Had high hopes, and this film went even higher...

Rating: 10/10 (8 August 2011)

For the past few months, people have been doubting that apes could take over, and yet they would believe that a bunch of robot cars and blue cat people are plausible concepts. This is film is the unexpected hit of the summer. A few weeks ago, most people didn't think much of this film's release. But now, after exceeding box office expectations by $20 million, and gaining positive reception, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is a triumph, especially considering that it had to handle the burden of the poorly received 2001 remake.
First, allow me to address the film's problems before the praise.
The villains are one dimensional. Brian Cox and Tom Felton play slimy characters, David Oyelowo is a greedy corporate villain, and that works in the film's favor, but I cringed whenever they were on screen.
The film also has too many references to the original film. Considering that "Rise" is a great film on its own, its really glaring when a reference is made.
James Franco and Freida Pinto are good, but their characters aren't' anything special or spectacular.
My final problem: This film needs a sequel like how a human needs life to breathe.
Now, onto the positive praise.
Caesar played by Andy Serkis, is by far the best thing for this film. Andy Serkis is able to give us a character that is not only convincing but sympathetic and his character goes through a logical character arc. Like Roddy McDowal was to "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes", Andy Serkis delivers a performance atypical of a summer flick. Some people are speculating a wild card Oscar nomination. I think that this film will be like how "The Dark Knight" changed the Best Picture category.
John Lithgow is the best human character by far. His performance evokes the later stages of Alzheimer's and is the core of the human drama of the film.
Let's not forget the other apes.
Maurice is a orangutan that knows sign language and is the first ape that is kind to Caesar. Not only is the performance fantastic, but by far the most realistic ape in the film.
Rocket is the alpha male at the ape sanctuary and gives Caesar a hard time at first, but becomes almost a sidekick for Caesar.
Buck is a gorilla that is really the brute character. His action scene are awesome, and I laughed whenever he pwnd a human.
The final ape I wish to discuss is Koba. He's a chimp, but is kind of the opposite of Caesar. While Caesar only kills as a matter of last resort, Koba kills because he feels its necessary. I hope to see more conflict between Caesar and Koba in the next film. Little known fact, Koba was a nickname for Joseph Stalin.
As a whole, this film establishes a believable environment for future sequels. As an Apes fan, I can say this film can stand on its own feet against the original, and is vastly superior to the 2001 remake. As I'm writing this review, I have already seen the film twice. I intend to see it again.