1968's ending of Burton's Planet of the Apes felt rushed and is generally demonstrative of this installment being a shoddy continuation of a sci-fi classic.

Immediately upon its release, 1968's Planet of the Apes was viewed as a revolutionary film that dealt with themes such as racism and religion. The first movie started a successful franchise, but in 2001, Burton set out to reboot the Planet of the Apes series and delve more into the science fiction elements of the franchise. However, out of all the Planet of the Apes movies, Burton's 2001 reboot is widely regarded as the worst, and that is largely because of the poorly executed plot twist at the end of the film.

Planet Of The Apes (1968)’s Ending Was Iconic, The One In Burton’s Remake Terrible

1968's Planet Of The Apes Includes One Of The Most Iconic Twists Of All Time That Couldn't Be Replicated

In 1968's Planet of the Apes, astronaut George Taylor wakes up from deep hibernation after leaving Earth in 1972, only to discover he had traveled 2006 years into the future. His spacecraft crash lands on a mysterious planet, and he is taken captive by a colony of apes. Taylor spends the movie believing he is on an unknown world, dismissing the similarities to his own world. However, in Planet of the Apes' famous original ending, Taylor is riding down a beach and spots the Statue of Liberty, which confirms the world he knew is gone.

The twist was instantly notorious because it completely changed how people viewed the rest of the movie. Moviegoers were instantly eager to watch the film again, now knowing that Taylor was on Earth the whole time. Because of how iconic the flagship movie's ending is, Burton ittedly faced a difficult challenge when he set out to reboot the Planet of the Apes franchise. However, instead of keeping it simple, the ending of 2001's Planet of the Apes is way too complicated and completely confused viewers who were anticipating another twist-ending.

Tim Burton's Planet Of The Apes Ending Was A Cheap Shot At Replicating The Original

Burton's Planet Of The Apes' Twist Ending Was Very Confusing

Instead of being a shot-for-shot remake of the original movie, Burton wanted to differentiate his Planet of the Apes film. Therefore, Burton's Planet of the Apes is actually not set on Earth. In the film, Leo Davidson is transported to the year 5021 by an electromagnetic storm and crashes on the planet Ashlar. While some of the plot points from 1968's milestone are still present, the 2001 version is a very different story. At the end of the movie, Leo takes an intact pod and flies back into the storm, trying to return to the Earth he came from.

He successfully returns to his own time and crash-lands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. However, where the statue of Lincoln is supposed to be lies one of General Thade, the merciless ape who was dedicated to the extinction of humans. Leo is then swarmed by ape police officers, and the movie ends. Burton's Planet of the Apes movie essentially flips the ending of the original film. Instead of realizing he is in the future, Leo realizes the apes still managed to conquer Earth during his version of the present day. However, it ends too abruptly and creates far more questions than answers.

It's Good That The Modern Planet Of The Apes Movies Haven’t Forced A Plot Twist

The New Planet Of The Apes Movies Have Prioritized Story Over Shock Value

Burton's Planet of the Apes movie was ultimately an unsuccessful reboot for the franchise. The film was a critical disappointment and currently holds a score of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. While the ending teases a follow-up film that would provide answers about how this version of the present day came to be, a sequel to Burton's Planet of the Apes movie was never made. In fact, it would be 10 years before another Planet of the Apes film was released. In 2011, the franchise was rebooted yet again with Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

The modern Planet of the Apes films have all been critical successes, and have set the basis for the series' future.

Compared to 2001, Rise of the Planet of the Apes received immense critical acclaim and was followed by three more movies. The modern Planet of the Apes films have all been critical successes, and have set the basis for the series' future. Part of the reason why the newest Planet of the Apes movies are such masterpieces is because they focus on crafting complex characters, rather than simply trying to shock audiences with twists. That is something that Burton's Planet of the Apes movie should have aimed to do as well.