There is a moment in Rise of the Planet of the Apes in which Caesar, the main ape, after years of being raised by Will Rodman, played by James Franco, finally gets to see a real forest. Caesar gets excited, and immediately scampers up the nearest tree, higher and higher, until he arrives at the very top. Overlooking the ocean and a beautiful view of San Francisco, Caesar is free. He breathes in the fresh air. He has risen to the top, and nothing will stop him ever again. Like Caesar, the film rises, heading skyward, and never dares to look at the ground again.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a science-fiction film despite the trailers trying to sell it as an action movie. Sure there is action in the film, but most of that doesn’t happen until the last twenty minutes. Rise of the Planet of the Apes succeeds where other films this summer have lacked: story, emotion, and character.
Will Rodman is a scientist that is testing a drug that improves brain functions. It is meant to cure Alzheimer’s which his father, played by John Lithgow in a brilliant performance, is suffering from. His company terminates the testing, leading Will to save one of the apes. He raises the ape for years watching it get smarter as he begins to secretly test the drug on his father. His father improves, and everything is perfect until Caesar attacks a man, and is locked away in an animal sanctuary. In this sanctuary, Caesar takes his first steps against humans, and towards leading the rise of the apes.
Caesar is as real a character as any flesh and blood actor. In a motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis, Caesar the ape never comes off as fake, and his emotions and suffering makes him a very relatable character for the audience. James Franco on the other hand, never does much with the character he is given, performing dry and dull line readings of his dialogue.
This film has only one minor flaw. When Caesar leads his army of apes into the city of San Francisco, and begins attacking humans, the apes seem to possess superhuman strength. It has been proven that gorillas and apes are stronger than the average human, but the film portrays the apes as leaping across streets from roof to roof. Apes were picking up buses as if it were nothing, and tearing parking meters out of the concrete. This was all done in an attempt for Caesar to get his ape army to their new home of the forest across the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was very cool. So just ignore that nitpick when you see the movie.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the type of studio blockbuster that I want to see. It has an exciting, interesting plot, characters that feel real emotions and special effects that look amazing. Do not let this one leave theatres without seeing it.
Any fans of the original Planet of the Apes will pleased to know that there are several references and tie-ins including a quick Charlton Heston cameo! This is a successful addition to the Planet of the Apes franchise, and exactly how a reboot should be done. When I walked out of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I had so enjoyed myself that I threw my arms into the air, and yelled, “You finally really did it . . . You maniacs! Ah damn you! You finally made another Planet of the Apes movie worth watching!” Charlton Heston would be proud.
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