
2001's Planet of the Apes remains blissfully unconcerned with the politics that have so heavily defined the other eight films.

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. It pretty much makes no sense, particularly its bizarre ending. Tim Burton's take on Planet of the Apesis a difficult film to assess. Related: Why Planet Of The Apes Musical Is The Simpsons Best Parody Battle for the Planet of the Apes

The premise has gained greater traction in the wake of the recent trilogy, leading to some fascinating fan theories, but it did not make a particularly strong impression as the initial follow-up to one of the most innovative sci-fi films of all time. 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 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. 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. So, when the success of the first film prompted 20th Century Fox to consider a sequel, star Charlton Heston was skeptical. When Planet of the Apes first emerged in 1968, Hollywood franchises were few and far between. Debate will always rage on as to which era of Planet of the Apes deserves the most praise, but a proper ranking of the franchise's nine films highlights the intrigue that has followed the talking apes wherever they've gone. The premise of simians overtaking humans as the dominant species on earth has proven irresistible, and manages to connect to contemporary politics and anxieties no matter the decade. Many modern-day reboots and adaptations flounder, struggling to justify the decision to bring them back into the cultural discourse at all. The strength of the reboots is a testament to the franchise as a whole. Related: How Sci-Fi Movies Have Changed in Each Decade (& Why) The more recent trilogy, which began in 2011 and ended in 2017, acts as a prequel to the original films. 1968's Planet of the Apes gave way to a total of five films, and was also remade in 2001 by Tim Burton. The franchise includes nine films in total. With the franchise comprising a vast array of films, some good and some bad, it makes for a fascinating set of films to rank. Its obvious resonances with racial tension and societal prejudice have always made the franchise relevant, and the latest trilogy set in the Planet of the Apes universe injected even more life into the franchise's veins. In the fifty years since its 1968 debut, the Planet of the Apesfranchise has remained one of the most complex, thought-provoking franchises in film.
