RISE OF PLANET OF THE APES
105 min
PG-13
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Writers: Pierre Boulle, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Tom Felton
'I want a new invincible human being, insensitive to pain, resistant and indifferent about the quality of food they eat ...'
-Joeseph Stalin (regarding a Soviet program attempting to cross humans with chimpanzees)
Australopithecus, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Encino Man, Tony Danza, Caesar
If we can learn anything from GORILLAS IN THE MIST (1988), it is that human beings cannot peacefully exist with Sigourney Weaver.
It is a rather ambitious project: reviving a franchise weighed down by its past—its past awfulness.
Technically, it is a prequel, but there are still issues concerning continuity. In 2011, everything just seems much more believable, as far as the science and the CGI are concerned.
It is best just to take this movie at face value. I find myself pleasantly surprised by the 7th installment of this franchise.
Will Rodman (Franco) is a researcher at Gen Sys. Will takes home 'Caesar' after his mother dies in a hail of gunfire, after testing an Alzheimer's drug. Will smuggles doses of the drug out, so he can treat his father's ever-worsening condition. This virus (ALZ-112) was passed down to her son (Caesar) genetically, as was her level intelligence.
Will's father, Charles(Lithgow) suffers from Alzheimer's, and lives with his son. His place in this movie seems like a little nod to HarryGary Buseyand the HENDERSONS(1987). It is nice to see John Lithgow in something other than a Campbell's soup commercial (I know—he did play a very convincing psychopath on DEXTER).
This chimp lives with Will, he learns sign language, and looks out for Will's father. This cannot be a permanent living situation; this is PLANET OF THE APES, not CURIOUS GEORGE. After a violent incident with a neighbor, Caesar is sent to a 'sanctuary'. They keep apes there, and they are treated rather (for lack of a better term) inhumanely.
'Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!'
Tom Felton- Blonde evil kid from Harry Potter. You know he is up to no good.
Caesar throws his low-protein gruel at Dodge Landon (Felton). The chimp finds this most hilarious.
'You think that's funny, huh.'
Dodge sprays him with a fire hose.
Tom Felton has sealed his fate: he will always be typecasted as an evil guy; like John Wayne only playing cowboys. Although, I could see him playing Macaulay Culkin in a biopic.
Steven Jacobs (Oyelowo) plays the CEO of a big pharmaceutical company. This character is just a tad cliché. He seems very one-dimensional, only concerned with keeping shareholders happy.
'You make history, I make money.'—Steven Jacobs
'Cause everytime you let the animal out cages, it's dangerous to people who look like strangers.'
-THE WATCHER, Dr. Dre
It's interesting; how Caesar takes the moral high ground in various scenes. He gets this priceless look on his face that says: 'hey c'mon, we're better than that'. One could almost call him a 'Gandhi-type' figure, in this fictional ape society.
'Noooooooooo!'
-Ceaser
Make no mistake, this chimp is no panzee: he is like George S. Patton, Stephen Hawking, and Confucius all wrapped up into one creature. Additionally, he has an army of brave, super-smart apes.
The climax of this film takes place place on the Golden Gate Bridge. The San Francisco PD and federal agents, are ready to make Rice-A-Roni of anything that moves with four hands. An epic battle: you already know the apes win. But how they win, with raw intellect, is truly amazing.
Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahh Chity Chi bob botta...
When you're lost out there and your all alone
A light is waiting to carry you home
Everywhere you look.
Another sci-fi action movie for a thinking person, like DISTRICT 9 (2009), 28 DAYS LATER (2002), or CHILDREN OF MEN(2006). James Franco gives an Oscar worthy performance (well, maybe a tad better). I would recommend buying this movie on Blu-ray.
Final Verdict: 92 out of 100