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Planet Of The Apes

© James C. Hess

The production of a sequel to a given film or movie is understandable: There is a need to tie up loose ends, to achieve resolution, conclusion, solution; what the pop culture psycho crowd calls 'closure'.

The production of a film or movie already made--the remake--is another matter. Forget resolution, conclusion, solution. Forgo tying up loose ends. Never mind closure. A remake is something else:

Arrogance unbound. Excess of ego.

And the suggestion, rarely subtle, that The Next Big Thing in the director's chair can correct all the failings and shortcomings perpetuated by the director of the original work in question.

Put simply: Remake a film or movie, a classic or cult, and all but announce you're picking for a fight with the admirers, the purists, the supporters of the one who came before.

To avoid such a brawl a bit of supposedly clever wordsmithing is required. Take as example of such Tim Burton's latest film, "Planet Of The Apes". It is NOT, according to Director Burton, a remake or a sequel, but a reimaging.

Call it what you will.

It is anything but what he opines it is.

Of course there are reasons for why this film will not succeed. (As a story, that is. It will make a buck, hand over fist, at the box office; so starved are moviegoers, they will watch ANYTHING.) One is that it wants to be all things to all moviegoers: Action, satire, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, drama, romance, social commentary, Politically Correct mantra.

Another reason why it will fail is that because of the aforementioned Mr. Burton. (More on him and his role in the resulting film momentarily.)

Mr. Burton, instead of looking at the original movie and building on what that effort was, chooses to make something that is, at its best moments (few and far between, incidentally), disturbing.

Disturbing in the sense that there is no point for this movie to exist.

"Planet Of The Apes" could been more, providing reason for existence. It should have been so much more. After all, this is 'sci-fi', and as we all know, 'sci-fi', nowadays, is heavy-handed Politically Correct dogma, and "Planet Of The Apes" lays on the preachiness so much it could have been easily subtitled: How To Be A Better Human.

I digress. There is here, as there was in the original, social commentary. But unlike in the original movie the social commentary here, like the movie itself, doesn't really serve much of a purpose. Come on, Director Burton: Take a stand on humanity's future, wallop us hard the side of the collective head with stinging satire, making us think.