Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is released next week on Thursday 17th July and is already tipped to be just as exciting as the first installment. In honour of the highly anticipated simian adventure we thought we'd compile our top five monkey movies of all time. So without further ado and in no particular order, here's our list.
1: King Kong (2005)
The original was a huge leap forward for technology in the movies at the time but Peter Jackson's creation far surpassed the original in terms of spectacle and action. Casting motion capture superstar Andy Serkis was a master stroke, bringing a new realism and vulnerability to the titular character. As well as Serkis there was an all star cast including Jack Black and Naomi Watts. It's a bit long and baggy in places but when the action kicks off you can't help but forgive it's flaws and enjoy the ride.
2: Project X (1987)
A blast from the past now as we turn to what is easily the craziest entry on this list. For those of you who have likely never heard of Project X allow me to elaborate. The film tells the story of a disgraced US fighter pilot (Matthew Broderick) who has to train chimps to pilot fighter planes in the event of a nuclear war. Crazy plot aside the film is not that bad. Well acted and well written it doesn't outstay it's welcome and offers plenty of tear jerking and heart warming moments.
3: Jungle Book (1967)
Who doesn't love King Louie? Even though the Jungle Book isn't really his own movie King Louie has one of the best songs of the entire disney cannon. There's no word yet who'll be voicing him in the 2015 live action remake but they'll have to go some way to top Louis Prima who voiced the character in the 1967 original animated film. It's fun for all the family jam packed with great singalongs and hilarious characters.
4: Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Another remake but this one wasn't as well received at the box office despite being a pretty good movie. It's the second Disney offering on this list but is by no means a comedy, instead focusing on a Gorilla whose mother is killed by poachers and is abandoned by the other gorillas. There's a really strong animal rights vibe running through this film but it never becomes too preachy. It's well acted with Charlize Theron a particular standout and gives the audience plenty to cry at especially in the final twenty minutes or so.
5: Planet of the Apes (1968)
Twist ending aside, the original Planet of the Apes film takes some beating. The story and plot are untouchable as the jump off point for an entire franchise while the acting and special effects have that 'golden era of movies' charm. In 2001 the original Planet of the Apes was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by Congress for being culturally significant. You can't really give it higher praise than that.
