Remakes and Originals: THE PLANET OF THE APES and RISE OF THE PLANET APES

Remakes and Originals:   THE PLANET OF THE APES and RISE OF THE PLANET APES

The Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes is a Hollywood science fiction film  produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox and released internationally 1968. This first instalment was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The film is set in the year 3955 in a dystopian future where humans have been enslaved by hyper-intelligent apes. Planet of the Apes uses prosthetics and makeup to achieve their special effects as computer generated technology had not yet begun to reach its full potential.

In the UK, Planet of the Apes received a certificate of PG. This is most likely due to the themes and portrayal of human slavery and some scenes of blood and violence. However, if this was to be released in modern cinema it will most likely receive a higher rating of 12A due to its distressing imagery which could upset younger viewers. The film was released in all UK theatres at the time, to critical and commercial success. The film grossed approximately $20,825,000, globally, on a budget of $5.8 million. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a Hollywood production remake/prequel to the 1968 classic which was also produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Rupert Wyatt and is set in the very near future and follows the start of a virus epidemic which leads to the intelligent apes becoming the dominant species on Earth.

This film was given a certificate of 12A in the UK, most likely due to the portrayal of animal abuse and suffering, as well as some scenes of blood and violence. This version was also released to commercial and critical success, grossing $481.8 million, on a budget of $90 million. 

The Cast and Crew

Planet of the Apes had a notable and popular cast for the era, with two time Oscar winner Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall and Linda Harrelson. The film was also directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, who has also worked on Nicholas and Alexander, and the Academy Award Winning Patton. The cinematography of this 1968 classic was achieved by Leon Shamroy as the key cinematographer, who is also credited as the main cinematographer of Cleopatra and The King and I. He also shares the most number of Oscar nominations for cinematography with Charles Lang.The advanced makeup and special effects were achieved by John chambers as the head visionary makeup artist and his team of special effects artists. 

Alternatively, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released in 2011, a full 43 years after the original. This reimagining was directed by Rupert Wyatt (Captive State, The Gambler, The Escapist), however the two sequels were directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes). The main cast of the first movie in this new, rebooted franchise consisted of James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and most importantly Andy Serkis performing the motion capture for Caesar the ape.


The Difference in Technology and Special Effects in Each Film 
In the 1968 original, practical effects were used on actors to create the apes, through a gruelling six hour process involving 80 makeup artists. Practical effects, full sets and on sight filming were used throughout the entirety of the film to achieve a realistic look for the futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting. For example, the dessert landscape where the apes live was shot in Northern Arizona, near The Grand Canyon, The Colorado river and Lake Powell, among others. However the scenes in the Ape Village (both interiors and exteriors) were filmed on The Fox Ranch in The Malibu Creek State Park.

However, the rebooted franchise took a vastly different approach to the making of the apes and the settings. While the original film used a more practical approach, Robert Wyatt's version opted to go the more modern route of using CGI instead. While the use of CGI had been in use for many years before Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released in 2011, you could argue that this was a huge step forward in computer generated imagery being used in films to create extremely realistic looking creatures and settings.  The performance capture and CGI process was achieved by Weta Digital Productions, who were already widely praised for their work on The Lord of The Rings trilogy.
The process of motion capture involves real human actors being used as tracking for the movement of the digital recreation of the apes, as well as tracking their facial features and expressions.

Conclusion

Overall, both films have many differences in production, practical effects versus CGI and motion capture, however both films show how each their techniques can create realistic and believable creatures and scenery. The films also deal with very different premises, yet the remake remains truthful to the themes and main focus of the original classic. While the humans are the subject of abuse and oppression in the first film, it is the apes which are dealing with such issues in the remake. However the remake also counts as a prequel, hence why the story is so different, yet still follows the same premise and themes which are ultimately built upon in the future instalments.