Additional features
The DVD release of Tim Burton's
Planet of the Apes is so loaded that the second disc needs six screens to list all of the features--or maybe it's just an excuse to show off the great-looking animated menus. The most interesting features are six substantial documentaries about aspects of the filming, including examinations of how the apes run and a spotlight on Lake Powell, where both this film and the 1968 original were shot. The "enhanced viewing mode" on disc 1 is fun: picture-in-picture video segments offer actor comments or shots of sets and miniatures, and Easter eggs provide access to even more background on the visual effects. There's also a commentary track by Burton (he had to be convinced to remake
Apes) and another one with isolated score by composer Danny Elfman, discussing how he works with frequent collaborator Burton and the current state of film composing. But don't expect Burton to give an explanation of the film's much-discussed conclusion, and no alternate ending appears among the DVD's five rather routine extended scenes.
--David Horiuchi