It’s a reboot of a reboot — after Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of the 1968 original failed to succeed in the quest for a new franchise, this more modern remake begins with the origin story of how the primates take over.
Set a little bit into the future when science is on the verge of healing Alzheimer’s and sending a man to Mars, scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) hopes to cure his father by creating drugs and testing them on chimpanzees. A potential breakthrough turns to tragedy when a chimpanzee showing increased intelligence acts out in an apparent attempt to protect its offspring and is shot dead. Rodman takes baby Ceasar home exposing the growing and impressionable primate to human experiences. More intelligent than your average ape, Ceasar deals with being an orphan and protecting those he loves. By the time Ceasar asks Rodman, “Am I a pet?” there’s enough established tension to accept the movie’s predictable outcome.
Andy Serkis of Lord of the Rings fame is the movie’s best actor though you’ll never see his actual face onscreen. As Gollum, Serkis was lauded for what it was worth — whatever technology captured of his movements and applied to the big screen, one could only wonder whether Gollum was a shade of Serkis’ talent or the product of hours of manipulation by programmers — and after watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the former may be the more likely. Ceasar is by far the most compelling character in the movie as trauma and circumstance lead him to become the new leader of the world. Having said that, the human characters seem underdeveloped. So does the plotting which at times feels forced. Emotional scenes don’t hit quite as hard though there are moments that may produce chills, like when Caesar says his first word. That scene is better than the 2001 remake in its entirety. Also worth noting are the plot ties to the upcoming sequels which one can easily spot if they’ve seen the originals.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
Written by: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, and Andy Serkis
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Good Review! This is that rare summer movie that has brains and emotion in addition to the spectacle. It is also such a great film that it makes us forget about the 2001 piece of junk that Tim Burton tried to do but actually failed. Check out my review when you can!