RANKING the Entire Planet of the Apes Franchise / Cornelius SPEED-ART
Hey Jack! I'm back, and with me another Speed-Art, this one is of Cornelius from the original Planet of the Apes. Today I’m gonna be ranking the entire Planet of the Apes franchise, which means the original 5 films, the Tim Burton remake, as well as the rebooted 4 film Quadrilogy. I’m not including either of the TV series, as ranking low-budget TV series against movies is probably unfair. With that said, let’s rank all 10 Planet of the Apes films from worst to first! And I can tell you right now, some of my placements will probably be a little controversial.
10. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Coming in 10th place is a film that bridges the two eras of Ape films, Tim Burton’s “Planet of the Apes”. It’s a weird film that exists as both a more faithful adaption of the source material and a remake of the original film. The makeup and special effects work are amazing, but the human performances can’t match the undeniable allure of the apes, boasted by stellar performances by Tim Roth, Michael Clark Duncan, and Paul Giamatti. The main problem with this film is the odd story choices and the weird romantic tension between a female chimp and the uncharismatic Mark Wahlberg. It’s worth a watch as an Apes fan, but don’t expect something that lives up to the classic films or the new rebooted series.
9. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
So from here on out I don’t dislike any of the films, so if something is placed higher or lower than how you would rank it just know that I like all of these movies, just some more than others. With that disclaimer out of the way, in 9th is the strangest film in the franchise, the second film in the series: “Beneath the Planet of the Apes”. Despite being this low on my list I actually find this film endlessly fascinating. The making of the movie is almost more interesting than the film itself, basically, Charlton Heston didn’t want to return for the film but agreed to come back as long as his salary went to a charity of his choice, although only in a cameo role, basically resulting in James Franciscus taking on the role of Heston-light, with the first half of the film mostly being a remake of the first film. Around the halfway point is when things get interesting, when we meet the telepathic mutants and the Vietnam connections come into full force with military leader General Ursus. Once the action hits it comes to a dark and bleak ending that is almost as shocking as the first film.
8. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
8th place goes to the fourth film in the series, “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”. A fun Ape sequel that delivers on the setup of the previous film with Caesar leading an Ape uprising against a tyrannical government. The pacing is a little slow at the start, but the performance by Roddy McDowell, now playing his previous role’s offspring, keeps the film's heart. Ricardo Montalban is great in his role as Armando, the foster father of Caesar, and Don Murray does a serviceable job as the leader, Governor Breck. Although, you can really start to see the diminished budget here, as most of the background apes look pretty rough. Although this is a pretty fun film and did serve as the inspiration for the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.
7. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Lucky Number 7 is a film I enjoy a lot more than most Apes fans it seems, and that’s “Battle for the Planet of the Apes”, the fifth film in the series. While the budget was truly spread thin here, Roddy McDowell gives it his all as the returning Caesar, which gives his character a satisfying conclusion. The best parts are the power dynamic by the opposing Gorilla General Aldo, played nicely by Claude Akins, and the relationship between Caesar and his son Cornelius. The Lawgiver scenes at the start and end help to bookend the story as though it’s a fable that’s been passed down for centuries and gives the story a heftier might than it would have without those scenes. Although you have to use your imagination when the battle comes as it’s a little small scale for the ideas at play, in fact, you’ve probably seen bigger fights on public school grounds, I can forgive this as the series usually has a bigger scope than the budget ever allows.
6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
In 6th place is the first of the reboot series, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. A great film and a fresh start to the Apes franchise. The CGI looks amazing minus a few shots, and the origin of Caesar is fleshed out nicely. The film loses some points for James Franco sort of sleepwalking through the role, although I do find it funny that he is the person responsible for the downfall of mankind. Despite his miscasting, the film itself gives you characters to root for in Caesar, Maurice, and John Lithgow playing the father of James Franco’s character. The film is a commentary on animal testing and the problem with human hubris who want to play god not caring about the implications, even if their heart is in the right position. Overall, I saw this film in theatres and it reinvigorated my love of the franchise having grown up watching the original films on SyFy.
5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
In 5th is the latest film in the series, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”. Another fantastic entry in the ever-sprawling Planet of the Apes series. It nicely fits in with the previous films while carving its own path. The new main characters are worthy successors to the franchise and the CGI continues to be impressive, no moment takes you out of the realism on display. Proximus Caesar steals every scene he is in and the casting of William H. Macy was a nice surprise when I saw it in theatres. The film does everything a legacy sequel and reboot should do, it tells a great story and gets you excited for the possibility of more movies in this series, I’m hoping for at least a trilogy with these new characters.
4. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
In 4th is the stunning movie, “War for the Planet of the Apes”. Visually and storytelling-wise this movie is probably one of the best Sci-Fi films of the 20th century. It cements this version of Caesar as one of the best film characters in general. Weta truly upped their CGI game here, some shots look so life-like it’s hard to tell them apart from real-life Gorillas. It’s a little slow compared to the first two in the new trilogy, but the emotional core helps keep it as one of the best in the series. Woody Harrelson does a great job in the antagonistic warlord role, and the film evolves the virus to get the world closer to the ideas portrayed in the original series. A must-watch for Ape fans.
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Coming into the top 3 is my favourite of the new reboots, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”. A beautifully shot film that doubles down on the Apes and gives us interesting humans that stumble into their territory. The CGI and fight scenes are impeccable and the climax is thrilling and heartbreaking. Andy Serkis truly shines here as Caesar, and the new human characters compliment the various facets of human society nicely, with the kind and curious Malcolm, the desperate leader played by Gary Oldman, and the cold and hateful Carver. Koba played by Toby Kebbell is one of the franchise's best villains, which helps to make this a great entry in the reimagined Apes franchise.
2. Planet of the Apes (1968)
At number 2, controversially maybe, is the classic that is big on ideas and started a franchise that continues to entertain today, this is of course the original “Planet of the Apes”. The makeup work is incredible and the story is iconic and so much in the osmosis of our minds that The Simpsons and other media have spent decades homaging it. Charlton Heston puts in a performance that is a little dated by today's standards but is extremely captivating. Kim Hunter, Roddy McDowell, and Maurice Evans do a great job in their respective roles as Zira, Cornelius, and Dr. Zaius. The ending is probably one of the most iconic film endings of all time, up there with Star Wars Episode V, Psycho, Se7en, and Casablanca. This is one of the best sci-fi films of all time.
1. Escape From The Planet of the Apes (1971)
But my favourite of the series is the third film, “Escape from the Planet of the Apes”. A great simple sequel that takes the series in a more comedic direction, while amping up the human drama, all coming to an end with a harrowing finale. This is the Cornelius and Zira movie and their performances here help make the other entries even better. Having the film take place in the modern-day allowed them to make the makeup for the main characters here just as good as the original as they didn’t need to make any elaborate sets for the film. This film truly has it all, and makes me love the series all over again every time I rewatch it.
So that is my ranking of the Planet of the Apes franchise, leave your ranking below, and if you haven't seen it I have a new animation on my main channel going through the original Planet of the Apes timeline, it’s pretty interesting as the weird sequels are often overlooked in the series, so you can check that out on the main channel. Until next time, I’ve been Aaron and I’ll tell you something later!