Fun

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2012)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes sets itself apart from most other mediocre sci-fi films because it understands what it is trying to do: entertain. It seems that its competitors in the genre seem to have forgotten that a movie is a much more enjoyable experience when it is actually enjoyable to watch. The character development is good, the plot is... decent (slightly clichéd), the pacing is perfect, and the acting, specifically the mo-cap, will immerse you into emotional investment.
And isn't that what sci-fi is all about? Immersing yourself into an altered or impossible reality? This movie does just that. I would even go as far to say that the movie makes you feel at the center of some sort of moral dilemma between the Californians and the cro-magnons, a situation that while common in movies of higher thinking, are often unseen in action movies like ROTPOTA.
Those who seem to dislike this movie for a few plot holes with applicable stretched reasoning and some (two) mediocre acting jobs may find it easier to just loop Citizen Kane and play old war transmissions from an FM radio while reclining in a salt bath. If this is your idea of entertainment, then I must recommend adding a wall-powered toaster to your alkaline enriched ego pool.