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Planet Of The Apes

Tom Amos

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan

Director: Tim Burton

Category: IIA

The film: Planet Of The Apes was one of the smash hits of the summer and it's easy to see why. A fantastic cast, familiar subject matter and, of course, Tim Burton at the helm. The story is simple. Captain Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) goes in search of a monkey sent from his ship to investigate an electrical storm in space. He soon finds himself crash-landing on a seemingly normal planet. Normal, that is, until he realises the place is run by enormous apes who use humans as slaves.

Wahlberg gathers a merry gang, including Avi (Helena Bonham Carter) - who's all for human rights - and seeks the mother ship he believes has landed on the planet to save him. However, the evil Thade (Tim Roth) is out to stop him.

That's the gist, but this is all about visuals. It is amazing to look at. The performances are brilliant, particularly the menacing Roth, who seethes with evil, and Bonham Carter, who somehow pulls off the love interest despite her simian mannerisms. The final twist is a little over-the-top, but all in all it is great fun.

The extras: Worth grabbing for the additional material alone, all 13 hours of it, including six documentaries. There's also an interesting piece on the stunt work, a director's commentary, five extended scenes, the HBO special, theatrical trailers, multi-angle scenes and the usual DVD-Rom features.

The verdict: An action-packed thriller, brilliantly packaged and plenty of insightful extras. Worth going ape over.

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