19. PLANET OF THE APES (2001)
Screenplay by William Broyles, Jr., Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal, based on the book by Pierre Boulle. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kris Kristofferson, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren.
Before the “Planet of the Apes” was rebooted to great acclaim with Andy Serkis, Burton took a swing at bringing the campy sci-fi franchise into the new millennium with state-of-the-art makeup and visual effects. Yet all the Rick Baker makeup in the world can’t elevate this dreary retread. Mark Wahlberg is at his least charismatic as an astronaut who crash lands on a planet inhabited entirely by talking apes who have turned humans into slaves. What’s especially surprising about the film is how anonymous it feels, with the director’s distinctive style nowhere to be found. “Planet of the Apes” is as generic and forgettable as is it gets, which is the last thing you’d expect from Burton.