Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rating: 8/10 (28 September 2011)

I have seen all five of the original films starring Roddy MacDowall, and the single remake from director Tim Burton, but none of the films show how the apes grew intelligent enough to walk, talk and take over the world, this reboot to the franchise (and prequel in a way) finally explains. Basically pharmaceutical scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) works for company Gen-Sys who develop solutions and cures to human conditions, and they use captured chimpanzees to experiment on and test their theories and developments. The recent experiments are to try and find a cure to Alzheimer's disease, especially as Will's own father Charles (John Lithgow) suffers from the disease, one chimp is given the prototype drug, but is goes wrong when aggression takes over. With the ape killed, and all the others taken out of the equation Will feels broken, but he finds that the injected ape had a baby, and he secretly takes it home to grow up with him, and monitor his progress having inherited the drug effects from his mother. This ape, named Caesar (Andy Serkis) grows up very intelligent with the ability to think, solve given tests quickly, and on occasion walk like a human, but also he has a lot of emotion. As time goes by Will knows the big reason to keep Caesar is to use his blood as a possible cure for his father, and injecting him the experiment is successful and Charles improves. But as the ape's intelligence grows even more and he understands the world around him his emotional side really comes to a head, he becomes bad tempered and attacks a neighbour, forcing the authorities to take him away and put him in a special ape facility. Sanctuary owner John Landon (Brian Cox) assures Will that Caesar will be looked after well and feel comfortable amongst regular apes, but of course this is a lie as his son Dodge (Harry Potter's Tom Felton) tortures him and some of the other apes do feel animosity to him. Will, not knowing that Caesar is suffering, also has the misfortune of having his father returning to his ill dementia state and losing his memory again, with the effects of the drug passing, but saying it does work to his boss Steven Jacobs (The Last King of Scotland's David Oyelowo) they restart the experiments of apes again. However he realises the consequences the drug has, it does work on apes and makes them more intelligent, but it has fatal virus qualities and consequences for humans, as infected Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine) sneezes blood, including on the neighbour Hunsiker (David Hewlett), and he is found dead. Caesar meanwhile has got all the other apes to band together, and also found a discarded can of the experimental drug that made him intelligent that he spreads to all the other caged apes, so they also gain high intelligence and plan to break out. Eventually they manage it, they kill a few of the people at the facility and escape through the roof, and spread out to take over and attack many humans, as they are the ones who have mistreated them in many guises. Spreading out and attacking humans they storm their way on the Golden Gate Bridge, and Caesar gaining the ability to speak, Will is shocked to see this breakout and rebellion by his animal friend, but he allows them to go on and find peace in the forest. In the end Caesar and all the other apes seem to calm as soon as they reach the forest seemingly to live in, but they look over the city, so it may continue, and also Hunsiker is seen to be boarding a plane flying to New York, infected with the virus, and seen by flight path animation that it does indeed spread. Also starring Freida Pinto as Caroline Aranha and Chelah Horsdal as Irena. Franco gives a good performance as the scientist trying to do good but suffers many hardships in his personal and experimental efforts, the other cast members like Cox and Felton do well also, and of course Serkis, who brought Gollum and King Kong to life successfully, creates a fantastically emotional Caesar, both with high aggression and a tender side. The story is thrilling with the playing God concept, and it gives a good picture of how mistreating we humans can be, and how our overpowering human meddling can go wrong, i.e. we question our morals, the special effects from the team behind Avatar to bring the apes to life and create intense action are amazing, and the tiny tributes to the old films, including the catchphrases "It's a madhouse!" and "Get your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape" (number 66 on 100 Years, 100 Quotes) are good too, an exciting science-fiction action adventure. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Special Visual Effects. Very good!