only a few lines, and spends the majority of the film wandering around aimlessly. (It goes without saying that she was added for the sole purpose of having a pretty girl in a skimpy outfit.)
The plot keeps your interest, though doesn’t offer anything profound or original. But the cinematography is pure brilliance, which is the one — and perhaps only — reason why I’d recommend this film.
Grade: B-
PG-13, 2 hours
