Every Planet Of The Apes Movie, Ranked Worst To Best (Including Kingdom)

In the fifty years since its 1968 debut, the Planet of the Apes franchise has remained one of the most complex, thought-provoking franchises in film. Its obvious resonances with racial tension and societal prejudice have always made the franchise relevant. The franchise includes ten films in total. 1968’s Planet of the Apes gave way to a total of five films and was also remade in 2001 by Tim Burton. With the franchise comprising a vast array of films, some good and some bad, it makes for a fascinating set of films to rank.

The more recent Planet of the Apes movie trilogy, which began in 2011 and ended in 2017, acts as a prequel to the original films. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes continues on from this point in the Planet of the Apes timeline and moves the franchise beyond Caesar’s story. The strength of the reboots is a testament to the franchise as a whole. Many modern-day reboots and adaptations flounder, and debate will always rage on as to which era of Planet of the Apes deserves the most praise. This includes ranking the best Planet of the Apes movies.

10 Beneath the Planet of the Apes

The Original Sequel Got Too Silly

When Planet of the Apes first emerged in 1968, Hollywood franchises were few and far between. So, when the success of the first film prompted 20th Century Fox to consider a sequel, star Charlton Heston was skeptical. Heston ultimately returned for 1970’s Beneath the Planet of the Apes in the form of a cameo, and only under the condition that he can blow up planet Earth by the film’s end. The vanishing of Earth at the end of Beneath could have killed the franchise altogether, but a whole bunch of time-traveling shenanigans ensured that Planet of the Apes could live on.

In truth, the greater threat posed to the franchise by Beneath was the film’s nonsensical story, which drew attention away from the titular apes and instead focused on a group of telepathic humans who worship an underground nuclear bomb. The premise is incredibly silly, even by Planet of the Apes sequel standards. Heston’s reluctance to return is felt, and the attempt to shift the franchise’s human lead doesn’t ultimately work. It’s impressive the franchise ever managed to recover.

9 Battle for the Planet of the Apes

The Original Franchise Conclusion Disappoints

1973’s Battle for the Planet of the Apes had so much potential. It was the fifth and final film in the original series, detailing the events of ape leader Caesar’s battle to maintain apes’ freedom. The battle is framed by a narrative set several hundred years in the future, in which an orangutan named Lawgiver accounts Caesar’s struggle for an audience of apes and humans alike.

Battle offered a clear confrontation with the franchise’s sociopolitical roots, and yet it failed to engage with these ideas in any meaningful way. Instead, it staged uninteresting fight sequences filled with unfunny quips from a cast mostly phoning it in. Even the chimpanzee makeup felt rather underwhelming in this final entry. Many of Battle‘s plot points were recycled decades later in Dawn and War, further highlighting just how wasted they were in the early 70’s.

8 Planet of the Apes (2001)

Tim Burton’s Remake Lacks Substance

Tim Burton’s take on Planet of the Apes is a difficult film to assess. It pretty much makes no sense, particularly Burton’s hated ending. It’s technically a remake of the first film in the franchise, but it simultaneously works as a sequel to the film, taking place several hundred years in the future. 2001’s Planet of the Apes remains blissfully unconcerned with the politics that have so heavily defined the other eight films. Instead, it operates like a silly B-movie. And in that sense, it works pretty well.

Sure, Planet of the Apes is the definition of mindless entertainment, but the film’s ape prosthetics are pretty impressive, and are a clear upgrade from the costuming in the original films, which still remains impressive in its own right. Burton, who is not the first director to consider an Apes reboot, offers enough in the way of spectacle to make his take on the franchise worthwhile, even if the film’s script is mediocre at best.

7 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

Caesar’s Introduction Was A Step Up

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes likely bears the worst name out of any film in the Apes franchise, but it does have one important thing going for it: Caesar. Indeed, 1972’s Conquest marked audiences’ introduction to Caesar, the young ape who would go on to lead a revolution in later films. The recent trilogy’s tight focus on its version of Caesar made him a more memorable character, but Conquest still told a compelling story of an ape wrestling with his mistrust of humans.

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Like many of the original sequels, Conquest does play things a bit safe. It refrains from fully engaging with the many themes bubbling beneath its surface and behaves more like an action-packed blockbuster instead. Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with opting for spectacle over substance, but the action in the film is far from spectacular. Still, considering the uneven nature of the early sequels, Conquest has a lot going for it.

6 Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Modern Reboot Breathed New Life Into The Franchise

In the wake of Tim Burton’s disastrous attempt at rebooting Planet of the Apes in 2001, the franchise faded into obscurity for a decade. Its triumphant return in 2011, however, proved to be worth the wait. Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes offered a bold new vision for what the Apes franchise could be. The film follows Alzheimer’s researcher Will Rodman (James Franco) as he bonds with Caesar, a young ape who he rescued from the lab. Their relationship, and the journey it sends them on, ultimately becomes the driving force behind apes’ rise to dominance.

