Surprisingly Good

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2011)

Caesar's mother (a chimpanzee) dies and Will (Franko) smuggles the baby out of the company he works for and cares for him. Will's company is trying to make medicine that will help cure Alzheimer's and they use chimps as test animals. Caesar's mother passed on some the medicine to Caesar and that's when he displays quite a bit of intelligence.
This is not your typical Planet of the Apes story. I thought it would be, but I was wrong. This is surprisingly good.
You will see CGI like you have never seen it before, perhaps better than in Jurassic Park or just as good. You will think the chimps are real and you will like the main one, Caesar. When you meet some of the others, you may not, but Caesar you will like very much. What's not to like, he's almost human and knows right from wrong.
If you watch the DELETED SCENES you will see Andy Serkis as Caesar, but it is not necessary to watch the deleted scenes.
The story is well developed and basically there are good people who care for the chimps. And, yes, there is the typical wise -guy who takes pleasure in taunting them.
Everything goes along pretty good until Will and Caesar are separated and Caesar goes to live in a controlled Animal Stockade where he mingles with other chimps for the first time. Will is constantly trying to be allowed to take Caesar home, but then things begin to happen that you knew would happen but wished they didn't. And, it now that you think you were right to think this was another Planet of the Apes story. The very last scene will get to you.
And, all this will lead you into Part 2, as I am sure there will be one. 8/10.
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.