These Apes are well worth rising to go and see on the big screen.

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2011)

After the initial success of the original Planet of the Apes back in 1968 with Charlton Heston (which I saw only a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed) they did three sequels preceding it which weren't bad through into the early 70s. Then in 2001 tragically Tim Burton tried a remake/reboot with Mark Walghberg at the helm. For me as it was seen generally by the public it was absolutely awful. Finally after another decade director Rupert Wyatt has made a second attempt at a reboot/remake and I am pleased to say he has carried it off with great aplomb.
This version first sees good-intentioned scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) doing experiments on genetically enhanced Apes to try and find a cure for Alzheimer's which his father Charles (John Lithgow) has. He ends up taking home a baby ape that he calls Caeser (Andy Serkis) when it's mother dies after being killed by security guards who thought she was going on the rampage while really she was protecting Caeser. Whilst taking care of Caeser Will discovers a drug within the Apes that will help cure his father as he also teaches Caeser how to socialise. He also develops intelligence (a side effect of the drug). Meanwhile Will ends up dating vet Caroline (Frieda Pinto) who loves Apes as much as Will.
As years go by Will's father starts to deteriorate again as the drug begins to wear off and an incident with Caeser defending Charles against an abusive next door neighbour gets the Ape catered off to a sanctuary with other Apes where Caeser is bullied by two guards, one being Dodge Landon (Tom Felton who played Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise).
Due to the cruel treatment Caeser receives at the hands of these humans and feeling neglected by Will he establishes himself as the alpha-male and plans a daring and well co-ordinated escape for freedom with the other Apes to rule over the humans (what will eventually be the case in the sequel). First off the CGI of the Apes themselves is absolutely jaw-dropping. Forget men in monkey suits in the original and the sequels that proceeded. These apes look - are actual apes, you wouldn't think that they are just special effects. It's a testament to giving this film realism as they move like real apes. The second biggest strength is the central performance by Andy Serkis as Casear, it also reflects the many strengths of silent movie making as Casear stays virtually wordless. Serkis gives a sensational central performance that deserves at least an Oscar nomination. Through Caesar's movements and facial expressions and when he finally speaks we feel everything he feels tenderness and love at Will looking after him and pain and rage when being mistreated by humans. It is bravo piece of acting and the audience feels for Casear's plight the whole way.
It's unfortunate that the humans fair less well mostly. The only ones who really make any impact is Tom Felton as the nasty guard who makes the most of his menace in a cracking performance and Lithgow as Charles who gives an accurate and sensitive portrayal of one suffering from Alzheimer's. Even then they have little character development.
Unfortunately James Franco and Frieda Pinto are nothing more than cardboard cut outs as they have severely unwritten roles (though they give decent performances). Franco though has more to do for the first hour as the screenplay sets him up well but loses interest in him in the last hour where he does nothing except fall for the expendable vet who could have been cut from the film altogether as she was very forgettable as a character and run hopelessly after Casear. Also some of the plot is a little too sloppy with a few glaring plot holes. How come Will's neighbours delay complaining to the authorities about the chimp until it is fully grown, when it has behaved scarily for years? How come Will waits so long before telling his boss about the miraculous properties of his drug? Did they somehow slip his mind? And why does Will's boss – a poorly written corporate type profit obsessed - change abruptly from ultra-cautious about animal testing to ridiculously reckless?
However putting those faults aside there are other positives going for this film apart from Serkis's performance and the CGI. The action sequences namely the climax is well worth waiting for, which takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge is excellently choreographed and exciting to watch with beautiful cinematography from Andrew Lesnie who previous work included Lord of the Rings.
There are faults with Rise of the Planet of the Apes but not enough to stop me enjoying it all the way through. This is a worthy addition to the other versions and a terrific first film for a reboot that is certainly worthy of a sequel. These Apes are well worth seeing on the big screen. I'm really looking forward to seeing the continuation of the story and seeing how this promising new franchise will continue to develop.