What Order Are The Planet Of The Apes Movies
Okay, let's talk apes! Not your weird uncle at Thanksgiving, but the awesome, intelligent, sometimes terrifying apes from the Planet of the Apes movies! Getting the order right can be trickier than teaching a chimpanzee to parallel park, but fear not, my friend!
The Classic Crew: Apes of Our Fathers
First up, we've got the OG squad. These are the movies that probably made your parents (or grandparents!) clutch their pearls and wonder about the future. Think Charlton Heston looking confused in a loincloth.
Release Order: Blast from the Past!
The way these films were released is the simplest, so let's start there. It's like following a breadcrumb trail of banana peels, easy peasy!
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1. Planet of the Apes (1968): The one that started it all! Astronaut lands on a planet where apes rule and humans drool. Spoiler alert: the planet is Earth!
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970): More mutants, more mayhem, and a whole lot of yelling! Let's just say things go boom.
3. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971): Some apes time travel to our present! Now that's what I call a fish-out-of-water story!
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972): Caesar, the super-smart chimp, leads a rebellion! It's like Spartacus, but with more fur.
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973): Apes and humans try (and mostly fail) to live in peace. Think of it as the most awkward potluck dinner ever.
Reboots and Re-Imaginings: Apes for a New Generation!
Now we're getting into the trickier stuff. Think of these as alternate timelines, like when you accidentally step on a butterfly in a time machine. Things get… different.
Tim Burton's Take (2001)
Planet of the Apes (2001): Directed by Tim Burton, this one is... divisive. Some love it, some hate it, but everyone agrees Helena Bonham Carter looks great in ape makeup.
The Caesar Trilogy: Apes Ascendant!
These are the films that redefined the franchise for a new generation! They're smart, emotional, and feature some seriously impressive motion capture. Get ready to root for some apes!
This prequel trilogy is the story of Caesar, a super-intelligent chimp who leads the ape revolution. It's best watched in release order, as the story unfolds chronologically.
1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Caesar's origin story! Get ready to say "aww" and then "oh no!"
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014): Apes versus humans in a post-apocalyptic showdown! It's like West Side Story, but with more simians.
3. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017): Caesar's final battle! Get the tissues ready; you'll need them.
So, What's the "Right" Order?
Ultimately, it's up to you! Release order of the original films is a good starting point. The Caesar trilogy is a fantastic, self-contained story.
The Tim Burton version... well, watch it if you're curious! There's also Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), which is a sequel to the Caesar trilogy and kicks off a new era! Happy watching!
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