12 Movie Remakes That Completely Screwed Up Iconic Scenes
2. Twist Ending - Planet Of The Apes
The Original: One of the best twists and worst-kept secrets in cinema history is the reveal at the end of Planet of the Apes, that the alien planet George Taylor (Charlton Heston) arrived on after a deep space voyage, is in a fact a post-apocalyptic Earth. Following humanity's obliteration of the planet, apes seemingly rose up and became the dominant animal, while George's arrival comes long after that period, where apes rule supreme, and humans are thought of as primeval buffoons.
The Remake: Much like Spike Lee, Tim Burton clearly realised that the plot twist was just too monumental to copy verbatim, so he opted for his own bizarre take which just left everyone confused and dissatisfied.
When protagonist Leo (Mark Wahlberg) attempts to travel back to his own time and planet Earth, he ends up on an Earth that is now comprised largely of apes, with the Lincoln Memorial now even being altered to honour General Thade, the ape antagonist of the movie. Did Leo end up in a parallel dimension? Did Thade somehow beat Leo back to Earth and manage to change the history of the planet? Or is there some other crazy explanation?
Even Burton himself expressed exasperation, claiming the ending was tacked on in order to facilitate a sequel if Fox so wished.