Apes have certainly risen thanks to a superb narrative and Serkis' mesmerising performance

Rating: Null/10 (23 August 2011)

Ten years after the horror that was Tim Burton's remake of Planet of the Apes, the world is welcomed to an all-new reboot set in present day leading to the unforgettable events in the original features. After seeing the trailer months ago and being disappointed by it, I entered the cinema with low expectations.
Will Rodman (James Franco) is a genetic scientist working on the development of a serum which could become the cure for Alzheimer's disease. His company begins to test the new drug on chimpanzees to document the effects on brain power and stimulation. After a freak accident, Will is left to care for Caesar (Andy Serkis); a baby chimp whose mother was exposed to the drug. As he grows, Caesar gains superior learning abilities and develops human skills such as drawing and reading. When Caesar is sadly taken from Will's care, he uses his intelligence to build a chimp and ape army to fight against the humans who have made their lives a misery.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is yet another film to suffer from its obviously misleading and mindless trailer. Rather than actually highlighting some narrative focus, the trailer just shows a bunch of miscellaneous images of chimps being 'bad' – it completely devalues the picture, its messages and its genre. Those measly two minutes are what originally put me right off seeing this picture but the truth is, this film is extraordinary.
Rather than being dumb box-office fodder, the story is rich in its social and political context and grounded by its beautiful and sometimes uncomfortable depiction of ethics. This is not a massive pyrotechnic-laden action flick, this is a picture about nature vs nurture, genetic science vs. animal cruelty and most importantly, man playing God with innocent lives.
Besides the story and premise being fantastic, there is also the CGI (Chimps Get Intelligent) which are quite simply astonishing. Some of the primates look almost too uncanny – in a few scenes. CGI is at its best when forgotten; one doesn't want to be reminded one's watching a digital image rather than a real character and this is where Rise of the Planet of the Apes excels. The wonderful Andy Serkis jumps back into the motion-capture suit for his performance as Caesar. Caesar is a fantastic dimensional and focused character. He incarnates more than a Chimpanzee and more than a series of pixels – Caesar is practically human. Caesar's facial expressions and body movements are so realistic and precise that it makes the revolutionary chimp one of the year's best characters.
Wyatt's direction is certainly strong. He is able to handle the dramatic weight of the story, as well as the budget. Considering he is a new filmmaker and has only directed one other feature film The Escapist (2008), he proves his status here by using smart camera angles and confidence in his execution. The script also contains lots of references to the original films; fans of the franchise will get frequent treats throughout its duration.
Alongside our biological descendants, the humans also add a lot to the mixture. Franco gives a well-rounded and honest performance and although he is actually in the supporting role, he provides the goods and makes Will an immensely likable and believable character. Freida Pinto plays Will's girlfriend Caroline but she is far from the main focus of the film and gets slightly sidetracked. Tom Felton – Harry Potter Draco Malfoy – plays another horrible character as Dodge Landon; a supposed carer for the apes at the rescue sanctuary. It is hard to shake off his Harry Potter past while playing a cruel person who enjoys tormenting and harming the animals. Maybe next time Felton should play a nice guy. However, the star alongside Caesar is Will's long-suffering father Charles played by John Lithgow. This is one of his best performances for a long time and really captures the essence of living with somebody who has Alzheimer's.
Apart from Pinto's slight lacking in narrative scope, I can't really find a bad thing to say about this featue. I approached the film with caution due to being massively misguided by its promotion and left the film having been thought-provoked, emotionally engaged and above all else, greatly entertained. ROTPOTA is a raw and powerful drama that meddles with a risqué subject with dignity and understanding – ROTPOTA is worthy to be considered alongside the marvellous Charlton Heston original.
Verdict: ●●●●● Apes have certainly risen thanks to a superb narrative and Serkis' mesmerising performance. Hail Caesar! Read more reviews on www.theupcoming.co.uk