Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Planet Of The Apes Franchise, Ranked

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Planet of the Apes has grown from a single film to a truly massive franchise – but which entries in it are the best of the best?

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Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Some sci-fi franchises can get pretty crazy when it comes to their expanded franchises, and that’s certainly the case for Planet of the Apes. Based on the French novel of the same name by Pierre Boulle, the series became better known to general audiences following the massively successful and iconic 1968 film.

Following that, the good folks at Hollywood decided to milk it for all it was worth, resulting in mixed results throughout the decades to come, but they enjoyed varying degrees of success. Here’s a ranking of 10 of the (current) Planet of the Apes related outings. Obviously, there are massive spoilers ahead, so take caution.

10 Planet Of The Apes (2001)

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Planet of the Apes might have been the film that started Tim Burton on his path of frequently making pretty bad or forgettable films for the next 20 years after having had an incredible filmography up to 2001. And yes, Tim Burton seemed like a good choice for a director. But getting the writers of Superman IV for the screenplay likely on the basis of also doing Mighty Joe Young? Not a great choice.

The film is a chaotic mess. The performances are wildly over the top (though Paul Giamatti as an orangutan is simply top tier), the script is a disaster in storytelling and dialogue, and the movie didn’t justify its existence or distinguish itself in any way. For a movie helmed by a creative director, the film is oddly uncreative and dull.

9 Planet Of The Apes (TV Series)

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Coming out just after the fifth film in the franchise, the 1974 film follows Galen, a chimpanzee, who helps two humans who crash land on Earth, as the trio go on various adventures. The show didn’t last long and got canceled due to low ratings after making just fourteen 50-minute episodes. The series isn’t an abomination, but it’s not very engaging or distinguishable, which is saying a lot for 1970s TV, when there was not a lot of interesting or good competition.

8 Battle For The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

As the final entry in the original movie franchise, it’s a shame it ended with a clunk. Battle For The Planet of the Apes takes place after a nuclear war has ravaged the planet, as the ape leader Caesar tries to keep humans and apes in harmony.

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The apes are the more dominant species in this entry, and humans are essentially second-class citizens. It’s not a bad premise, but the creativity was clearly being drained after the franchise was so heavily mined, and it’s just tiring.

7 Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

The penultimate entry in the original films, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes showcases Caesar, the ape leader who would begin the ape revolution against humans. The idea is pretty silly; after a massive pandemic wipes out cats and dogs, humans turn to apes for pets, and eventually, turn them into slaves. The apes riot and Caesar attempts to begin the steps to a new society. It’s not a downright dreadful entry, it’s just not a memorable one.

6 Beneath The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Charlton Heston enjoyed his first outing in the iconic first film, but was not keen on a sequel. So to save himself further grief he asked that if he were to come back for a sequel, he would have limited screentime and that his character, Taylor, would be killed off so as to prevent having to dilute the first film any further. And the filmmakers did just that, and not only killed Taylor, but also ended the world by nuking it… leading to the writers having to think of a creative avenue to continue the franchise.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes is a bit weird, and a bit of a slog, but occasionally, it hosts a few decent scenes. At the very least, the decision to be downright nihilistic was somewhat fascinating, and it at least is somewhat memorable in that sense.

5 Escape From The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

The solution to getting a creative way to continue the franchise despite literally destroying it was to introduce time travel to the franchise. Three of the apes who were less adhering to their strict government escape in a rocketship before the world’s destruction, and wind up on Earth in 1973 after falling into a time warp. From there, the trio of apes have to contend with the attention that educated talking apes would gain, and all of the fame and danger that comes with it. The premise is the goofiest in the franchise, but the execution is strangely realistic and pensive.

4 Planet Of The Apes (1968)

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Co-written by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, the original film certainly feels like a long episode of The Twilight Zone, in the best way possible. It was pretty different from the novel it was based on, but that was for the better.

The film is a cinematic classic and the makeup and creativity poured into it were groundbreaking. However, certain elements have aged and it does feel a bit clunky and cheesy at certain points, especially concerning dialogue. While the ending is one of the best ever put to screen, and there are a few great quotes now and then, every scene in the movie is not at that level, and the pacing can drag… though the excellent music score helps with that factor.

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3 Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is sort of like the Two Towers of the reboot series trilogy. It’s a brilliant movie and doesn’t have inherent flaws, but it sort of gets outclassed by the intriguing and fresh first step and the emotional and climactic finale. The movie takes place a decade after a pandemic wipes out most of humanity, and intelligent apes are on the rise, as the virus, coined “The Simian Flu,” killed off the humans but made the apes smarter. The film balances the sympathy for both apes and humans, as both sides have reasonable points, including the protagonists and antagonists on each side.

2 Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Franchise Ranked

The first film in the reboot series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes really went above and beyond anyone’s expectations. Andy Serkis stars as Caesar, once again portrayed as the leader of the ape revolt in this franchise. The motion capture and performance are breathtaking, and well-deserving of an Oscar. Scratch that, the Oscars didn’t deserve Andy Serkis.

The film revolves around the creation of the Simian Flu, created by chemist Will Rodman (James Franco) which began as a test cure for Alzheimer’s disease, as suffered by Will’s father (John Lithgow). It turns out that the viral-based cure does seemingly work on the test apes (as their DNA is very close to our own), as it makes their mental function increase. But, wanting to double down on their success, the researchers working alongside Will want to create a version that increases intelligence, and the new virus is deadly to humans. The film’s incredible attention to detail for the characters in the film, respect towards the original films, and intriguing new take were exciting and instantly timeless.

1 War For The Planet Of The Apes

This film truly takes guerilla warfare to a new level. Taking place 12 years after the Simian Flu outbreak, Caesar and his ever-growing ape society come into conflict with a hostile group of humans, a rogue military faction by “The Colonel” (Woody Harrelson). Despite its title, War for the Planet of the Apes isn’t always action-based and is one of the most thought-provoking entries in the entire franchise. It is a dreary and brutal film, filled with existential crises and death. Best of all, it makes a human audience fully root for the apes.

The subtle performances, intriguing writing, beautiful cinematography, and clever symbolism make for a perfect finale to one of the best movie trilogies in recent memory, and one of the best remakes of a franchise put to screen. If more sequels are made and they’re somehow underwhelming or bad, it won’t matter too much, because this trilogy works on its own perfectly.

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