BOTTOM
LINE:
This
reboot of the classic franchise is a triumph of story and character,
particularly with the creation of each individual ape as a character;
the film is only let down by its underwritten human characters which
in turn lead to uninspired performances by the cast.
THE
GOOD: The
original “Planet of the Apes” film was a watershed in
science-fiction movies back in the 60s and unfortunately, none of
the other sequels, and in particular, the horrid Tim-Burton remake
in 2001 have come close to capturing the spirit of the film. Along
comes “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes”, which despite
a few flaws, is as close as you are going to get to a great “Planet
Of The Apes” film. Will Rodman (James Franco) is working on
a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease by testing chimpanzees with
a genetically engineered virus. After an early incident which shuts
down his work, Rodman discovers a baby chimp he names Caesar (Andy
Serkis), who has developed heightened intelligence thanks to his
now dead mother’s response to the virus. At home, with Will
working on the virus in secret, Caesar develops radically until
a key incident leads him to be incarcerated in a cruel facility
with other apes, separated from Will. At this point, Caesar’s
life changes forever as he leads an ape rebellion. The key to what
makes this film work so well is the attention paid to developing
the ape characters, starting with ‘Caesar’, who is brought
to life by some incredible digital animation and Andy Serkis’
powerful motion capture performance. Together, Caesar becomes a
very strong character, and his development throughout the film from
smart baby chimp to the leader of an ape rebellion are compelling
to watch. A great character moment occurs when Caesar speaks for
the first time; it resonates with powerful dramatic intensity and
gives you a proper window in to the plight of these ape characters.
The other apes in the film are likewise given a great deal of attention,
to the point where they all resonate as individual characters, and
they are all give important dramatic moments. The scenario depicted
in the film is ultimately down-beat, with humans falling victim
to the virus while the apes gain strength and intelligence from
it. This is an amazing conceit in a big budget Hollywood film which
would have normally depicted something more ‘happy’.
“Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” is a very entertaining
film, with a good story and great characters that try to give you
some ideas upon which to ponder within its action-suspense narrative.
