19. Planet of the Apes, 2001
In between the sloppy sequels of the 1968 original and the epic prequel series with Andy Serkis’ stunning motion-capture performance, there was Tim Burton’s tepid 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. The main issue with Burton’s version is that it’s either far too campy (like some of the apes complaining about a bad hair day) or struggles to deftly handle the heavier themes of race and class. Mark Wahlberg seems adrift in this blockbuster about a planet where humans are enslaved by far more intelligent apes, and is no match for Charlton Heston, who starred in the first film. The clear standout of The Planet of the Apes is artist Rick Baker’s incredible special FX makeup, which seamlessly transformed well-known actors such as Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Paul Giamatti into primates while still retaining some of their recognizable features.
