Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes is famously the worst entry in the entire series, but it was secretly great for the franchise. Burton was brought in for the project in 2001, where his involvement was supposed to mark the start of a new era for the classic sci-fi franchise. The Planet of the Apes timeline is made up of four separate phases, which had remained dormant for many years, until its revival in Burton’s 2001 movie. However, Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake has come to be regarded as one of the biggest failures in the director’s professional career.

That being said, Planet of the Apes (2001) has some redeemable qualities. Namely, the prosthetics were remarkably impressive from the start of the century, which serves to enhance the film with a certain charm. Although the special effects were monumental, Planet of the Apes fell under criticism for changing the tone of the original movie in 1968 — something that audiences resisted. The primary concern centered around the film’s ending, which was a crucial point for its reception. While the 2001 film underperformed, Planet of the Apes did offer a valuable lesson that positively influenced the subsequent installments of the franchise.

Burton’s Planet of the Apes Failure Showed There Was No Point Remaking The Original Film

Burton’s Biggest Criticisms Revolved Around The Plot Of His 2001 Remake

Although Planet of the Apes does make several changes to the original film, Burton remains faithful to the body of the franchise and the main plot of Schaffner’s work. Principally, the film addresses human agency and highlights the mindless nature of the human condition. However, trying to mimic the iconic ending of the 1968 Planet of the Apes’ was damaging to the franchise’s reputation. This is why audiences felt that they needed something different after Burton’s 2001 remake, as it became increasingly clear that the franchise could never recreate the magic of the original movie.

The failure of Burton’s Planet of the Apes demanded a completely new direction for the franchise, and the need for a continuation of the original story became increasingly redundant. The potential for a sequel was lost as Burton himself would never want to do it, and it became clear that there was little reason to keep the franchise alive with the original story. Not to mention, Planet of the Apes was considerably hindered by the time in which it was released — in an era where established properties were less attractive, and less favored, by Hollywood.

Planet of the Apes’ Next Movie After The Tim Burton One Was A Prequel, Not A Remake

Rise of the Planet of the Apes In 2011 Was Groundbreaking In The Franchise’s Future

The Planet of the Apes series went dormant once again after Burton’s remake, and the franchise only returned in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While this movie is a reboot, depending upon how it is perceived, Rupert Wyatt’s version can also be regarded as a prequel story. Most crucially, it contributed mᴀssively to the world-building of the original movie, although Rise of the Planet of the Apes did provide a different origin story for the intellectual apes. While there were a lot of factors working against the movie, the 2011 chapter completely transformed the franchise.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes did not simply follow the remake formula, and it can be more fittingly deemed as an inspired reboot. The story follows a scientist, Will, who is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father’s Alzheimer’s disease. He soon becomes the caretaker of Caesar, an ape who was tested and begins to display intelligence. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a huge success, and it provided an origin story for the universe of the original film, which was pleasing for both devoted and newer audiences.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Was Everything The Franchise Needed After The Failed Remake

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Was Revolutionary For The Franchise

Rise of the Planet of the Apes singularly reinvented the franchise with the first use of computer-generated apes, rather than the practical effects that the former installments had used. Although the practical apes do look superb in Burton’s Planet of the Apes remake, the technological advancements around this time mᴀssively helped the apes look more realistic than they ever had — and the studio was able to do this on an acceptable budget. This was a refreshing change of pace for its audience, as the CGI effects breathed new life into the franchise after the previous formula had become ineffectual.

Of course, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a risk undertaken by executives to revive the franchise, but it proved to be an incredibly lucrative one. After receiving positive reviews from critics, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a commercial success and grossed over $481 million against its budget of only $93 million. The success of the 2011 movie proved to the studio that there was still a vested interest in the franchise, and from the standpoint of audiences, the story had not become stale. Ultimately, it was Rise of the Planet of the Apes that began the franchise as we know it.

How Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes Has Aged After 24 Years And 4 Other Movies

Burton’s Planet of the Apes Remake Is The Worst Entry In The Franchise

The franchise was inactive after the 2001 installment for a whole decade. When the Planet of the Apes series did reemerge, it was in a completely new direction, which definitively proved that Burton’s remake was a lost cause. While Burton’s take on the franchise did fine at the box office, Planet of the Apes (2001) was overshadowed by the success of the new trilogy in the latest reboot, which began in 2011 with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. With that in mind, Burton’s remake did, however, help set the stage for the more successful chapters to follow in its wake.

In a strange way, Burton’s Planet of the Apes saved the franchise despite being regarded as the lowest point in the series. Burton is certainly no stranger to taking risks, and his reinterpretation of Planet of the Apes is perhaps the greatest instance of this. While the final scenes did not live up to audience expectations, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the ideal conclusion to the franchise that it sorely needed to start from fresh. Burton’s version has not been addressed in the succeeding movies after its release, but it made audiences more grateful for a new interpretation of the source material.