Which version of the Planet of the apes will stand the test of time?

Original and then Tim Burtons, I also Like Newest Movies and mostly Liked the Older Sequels.

 

To me the stories were fine. They definitely needed more bucks to execute those stories. Stories many times were simplified to what can be affordable. Special effects and location shooting cost money. John M.

 

I would rather look at a beautiful costume like this than a somewhat believable CGI thing.

 

Which is the one with James Franco? I hear that's a good one. Won't bother with the Wahlberg one - just instinct. The first will always be a classic; C. Heston, Kim Hunter, the spooky ending, the clunky sets and heavy costumes - it's all part of the charm. In a way we're really going back to the late 60s cultural mindset with the original version (all sci-fi films leave their time imprint) which is fascinating in itself. The THX mastered version is a definite keeper.

 

I put these in with the original version of Apes, since the TV series was made when "Apes-Mania" was still going strong, and "Return" was released at the tail end of it...

 

No need to duck under the chair, 'cause it's true...

While watching the original ('68) with the Jerry Goldsmith commentary on, he says something like (paraphrased here): "I forgot how quiet this movie is... If it was made nowadays, there's be an explosion going off every five minutes" or words to that effect...

The new trilogy is okay on its own terms, but for me, it'll never match the originals... I know there's some talk of them being "prequels" to the originals, but I contend, and always will contend, that they're their own take on the "Apes" name and related to the originals in name only...

 

You'd be right in either case, because each subsequent film made less than the one which proceeded it... They all turned a profit, but less profit per film, which may have been different had they decided to try and go "bigger and better" with each sequel...

In short, @apesfan is right that the stories for each sequel were all good, it's the production values, etc. that diminished each time...

 

I've always thought James Whitmore was a pretty convincing Orangutan...

Also, I've always admired the costumes in the "Apes" films... Morton Haack did some great design work...