The complete and total destruction of humanity, not a pleasant thought. Unless of course you’re talking about 100 percent pure movie entertainment! No matter how many times we blow ourselves up, let our technology enslave us or get wiped out by aliens, audiences never seem to tire of a good old fashion apocalypse. Even if its inception is over 40 years old, moviegoers will flock to see that idea reworked in a modern era. The only thing better than a classic end-of-the-world story is a current end-of-the-world story. It seems that script writers have run out of ideas on how to annihilate the human race, so let's go back to the granddaddy of dystopian futures and reboot Planet of the Apes . . . what’s that you say? Tim Burton already did that 10 years ago? Ok then, scratch that. If we can’t have a reboot then how about a prequel, that’s always a sure fire . . . huh? What? That was already done as well in 1972 with Conquest of the Planet of the Apes? Ha! You think you’ve won don’t you? You think there’s no way out. Well no one puts Hollywood in a corner. Behold, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the first “re-prebootquel.” Sounds like a cold and flu medication for computers.Will Rodman (James Franco, 127 Hours) is a genetic scientist trying to engineer a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. When an unfortunate misunderstanding with one of his ape test subjects happens at the most inopportune time, Rodman’s project is shut down. Fueled by the desire to cure his own father (John Lithgow, Dexter) of the disease, Rodman continues his studies privately with a baby chimp that was unknowingly born to the aforementioned test subject and has seemingly been passed the effects of the experimental drug through genetics. Named Caesar, the chimp’s intelligence evolves at an unprecedented rate and eventually grows beyond Rodman’s control, forcing him to leave Caesar in less than scrupulous care. Not use to being around other apes, Caesar quickly realizes that he is very different from them and must unify his species if they are to ever rise above their diminutive status.
The Planet of the Apes franchise is one of the most loved in sci-fi history. Dating back to the original 1968 timeless classic starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, the series actually spawned four sequels in a five-year span that were almost uniformly condemned by critics but loved by the series' cult-like followers. Even though the original’s subsequent chapters hit far below its par, the story of apes evolving and enslaving humans is incredibly captivating, making it especially difficult to turn the channel should a marathon begin on cable television, taking you into the wee hours of the morning and causing a drastic reduction in productivity the following workday . . . not that there’s anything wrong with that.
With the newest chapter in the “Apes” saga, director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) intends for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, to be a complete reboot of the series and start a new continuity through anticipated sequels. However, there are many similarities and gratifying homage paid to the original series throughout the film while completely disregarding the Tim Burton 2001 reimagining, which will only upset the same group of people who hold Jar Jar Binks in high regard. Wyatt also managed to somehow capture that intangible and mesmerizing quality the first five films possessed, pushing any concerns about plot hole or character development issues far back in the mind’s eye.
Although, the most substantial facet to “Rise” may not even be fully realized until a decade from now. Much like other mile markers in the industry’s history such as Star Wars, Terminator 2, and The Matrix, Rise of the Planet of the Apes will be looked at as an evolutionary benchmark for CGI. At first sight, the effects seem slightly jarring, but midway through the film the apes begin to look flawless and interact in such a natural way that you almost forget they are computer generated. The depth of the emotion and expression in their faces is quite amazing. Advanced software and digital artists can only take half of the credit though, as Andy Serkis and other motion capture actors are the real essence of the life-like simians. Famous for his other motion capture performances as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films and as the title character in 2005’s King Kong, the role of the protagonist chimp Caesar ironically evolves Serkis into the first real star in a new breed of actors.
Not that it matters, but there are some human characters in this film as well. While Academy Award nominees James Franco and John Lithgow are certainly nothing to shake a banana at, they might as well have been Taylor Lautne and Eric Roberts. The script uses the human characters as nothing more than plot devices to advance the apes’ story arc. Franco delivers the hallow dialogue with an even more wooden and empty delivery while the story hits the “# Years Later” button so often in the first act that the viewer barely even knows or cares about any of the human characters at all. Resultantly, this creates an even deeper connection with Caesar and the rest of the apes. During a long stretch in the second act, one may wonder if James Franco will even be in the rest of the film at all, but it captures the seclusion and abandonment felt by Caesar perfectly, crystallizing his ensuing actions.
Inarguably, the most iconic moment of the original Planet of the Apes is its legendary ending. Perhaps only a handful of films can ever match that epicness and wisely “Rise” does not even try. But it does create its own very feasible reasons for how a planet ruled by apes comes to fruition, leaving the audience with that patented ominous tone at which the original films were so skillful.
Even with its incredible technical achievements, it is very likely some, if not many, critics will label Rise of the Planet of the Apes as nothing more than another special effects extravaganza containing lousy dialogue, extremely weak characters, and pandering only to its faithful core audience.
So what’s the problem?
Story: 7.0
Acting: 7.0 (Flesh Actors 5.0, Digital Actors 9.0)
Writing: 5.5
Captivation: 8.0
Replay Value: 8.0
Total = 7.1 out of 10
