The trailer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes is somewhat misleading. Just like many other trailers lately, rather than give you details, it paints a broad stroke that doesn’t do it justice. Rupert Wyatt directs the very well-paced tale of a genetic scientist, Will (James Franco), who creates a virus that enhances cognitive abilities in apes. Caesar (Andy Serkis), an ape, is the result of one of his experiments and leads a revolution among his kind.
Considering how much I enjoyed the movie, I wasn’t really impressed by the cast with the exception of John Lithgow. John Lithgow is such a delight in everything he does (most recently as the Trinity Killer in Showtime’s Dexter). James Franco seemed to be phoning it in and I could never truly see his emotion. He always seemed to have a worried face. Brian Cox was completely underused. I have a feeling that some of his scenes were cut because there seemed like there was a subplot going on with his character. Tom Felton (Malfoy from Harry Potter fame) was again an arrogant jerk. It’s too bad, really, he should have picked a role against type. Then again, would you turn down a role in this movie? I think not.
Another weak point was the apes themselves. CGI and motion capture is really amazing, but I never really felt myself believing they were real apes. Characters, yes. It’s still really fantastic, but the movement was still a little off. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park were much more real, and that was, wow, 18 years ago. That can’t be right. 2011 minus 1993 is, yeah. 18 years. Damn.
Anyway, despite these things, this was a really solid film. It didn’t get caught up in any particular subplot too long and gives you just enough of every element. Andy Serkis (Gollum, Lord of the Rings) manages to carry the film with only his body language. That’s a pretty amazing feat.
It’s the ultimate origin story and is relatable to every human being on the planet. Usually with a prequel, you must have knowledge of the characters to truly enjoy, however, the only thing you need to know is in the title. Everything else is new and fresh, yet it’s all experienced while knowing the ultimate end. I really am hoping they make another.
Rating: Fascinating and entertaining. 8/10
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