The new Planet of the Apes trilogy closes with this week’s War, giving us one more excuse to do another gallery of 24 great apes from the movies. Go bananas!
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, 94%)
What we do today echoes in eternity: This cool ape throws a bone into the air, and Kubrick match cuts it with a man-made satellite separated by millions of years.
Planet of the Apes (1968, 90%)
Between this and 2001, ’68 was a vintage year for apes.
Grandma’s Boy (2006, 16%)
Drive, monkey, drive! Part of being an adult is knowing when you’re too trashed to drive and need to hand over the keys to a responsible primate.
Link (1986, 17%)
Science goes wrong for Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp in this British horror flick.
Max Mon Amour (1996, 25%)
Charlotte Rampling and a chimp named Max make for strange bedfellows.
Bedtime for Bonzo (1951, 67%)
Before he was 1980s super President, Ronnie the Regulator was an actor, whose highlight reel includes getting punched by John Cassavettes and playing second banana to Bonzo (as himself).
King Kong (1933, 98%)
The grandaddy of Hollywood apes, the big oaf from Skull Island remains a formidable figure in pop culture at large.
King Kong (2005, 84%)
Peter Jackson’s acclaimed remake, starring Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, and Jack Black.
Kong: Skull Island (2017, 76%)
Hail to the king! Shot in Vietnam, Skull Island is a vaguely farcical action pic set in the ’70s starring Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson.
Godzilla vs King Kong (1963, 33%)
The modern matchup of the scaly King of the Monsters vs our prime primate is years off, so you’ll have to stick with the Toho original for now.
Mighty Joe Young (1998, 52%) King Kong director Ernest B. Schoedsack returned to this familiar topic in 1949; a remake with Charlize Theron came 50 years later.
Project Nim (2011, 98%)
Equal parts hilarious, poignant, and heartbreaking, Project Nim not only tells a compelling story masterfully, but also raises the flag on the darker side of human nature.
Born to Be Wild (2011, 98%)
The human story of Born To Be Wild is captivating and the accompanying nature footage is utterly cute and charming.
The Barefoot Executive (1971, 83%)
In this prescient Disney family film, network television is taken over and dictated by a chimp (with enabling from young Kurt Russell).
Every Which Way But Loose (1978, 31%)
Man with No Name. Dirty Harry. Philo Beddoe. Clint Eastwood took a break from Westerns and fascist justice dispensers for a trucking buddy comedy, where the buddy just happens to be an orangutan.
Gorillas in the Mist (1988, 83%)
Three years after Dian Fossey’s still-unsolved murder, Sigourney Weaver portrayed the gorilla conservationist on her journey to Rwanda.
The Jungle Book (2016, 95%)
Christopher Walken voices King Louie in this adaptation of the the Disney/Kipling story.
Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971, 78%)
The rights of apekind shall not be denied, including free access to bubble baths.
Project X (1987, 78%)
Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt (not pictured) in a post-WarGames sci-fi thriller with a light touch.
Nenette (2010, 85%)
French documentary about a 40-year-old orangutan who likes her daily tea and yogurt.
Congo (1995, 23%)
Adapted from the Michael Crichton novel, a rescue party and some diamond seekers travel deep into the jungle, encountering mostly unfriendly gorillas.
Speed Racer (2008, 39%)
In the Wachowskis’ candy-blasted vehicular fantasy, ape sidekick Chim Chim registers low on the odd-o-meter.
The Legend of Tarzan (2016, 35%)
For every great ape-man, there is a great ape named Cheeta, though less so in the most recent adaptation of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie.
Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978, 100%)
Why a movie? Why a big gorilla? Where do the odd movements come from? What will Koko do next?
