Rise of the Planet of the Apes 3 ½ out of 5 Stars
Haven’t we all been wondering how those apes from Planet of the Apes came to take over the Earth? Well I've got good news my friends: After years of uncertainty, it looks as though Hollywood is finally ready to start answering our questions in the latest version, the aptly called "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
Here is the movie trailer to 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes.'
To be quite honest though, I was a bit baffled when I first learned of the existence of this movie.
On seeing the previews, I remember thinking that it looked liked an awkward attempt to cash in on a franchise like so many other movies seem to be doing these days.
Does this space in the Apes story line need to be filled? Should it even be attempted? I think we all know what happened last time we had a new Planet of the Apes movie.
However, all notions aside, I found myself enjoying this movie thoroughly from start to finish. In fact, there were times when I was so caught up in its fast moving plot that I forgot I was watching a Planet of the Apes movie at all. As it goes, the bulk of this movie seems to share more in common with Harry and the Hendersons than any Planet of the Apes adventure I ever saw.
However, all notions aside, I found myself enjoying this movie thoroughly from start to finish. In fact, there were times when I was so caught up in its fast moving plot that I forgot I was watching a Planet of the Apes movie at all. As it goes, the bulk of this movie seems to share more in common with Harry and the Hendersons than any Planet of the Apes adventure I ever saw.
Unexpectedly, a good portion of this movie takes place in and around a house in a suburb where a family, a scientist son and his Alzeimers stricken father, secretly harbor a chimp named Caesar who becomes a special part of the family.
James Franco plays the young scientist while his father is played by none other than John Lithgow, who, wouldn’t you know it, also happened to be the father on Harry in the Hendersons way back in 1987.
Coincidence? I call it good casting and maybe even an homage of some sort. Now, one would expect the acting to be good with such talented actors as the two mentioned, but what really stands out in this movie are the apes. This is especially true with the adorable young chimp, Caesar.
Coincidence? I call it good casting and maybe even an homage of some sort. Now, one would expect the acting to be good with such talented actors as the two mentioned, but what really stands out in this movie are the apes. This is especially true with the adorable young chimp, Caesar.
The remarkable facial movements and expressions on the young primate, along with his amusing antics and quirky personality are enough to place his character among the classic tradition of other wonderful, loveable sci-fi freaks and fuzz balls such as Gizmo Gremlin, Wicket Ewok and even the furless E.T.
Things get a bit more complicated as Caesar grows up, and so do his facial expressions. The graphic artists behind the film succeed in creating the stunning effect of rendering complex human emotions upon the faces of the apes, the most powerful and important of these emotions being compassion. This, without going into too much detail, proves to be an important element of the film.
As the plot heats up and chaos spills past the boiling point, one can’t help but side with the apes. There is little question that this has everything to do with the faces of the creatures and how each well rendered wordless expression conveys the inner characters and personalities of the animals.
As things culminate on the Golden Gate Bridge, emotional events transpire without any line of dialogue. This to me, seemed to be quite an accomplishment on the part of the filmmaker.
The suggestive ending of the movie appears to leave things wide open for more sequels to come. And I have to say, I’m perfectly alright with this prospect.
Even more, after leaving the theatre, I found myself wanting to watch the other Planet of the Apes movies again and see what they were about, maybe even that one with Mark Walbert. This, of course, is exactly what a good prequel or reboot should do, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes seems to have just that effect.
Even more, after leaving the theatre, I found myself wanting to watch the other Planet of the Apes movies again and see what they were about, maybe even that one with Mark Wahlberg. This, of course, is exactly what a good prequel or reboot should do, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes seems to have just that effect.
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