10 Crazy Movie Endings You Didn't Believe

3. Planet Of The Apes

Planet Of The Apes Ending.jpg
20th Century Fox

The classic Planet of the Apes franchise of 1968 - 1973 is a huge favourite of so many, and the more recent trilogy of Apes films produced three mesmerising offerings, yet Tim Burton's 2001 Apes movie is one often mocked.

Visually, like so many of Burton's films, the director's take on Planet of the Apes was never anything less than stunningly beautiful. Away from the aesthetic and practical SFX wizardry of the film though, the majority of audiences struggled to warm to Mark Wahlberg's central hero figure - and even more bothersome was the film's ending.

That ending saw Wahlberg's astronaut Leo Davidson travel back in time to the safety of the real word via an electromagnetic storm - only to be greeted by a statue of the nefarious General Thade in place of the Lincoln Memorial.

This reveal made Leo's trip back in time absolutely pointless, and it also made zero sense unless we're to believe that Thade himself managed to go back even further in time than Davidson in order to decimate the human race.

Thade actor Tim Roth has even gone public to declare how he has no explanation for the ending, and that it makes no sense to him despite multiple viewings. Likewise, director Tim Burton was so disappointed with the whole experience of Planet of the Apes that he said he'd rather jump out of a window than return for any sequel.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.