Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review

by Homer Yen (homeryen88 AT gmail DOT com)
August 18th, 2011
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" - Simian Surprises
by Homer Yen
(c) 2011

RISE is an appropriate word that they're using here because while I
was captivated by the messages that underlined this film, I'm actually
already thinking about the interesting possibilities that will come
about in the sequel. And, based on how this film ends, there is
definitely a high likelihood that the studio will develop one. Some
questions that will come to mind: Will humanity wither, allowing the
eventual takeover by the apes OR will humanity get some help from the
evolving Ape civilization? Will the apes stay content within the
confines of Muir Woods (where the tallest species of trees grow but
little food can be found) OR will the apes need to push beyond their
boundaries and take over nearby Napa Valley or Fisherman's Wharf?
Will the humans be able to peacefully co-exist with these apes OR will
there be brewing antagonism between the species in the vein of X-Men
(in which case I wonder which side Beast would ally himself with).

In this film, we are introduced to a dedicated scientist (James
Franco) who is looking for a way to cure brain dysfunctions such as
Alzheimer's Disease. There's a poignant surprise as to why his
dedication goes far beyond the 9-to-5 drone. Before it can be tested
on humans, the drug is given to chimpanzees. They begin to show a
startling improvement in their overall IQ and cognitive abilities.
Have you ever seen that depiction/poster of the "Evolution of Man"?
These chimps speed through their stages quite quickly and it's only a
few short years from the time they are born into the world as cuddly
and helpless primates to the time when they fully mature into
self-aware, killer beasts.

It's certainly worth seeing from one perspective, which are the
groundbreaking special effects. Just as "Star Wars" and "Lord of the
Rings" and "Avatar" advanced movie special effects by leaps and
bounds, so too does this film with its Performance Capture Effects.
That's the process where an actor's movements are recorded in three
dimensions and used to create the animation of a fully digital
character. I was surprised to learn that not one monkey was actually
used in this film and this video vignette will amaze you at the
technology involved here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/andy-serkis-biggest-movie-star-haven-t-seen-213836042.html
However, there's a feeling of the familiar when you look at many of
the major players and compare them to what they've done in the past.
Here, Caesar bites a finger off of someone just as Gollum did in
"LOTR" (both Caesar and Gollum are played by Andy Serkis). When you
see John Lithgow, you know that he's going to be the likeable dad.
When you see Brian Cox, you know that he's going to be the dour
warden. When you see Tom Felton, his inner cruelty is basically Draco
Malfoy without a wand.

While the ideas are thought-provoking, the film's evolution doesn't
really allow it to showcase much action or suspense. The leader of
the Smart Chimps is Caesar, who leads a simian revolution and attempts
to get all of the jailed/imprisoned primates within San Francisco
proper across the Golden Gate Bridge. This sequence is as
well-crafted as any Big Action Spectacle you'll see this summer. But
the film is all a slow build-up to this final climax. "Rise of the
Planet of the Apes" isn't the epic film that it could have been but it
certainly does scintillate.

Grade: B

S: 1 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3

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