The issue of Plot Holes - how far do you expect us to go?

Rating: 5/10 (6 August 2011)

The first warning that a reviewer should give any prospective moviegoer about this film is the requirement to overlook the MULTITUDE OF PLOT HOLES. Is it possible to latch on to the likable characters and amazing CGI chimp work and forgive the MASSIVELY HUGE PLOT HOLES? One can start to watch a movie and have a cynical attitude, however I will give a movie a break on one deficiency or another, but can you suspend disbelief when there are GAPING JAW-DROPPING PLOT HOLES? OK, we all know that this is a science fiction film. ROTPOTA is following the recent formula where movie franchises are rebooting with more realism and Earthbound storytelling. I was not a huge fan of the original movie series, but acknowledge as a strong work of science fiction, and some of the sequels held intriguing possibilities. One big credit goes to adding the new twist in this origin story that the source of accelerated intelligence in the apes came from a research lab trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's. But after that, the sequence of events are less inspired. We have a too broadly painted animal keeper who likes to abuse apes. You would think a special habitat built especially for apes would employ animal lovers, but that would be pointing out one of the ASTRONOMICALLY GARGANTUAN PLOT HOLES. Ultimately the film loses it's appeal, and one becomes strained as you try to continue to give the film a fair break.
The good news is that ROTPOTA wins you over because of the great teamwork of Andy Serkis and Weta in creating a amiable character Caesar along with a cast of other apes. Although you know that the apes in this film don't completely resemble a true chimpanzee, and the movements still resemble humans in capture gear, you have a deep enough story to follow it through. And credit must be given to director Rupert Wyatt for being bold enough to have a lyrical directing style usually absent in a summer tentpole film. One drawback is that the second act is slow to resolve the inevitable uprising (as seen in the trailers - so no spoiler here), and great leaps of faith are required as character actions occur that would make a 4 year old SCREAM IN UTTER FRUSTRATION AT THE SERIOUSLY UNBELIEVABLE PLOT HOLES. Some events in passing include Caesar monkey-ing around with a small Statue of Liberty souvenir (echos of the end of the 1st film), as well as TV new reports of a Mars space mission getting lost. These are obvious sequel setups. Although I didn't get too excited at yet another remake/reboot, I feel encouraged that subsequent sequels will have similar imaginative but COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS PLOT HOLES that will take the audience into more original and inventive movie fare. Yes, there are no superheroes in this film for once. I would suggest that waiting for the DVD would be best, lest you groan a little too loud in the theater at the INCREDIBLY HUMONGOUS PLOT HOLES.