ThePlanet of the Apesfranchise often gets overlooked among the numerous other film franchises that have exploded into popularity in recent years. And even though Marvel and DC have comic books that predate thePlanet of the Apesmovies, for an innovative sci-fi film franchise, it is one of the oldest ones that continues to produce insightful content.
One thing that makes the franchise especially fresh, aside from Tim Burton’s 2001 remake, is the newest trilogy. This prequel to the 1969 classic ends just before the original takes place. With this, viewers can see how it all started, while being introduced to new characters. One character that played a crucial role in theRise of the Apestrilogy was the innocent, instantly lovable ape who goes by the name Bad Ape.
Bad Ape, much like his eventual companions, had difficult beginnings before escaping to freedom alone, doing what he could to survive on the rapidly changing planet Earth. Luckily, he met Caesar and company — Rocket, Luca, and Maurice. He was able to help rescue Caesar’s colony, bring them to safety, and have a place to call home with apes to share it with.
Appearances
War for the Planet of the Apes(2017)
Bad Ape first appears in the concluding film of theRise of the Apestrilogy,War for the Planet of the Apes, and is portrayed byNational Securitystar, Steve Zahn. When Caesar, Rocket, Luca, Maurice, and the newly tagged-along human, Nova, are searching for a way into the Alpha-Omega military camp to find and defeat the Colonel, Bad Ape sees Nova hanging back, and thinks she is with other humans. So, he steals one of their horses and makes a break for it as Caesar and company chase after him. Once back at his abode and cornered, he realizes they are also apes, and reveals himself to be one, too.
Spending the night at Bad Ape’s makeshift home, he explains to Caesar where he came from, telling him he was living in the Sierra Safari Zoo in Nevada when the Simian Flu outbreak happened. Caesar asks if there are other apes from the zoo, and Bad Ape says:
Dead. All dead. Long time. Human get sick. Ape get smart. Then human kill ape. But not me. I run.
Bad Ape goes on to explain that he figured his name was “Bad Ape” because the humans at the zoo used to call him that. Although Bad Ape doesn’t realize the neglect he suffered at the zoo, he recognizes that humans tend to not be friends with the apes, andhe fears them. And so, when Caesar suggests going to the Alpha-Omega military camp (which Bad Ape knows the location of, and refers to it as “Human Zoo”), Bad Ape panics and refuses.
After everyone is asleep, though, he learns that Caesar lost his son, Blue Eyes, to the Colonel, who shot him and Caesar’s wife dead. Bad Ape says:
I had child. You think you will find him at human zoo? With soldier? […] Then maybe I take you.
Thus begins Bad Ape’s new adventure with Caesar and his fellow apes to the Alpha-Omega camp.
Initially, Bad Ape simply helps Caesar and friends find the military camp. But once Caesar iscaught by the Colonelafter Luca is shot and killed, Bad Ape sticks with Maurice, Rocket, and Nova to enact a rescue for both Caesar and the rest of their colony, who are imprisoned at the camp.
Bad Ape falls into old underground sewer tunnels which lead directly into the campsite. Though he is reluctant at first, Maurice convinces Bad Ape to join them in the sewers and dig up into the cages where the apes are being held. Because of his size, Bad Ape is able to dig a hole beneath both cages. He and Maurice free the apes to safety back through the sewers and outside the compound.
Bad Ape is then responsible for escorting the ape children outside the sewer, but holds them back once the camp isunder attack by other humans. Bad Ape uses his body to shield the children, as explosives and debris are launched towards them and threaten their lives. Eventually, he’s able to get every last ape into the forest and up into the trees, as an avalanche wipes out the remaining battling humans.
If it weren’t for Bad Ape, Maurice and Rocket might not have discovered the sewers that would be used to escort the other apes to safety. He also played a huge role in protecting the children, and making sure that even the adult apes safely escaped the military camp before he himself made his way to the woods. He made all of these sacrifices for apes he had met just days before. Bad Ape proved himself to be one of the purest, most important apes in the story.
In addition to his courageous help, Bad Ape also showed Caesar and his colony that there are more apes that grew intelligent because of the Simian Flu. Although Bad Ape showed that he was in fact a good ape and was willing to help, it didn’t guarantee that there were other apes out there that shared his mentality.
After the avalanche, the colony traveled beyond the mountains and eventually arrived at the oasis where they would choose to settle down and build their new home. Caesar, though, suffered a wound from a crossbow, and died shortly after they arrived at the oasis.
Fortunately, Bad Ape survived, and is seen playing with the children at the oasis as Caesar passes away. At this point, Bad Ape is relatively older. BecauseWar for the Planet of the Apesis the story of how the apes end up where they are in the originalPlanet of the Apes,serving as a direct prequel, Bad Ape must not survive to see the events that transpire when George Taylor and the other astronauts crash-land on Earth. Nevertheless, Bad Ape will always be remembered as a hero. Despite his name, he is truly a good ape.