Caesar is brought to life via motion-capture by actor Andy Serkis. Serkis’ performance is mesmerizing, and his work only improves through each iteration of the new films. Serkis and the rest of Rise‘s cast do a great job of setting up all the dominos that will fall in the next two films in the trilogy, but the film does feel a little formulaic in its storytelling. Still, its ability to bridge the gap between two distinct generations of the Apes franchise is laudable.

5 Escape from the Planet of the Apes

The Third Film Is A Minor Miracle

The fact that 1971’s Escape from the Planet of the Apes is among the best of the original sequels is a small miracle. Its premise seemed destined for failure. After all, the dramatic ending in Beneath forced Escape to begin with a convoluted explanation as to how and why protagonists Cornelius and Zira managed to time travel to 1973, allowing the story to go on. A Planet of the Apes film set in a planet of humans should have been a trainwreck, but the film manages to tell an intimate story dealing with issues of corruption and guilt.

By placing its apes into our world, Escape clearly connected with the ongoing anxieties at the time of its release. Even today, the film feels relevant for its overt discussion of racial unrest and social division. It also works as a loving sendoff to some of the characters who had defined the franchise up until that point.

4 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

A Successful Continuation & Relaunch

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Director

Wes Ball

Release Date

May 10, 2024

Writers

Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver

Cast

Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands

Seven years after the modern Caesar trilogy came to an end, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes works as a continuation for the series and a fresh relaunch. Picking up hundreds of years after Caesar’s death, the movie introduces new ape characters, like Noa, and shows how much the world has changed as Caesar’s teachings have been twisted and forgotten. The central conflict between apes and a story that forces Noa to question what he knows about their history and humanity’s place in it allows Kingdom to handle several intriguing ideas.

By the time that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending is over, viewers have experienced a movie that helps solidify the franchise’s excellence. The VFX work is top-notch as usual, while Noa and Mae’s relationship works particularly well. It might lack some of the emotional depth of previous installments, but the social commentary about unity versus division is present and timely. Wes Ball’s movie strongly showcases there is plenty of room for the franchise to grow even after more than 50 years of stories.

3 Planet of the Apes (1968)

The Original Is Still A Classic

1968’s Planet of the Apes spawned eight more films, as well as a slew of TV shows, comic books, novels, and video games. And still, it remains one of the franchise’s greatest achievements, as well as one of the most spectacular sci-fi films of all time. It will always be remembered for the iconic Planet of the Apes ending, which established a planet full of talking apes as a terrifying possibility right here on Earth. However, the film excels throughout, carried in large part by lead performer Charlton Heston, whose delivery of several classic lines is filled with genuine passion and fear.

Also worth mentioning is Roddy McDowall, whose performance as Cornelius is nothing short of excellent. Yet it gets lost amidst the film’s well-deserved praise for its transformative practical effects. Even as Andy Serkis revolutionized the Apes films with his use of mo-cap technology, there is a certain charm in the original apes’ appearance that will forever remain impressive. Planet of the Apes remains a product of its time in that regard, but the costuming, performances, sets, and more all work together to make a classic sci-fi film.

2 War for the Planet of the Apes

Caesar’s Story Gets An Epic & Emotional Conclusion

Closing out a trilogy is no easy task. Closing out a trilogy with one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made? Even harder. And yet, Matt Reeves achieved exactly that with 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. The film is nothing short of epic, putting Serkis’ Caesar through unprecedented turmoil on both a physical and emotional level. Reeves takes obvious inspiration from classic war movies like Apocalypse Now and Bridge on the River Kwai, but the film never feels derivative. Rather, it remains faithful to the characters and the environment that had captivated fans for so long.

War also features perhaps the best score in the franchise’s history, which is particularly impressive considering just how crucial earlier scores were to their respective entries in the Apes franchise. For such a grand film, War manages to craft some beautifully intimate moments, largely centered around Caesar and Nova, a young girl who accompanies the apes on their final journey towards salvation. Andy Serkis’ performance is arguably the best of the series, and Woody Harrelson makes for a great human villain. Add in the scale of War for the Planet of the Apes‘ ending, and its a fantastic feature.

1 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Matt Reeves’ Sequel Stands Out As The Strongest

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is commonly considered the greatest entry in the Planet of the Apes franchise, and for good reason. It certainly features the greatest antagonist in the franchise’s history in Koba. The political rift between Koba and Caesar is nothing short of fascinating, and it continues to deepen as the film goes on. The film is rich with social commentary, emphatically proving that big-budget blockbusters could maintain the kind of intelligence more often associated with smaller fare.

Dawn‘s multifaceted success is due in large part to director Matt Reeves, who replaced Rupert Wyatt as director of the final two films in the trilogy. Reeves achieves something rare in an Apes film by making his human characters equally compelling as the apes. Keri Russell, Jason Clarke, and Gary Oldman all deliver some of their best work in Dawn, and provide a chilling glimpse into what human society looks like in the wake of the simian flu. It’s the best of the Planet of the Apes movies as a result.