Movies About Monkeys

From Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Rated PG-13

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a 2003 swashbuckling action-adventure film directed by Gore Verbinski and based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. The story follows the unlikely duo of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) as they team up to save Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the daughter of the governor of Port Royal, from being sacrificed and cursed by the evil pirate Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Along the way, they enlist the help of the mysterious Captain Jack Sparrow and his motley crew, who, secretly, are cursed pirates themselves. Chases, swordfights, and special effects abound, as Jack and Will battle to break the curse of the Black Pearl and save Elizabeth.

From Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Rated G

Planet of the Apes is a 1968 science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The story follows an astronaut crew who crash-land on a distant planet in the future. The planet is populated by intelligent, talking apes who rule over humans. The astronauts quickly discover that the apes are in control of the planet and are determined to keep humans subjugated. The astronauts must find a way to escape the planet before it is too late. Along the way, they come to understand the true power of the apes and how their society functions. The film is an allegorical story that tackles themes of oppression, power, and civil rights. The film is widely regarded as a classic of the genre and was followed by four sequels.

From Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, starring Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher
Rated Passed

King Kong is a 1933 fantasy/adventure classic about an ambitious film producer who brings a giant ape, Kong, to New York City, where he terrorizes the population. After being captured and brought to New York, Kong escapes from his captors and climbs the Empire State Building in an attempt to protect the actress he has taken a shine to, Fay Wray. In the end, however, Kong is killed by airplanes and his dead body is left in the streets of Manhattan. The film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and was a groundbreaking achievement in special effects and stop-motion animation. King Kong is widely considered to be a masterpiece of early cinema, and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

From Rupert Wyatt, starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Karin Konoval
Rated PG-13

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a 2011 science fiction action film directed by Rupert Wyatt. It stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis. The plot follows a scientist, Will (Franco), whose experiments with a drug to improve brain function in apes leads to the creation of a growing nation of genetically evolved apes who, led by Caesar (Serkis), become a threat to human dominance. As the apes fight to gain their freedom, they must also fight to protect their own kind from a cruel and ruthless human military force. In the end, the apes come to understand their own power and the strength of their bonds, and they win the battle against the humans. The film is a reboot of the Planet of the Apes film series and is followed by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014.

From Matt Reeves, starring Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Rated PG-13

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is a 2014 science fiction film directed by Matt Reeves. It follows a group of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar who are threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. As the journey to a fragile peace is tested, both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species. The movie stars Andy Serkis as the leader of the ape colony Caesar, Gary Oldman as the leader of the human survivors Dreyfus, and Keri Russell as an ally of Caesar. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic world where human civilization has been destroyed by a deadly virus, leaving the apes as the dominant species. Caesar and the apes face a dangerous confrontation with the remaining human survivors, leading to an all-out war that could determine the fate of the planet.

From Francis Lawrence, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rated PG-13

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the 2013 sequel to the popular sci-fi action movie, The Hunger Games. The story follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as she and her partner Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) become the targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the districts of Panem. As the 75th Hunger Games approaches, Katniss and Peeta must fight to survive the games as well as the political machinations of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). The film follows the characters as they battle against the Capitol in a struggle to overthrow the oppressive government and restore justice and freedom to Panem. Along the way, they make powerful allies and gain a greater understanding of their own resilience and strength. With visual effects, action sequences, and an emotional story arc, the film was a massive success at the box office and with critics.

From Matt Reeves, starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval
Rated PG-13

From Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
Rated PG-13

From Gore Verbinski, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush
Rated PG-13

From Rob Marshall, starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush
Rated PG-13

From Jordan Vogt-Roberts, starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly
Rated PG-13

From Hugh Hudson, starring Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell, Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm
Rated PG

From James Fargo, starring Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo
Rated PG

From George A. Romero, starring Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten
Rated R

From J. Lee Thompson, starring Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban, Natalie Trundy
Rated PG

From Buddy Van Horn, starring Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith
Rated PG

From Ted Post, starring James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison
Rated G

From Stephen Sommers, starring Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Headey, Sam Neill
Rated PG

From George Miller, starring Magda Szubanski, Elizabeth Daily, Mickey Rooney, James Cromwell
Rated PG

From Directors: Ishirô Honda, Tom Montgomery, starring Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yû Fujiki, Michael Keith
Rated Not Rated

From Ron Underwood, starring Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, Rade Serbedzija, Peter Firth
Rated PG

From Ernest B. Schoedsack, starring Robert Armstrong, Helen Mack, Frank Reicher, John Marston
Rated Passed

From Sam Weisman, starring Brendan Fraser, Leslie Mann, Thomas Haden Church, Richard Roundtree
Rated PG

From J. Lee Thompson, starring Roddy McDowall, Claude Akins, Natalie Trundy, Severn Darden
Rated G

From Frank Marshall, starring Laura Linney, Tim Curry, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson
Rated PG-13