Emotion and CGI

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 2011)

Today I saw my second movie this summer season. Sadly work has kept me from going to be able to see as many movies as I would really like to. Harry Potter being the first that I saw this summer, left something to be desired. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" has a different feel to it than HP7 did.
The shining moments in Apes comes from it's ability to be able to achieve something that a lot of movies these days shy away from. In a generation where movies get box office trips based on special effects (Granted Apes shines in this too, but more on that in a few.) Apes wins my vote by having a story that is pure emotion at it's heart. Everyone that has had a pet in their lives, and either has that pet with them still, or has lost that pet, will know what I mean. Caesar is the main chimp that has had a genetically altered gene passed down to him from his mother. Thus he grows up being as smart, if not smarter than a human. And the emotion conveyed from Caesar, and through his eyes, is powerful. Especially when he protects Will's father, and then has to be sent away. The body language and the eyes are a powerful asset to Caesar and if this film didn't have that, I feel that it wouldn't be as good.
More positives are the CGI of the apes, you had trouble telling when they were and weren't real. Andy Serkis should be given as much credit as any actor for his ability to convey facial and body expression through motion capture.
The not so good is the feeling the relationship between Will and Caesar could have been improved upon. Either by better scripting, or even more reaction to events as they happened. Will seemed to take things in too fast and for no reason, and then release those emotions just as fast, a very unfulfilled role due to this.
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is powerful in the fact that you can emotionally connect with Caesar and his plight. His need for a relationship that we see in the start is fulfilled in the end with the line "Caesar is home." The emotion in this film is something that we as film goers should have the privilege of having more. The evolution of character in Caesar in his mind and heart is the truly gratifying end result of this film.