Planet of the Apes Reviews: Our Verdict on Every Film

Our Planet of the Apes reviews give a short verdict on each of the ten films, in three runs: the five original films from 1968 to 1973, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes (2001), and the four modern films from 2011 to 2024. Ratings are out of ten and they are opinion, so treat them as a guide to where to spend an evening rather than a measurement. Each film links to its own page for cast, plot and facts, and if you would rather see them stacked against each other, there is a separate list of planet of the apes movies ranked.

Planet of the Apes (1968), directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, is the film that justifies the whole saga, and I rate it 9. Charlton Heston plays the astronaut George Taylor, Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter play the chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira, and Jerry Goldsmith's score keeps the planet feeling alien. It cost $5.8 million and took about $32.6 million in the US, according to Box Office Mojo, which was a handsome return for 1968. The premise never feels like a gimmick, and that is rarer than it sounds.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), directed by Ted Post, earns a 5. It was made on $3 million, and Taylor vanishes early, which leaves James Franciscus as Brent to carry the search for him through the Forbidden Zone. It has ideas, but it plays like a smaller story stretched over a large world. If you are watching in order, do not skip it, though perhaps lower your expectations.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), directed by Don Taylor, is my favorite of the sequels and gets a 7. Three chimpanzees land in 1973 Los Angeles, and the film turns the series on its head: the apes are now the strangers in a human city. Its early scenes are light and nearly comic, with Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter charming as Cornelius and Zira, and then it darkens with Eric Braeden's Dr. Otto Hasslein pressing the government commission. It cost $2.5 million and grossed about $12.3 million.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) were both directed by J. Lee Thompson. Conquest is the bleakest film in the saga, with McDowall as Caesar and Ricardo Montalban as the circus owner Armando in a 1991 where apes are slave labor, and at 88 minutes it moves fast. I give it a 6. Battle, with Claude Akins as the gorilla Aldo, has the lowest gross of the series at roughly $8.8 million, and I rate it 4: the ideas about shared living are sound, but a budget of $1.8 million cannot support them.

Planet of the Apes (2001), directed by Tim Burton, is a standalone remake and not part of the main saga's story, and I rate it 4. Mark Wahlberg plays Captain Leo Davidson, Tim Roth is a physically fierce General Thade, Helena Bonham Carter is the sympathetic Ari, and Michael Clarke Duncan and Paul Giamatti give the ape cast real character. Danny Elfman wrote the score. Roth's commitment is the best thing in it, but the human lead is thin and the final moments are more puzzling than satisfying. It counts as a spin-off, so you never need to see it to follow anything else.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), directed by Rupert Wyatt, is an 8. James Franco plays the scientist Will Rodman, and Andy Serkis, working with Weta, makes Caesar a character rather than an effect. Its budget was $93 million and it earned about $482 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The human story is the weaker half, in my opinion, but every scene with Caesar learning who he is works.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), directed by Matt Reeves, gets a 9 and is the most successful film in the series, with about $711 million worldwide on a $170 million budget. Toby Kebbell's Koba gives the film its tension, Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman represent the two ways humans might respond, and the dam sequence is a model of building a conflict from both sides. Michael Giacchino's score is restrained, and it helps.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), also directed by Reeves, earns an 8. At 140 minutes it is slower and more somber, with Woody Harrelson as the Colonel and Steve Zahn adding some needed lightness as Bad Ape. It grossed about $491 million on a $150 million budget. I admire it more than I enjoy it, which is a fair complaint to make of a film this serious.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), directed by Wes Ball, is a 7. Set many generations after Caesar, it follows the young chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) alongside Freya Allan, Kevin Durand as Proximus Caesar and William H. Macy. At 145 minutes it takes its time, and it earned about $397 million on a $160 million budget. It is a good film with a strong first hour, and a fair choice for anyone who wants to begin with the newest entry.

No Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes sequel has been announced, and the next Apes film is a different project. TheWrap reported in May 2026 that Matt Shakman is directing an untitled film for 20th Century Studios from a script by Josh Friedman, and that it is a new original story rather than a follow up to Kingdom. No release date has been given, so see kingdom of the planet of the apes sequel for the latest status.

If you are new to the saga, start with Planet of the Apes (1968) and then follow the planet of the apes movies in order, or begin with Rise of the Planet of the Apes if you want only the modern run. The planet of the apes box office page has the grosses, and where to watch planet of the apes lists the services.