Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (#555)


Too often Hollywood believes in the statement, more is better, and what resultsis more horror films, more sequels. more franchises, more super heroes and King Kongs and Godzillas, etc., etc.  I happen to be a simian lover, starting way back to Tarzan movies and Cheetah, his pet chimpanzee, which is why I went to see KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  Believe it or not, I actually persuaded my bride (we were on our honeymoon in Spain thanks to her job as a flight attendant with Pan American) to visit the Barcelona zoo where we viewed the world's only albino gorilla in captivity.  He was just an infant then.  I subsequently revisited the gorilla some 50 years later while on a business trip.  He was huge, still white, in his own building.  I hasten to add, he did not remember me. Back to the movie.  I enjoyed the original Planet films, including the ones where apes were trying to take over the world.  They were civilized, spoke and rode horseback.  But this one was one too many.  Although the depiction of the new quality of the apes was as good or better than ever, there wasn't a good story line, and the ape leader, who kept speaking about the previous leader, Caesar (who was terrific in early versions). was evil personified and ranted and raved.  And the few humans viewed were cowed by the simians and were in hiding.  Frankly, I was disappointed and wondered if Hollywood would ever learn. Once again I was at odds with critics and audiences.  Critics' thumbs up were at 81%, audiences at 78%. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular

The Fabulous Four (#580)

Image
I avoided the crowds yesterday by opting not to see the latest Marvel Comics release Deadpool & Wolverine (which I plan to see on Wednesday) and instead went to see a movie I really didn't want to see.  I am always apprehensive about the movies starring women embarked on a quest to do something different.  THE FABULOUS FOUR starred, among others, Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler.  I must report that, in my opinion, neither the stars nor the movie were fabulous.  This was a stinker with a capital S.  It's about 4 girls who bond in New York City way back when and are the closest of friends.  One of them, Midler, now lives in Key West and invites two of them to be bridesmaids at her upcoming wedding.  She is estranged from the fourth one, a surgeon named Lou (? spelling), estranged because years before she married a man that Lou was in love with.  He subsequently died.  Are you following this?  They dupe Lou into coming with them, explaining that she won a cat in a contest.  Sh
Read more

Civil War (#541)

Image
Because I have been expounding my theory about the upcoming presidential election to anyone crazy enough to listen to me, (my theory being that no matter who wins the election, there is going to be a civil war in this country), I was profoundly interested in the movie I saw today.  Its premise and point of view are cloudy because there is no explanation for the "war," what it's about, why it started and who are the players.  Initially, the president speaking to the nation talks about the resurrectionists (is that a valid word?) in Texas and California, and the ones in Florida trying to persuade the Carolinas to join the rebellion, but later a newscaster reports on the Russians invading Washington, DC, and demanding total surrender at the White House. That is, if I was hearing things correctly.  Perhaps it was the rebels in the White House.  The movie, well directed and remarkably well and realistically filmed, does not appear to have any political bent or motivation.  CIV
Read more

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (#473)

Image
Well, I did it! — because I didn’t  want to disappoint some of my grandchildren who would have been disappointed if I hadn’t gone since they chide me endlessly for my liking Taylor Swift.  So, despite misgivings — possible crowds and long lines, it wasn’t included with my unlimited subscription so I ha to pay and i would miss some football — I went to the 11:30 a.m. showing of TAYLOR SWIFT; THE ERAS TOUR, which was scheduled to be shown every half hour (and sometimes only 15 minutes) from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.  I was more than mildly surprised; I liked it.  A lot!  Even though it was endless, lasting just short of three hours, it was spectacular.  The settings were incredibly creative, the band, dancers and singers were excellent, the choreography flawless, and Ms. Swift was remarkable, in energy, voice, enthusiasm and everything else.  The music, she explained, was from the five albums she released which were not associated with a tour, among them Reds and 1989.  And about Ms. Swift: 
Read more

Oddity (#579)

Image
I goofed again, as one of you kindly pointed out.  In my Twisters (plural) review, I identified the leading players as Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton.  But they starred in Twister (singular) almost 30 years ago, snd I am reasonable certain one or more of them are dead or too old to stand up to a tornado. Sorry about that.  Despite my lukewarm review of Twisters, it was 30 times better than ODDITY, which I saw yesterday.  A young married woman is brutally murdered in a remote country house being renovated by the woman and her husband, a psychiatrist in local mental hospital.  The suspected murderer is a patient from that hospital but he ends up dead, too.  Along comes the woman's twin sister, who is not only a self-styled psychic but a collector of weird things.  And to add a twist, she is also blind which is why she can easily move freely though dark interiors.  She is suspicious of her sister's death and, in trying to get revenge for the murder, pays an uninvited visit to her sist
Read more

Monkey Man (#539)

Image
I saw MONKEY MAN today under unusual circumstances which I may or may not reveal at a future date.  It stars and is directed by Dev Patel, an actor of Indian descent whom I have seen before in Slumdog Millionaire and other films.  I think he is a first class actor, but he has really changed his image in this one from a charmer to a overly aggressive purveyor of mayhem. This film is about revenge and retribution and skillfully mixes such disparate elements as politics, religion, mysticism, fables and intense violence in surreal, psychedelic, symbolic and allegorical surroundings.  If this sounds like something more than you can handle, I hasten to add, it’s not.  But it is unique, and I came away wondering if I admired it or liked it and at this writing, I’m still not sure.  Patel plays an impoverished young man with a traumatic childhood who is a competitor in what appears to be an illegal, underground arena for no-holds-barred fights, wears a gorilla mask and is beaten to a pulp night
Read more