Back when franchises were still a new concept, there was the Planet of the Apes film series. Based on the novel of the same name by French author Pierre Boulle, the series gained worldwide recognition following the massively successful 1968 movie. In the years that followed, fans were treated to four more films in the original run and a stand-alone remake in 2001. In 2011, the entire series was rebooted by 20th Century Fox, starting with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was intended to serve as an origin story for the new film series.

As one of the first major franchises in movie history, Planet of the Apes' story essentially holds up a mirror to humanity, depicting its failings and conflicts through a rather wild premise. The films have cemented their place in pop culture, making the franchise a must-see for anyone who loves good storytelling. That said, here's a ranking of every Planet of The Apes film by their Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes scores' average.

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9. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) – 38

Battle For the Planet of the Apes was the final installment of the original series. The low-budget film didn’t do well with critics or viewers. Told as a flashback to the early 21st century, the story follows Caesar as he tries to lead the apes and their human subjects after a devastating war destroyed most of the planet. But it’s not an easy feat, as he has to overcome attacks from radiation-scarred humans and an attempted coup. Regard as the weakest of the five films, critics have offered various interpretations of the movie’s final scene where a statue of Caesar is seen shedding a single tear. By one interpretation, the statue cries tears of joy because they have overcome oppression. In contrast, the alternative says the statue weeps because racial strife still exists.

8. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) – 42

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Beneath the Planet of the Apes served as a direct sequel to the original movie. Although it was a hit with fans, the film didn’t do well with critics who felt that it existed purely to capitalize on the original’s popularity. It didn’t seem to have a place in the larger narrative except for the nuclear explosion that creates the post-apocalyptic world that drives the events of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Moreover, Charlton Heston, the star of the first Planet of the Apes, has a significantly smaller role because the new story follows a different astronaut who arrives on the planet to rescue him. Cornelius, a central character in the franchise, is also absent from this film, which shows a clear lack of foresight in the storytelling process.

7. Planet of the Apes (2001) – 47

Mark Whalberg in Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes (2001).

In 2001, Tim Burton decided to remake Planet of the Apes as an action-adventure film. With Mark Wahlberg in the lead, it was supposed to be a hit. Unfortunately, the movie failed to impress audiences who were initially excited to see Burton’s interpretation of the cult classic series. However, the entire project was doomed from the start, lying in production hell for years before finally getting off the ground. The story follows an astronaut who travels thousands of years into the future and eventually arrives on the Planet of the Apes. Joining Wahlberg in the cast is Tim Roth as the villain and Helena Bonham Carter as his love interest.

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6. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) – 49

A scene from 1972's Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

In Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, fans got to meet a fully grown Caesar for the first time. The son of Cornelius and Zira, Caesar is undoubtedly the most famous character in the franchise due to the pivotal role he plays at the end of the original five movies. He is also the hero of the rebooted series, which began in 2011. Set in America in the 1990s, the story finds Caesar living as a circus performer who hides his intelligence and ability to speak from his handler Armando. He is eventually tracked and captured by a bad guy named Kolp but manages to escape. Angered by these events, Caesar leads the apes in a rebellion against humanity. However, he shows mercy at the end with a heartfelt speech about his desire to see apes and humans live together. This theme continued in Battle For the Planet of the Apes.

5. Escape From the Planet of the Apes (1971) – 73

As the third film in the original series, Escape From the Planet of the Apes took the story in a new direction. The move created a larger story for the series and sidestepped the seemingly definitive ending of its predecessor. The story sees Caesar’s parents, Zira and Cornelius, unwittingly travel back in time to a 1970s New York City while escaping the apocalypse in the previous film. While they are initially accepted by society, they are eventually shunned as people believe that their child will bring about the domination of humankind by evolved apes. This would become a recurring theme in the overall series.

4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – 75

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was inspired by news articles on advanced genetics in apes raised as humans. Serving as the origin story to reboot the original Planet of the Apes series, it became an instant classic upon its release. The story follows Will (James Franco), who is developing a drug to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Testing for the drug is being done on apes whose intelligence increases dramatically when exposed to the treatment. One of the test subjects is Caesar’s mother, who is killed shortly after her child is born. Will takes Caesar home and continues to secretly develop the drug for his father. This fuels his resolve to lead the other test-apes in a revolution. They temporarily find solace in the Redwood forests of Northern California, which sets up the conflicts for future films.

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3. Planet of the Apes (1968) – 82

Planet of the apes

The original Planet of the Apes may not be as slick looking as the reboot, but it is the film that started it all. It captured the attention of audiences with an amazing story that ends with a mind-blowing twist. The story follows Taylor (Charlton Heston), an astronaut who lands on a planet and discovers an advanced ape civilization ruling over humans. In the film’s final scenes, he realizes that he is actually on Earth, which had suffered an apocalyptic nuclear war. Planet of the Apes was well-received by fans and critics, resulting in a franchise that included four sequels, a short-lived television show, an animated series, comic books and various other merchandising.

2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – 84

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

The second entry in the franchise reboot, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, explores the beginning of the conflict between the intelligent apes (led by Caesar) and the remnants of humanity. The human population was almost entirely wiped out by the Simian Flu, which further increased the apes' intelligence. Unlike the original first sequel, the 2014 film has a clear narrative. The human/ape story remains the central focus while viewers also get to see the internal conflict among the ape population, emphasizing Caesar and his rival Koba. Caesar wants to live in peace, but Koba sees no option but war. Like the original movies, the reboots serve as a commentary for discrimination and equality. There were also three short films released to bridge the gap between the events in this movie and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. 

1. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) - 88

Movies War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017)

War for the Planet of the Apes is the final installment in the new trilogy and the ninth film in the overall series. The movie features a fantastic performance from Andy Serkis as Caesar alongside Woody Harrelson as the evil Colonel, obsessed with killing the evolved primates. It all culminates in a massive conflict between humans and apes, while Caesar exacts revenge for the murder of his family. The film also has a few nods to the original series, like the rescue of a mute woman named Nova. The highest-rated film of the series, War for the Planet of the Apes is incredible swansong to Caesar’s story.

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