Extremely Well-Made and Thoughtful

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
*** (out of 4)
Intelligent and extremely well-made reboot of the Apes franchise has James Franco playing a scientist doing experiments on apes. He's trying to create a drug that cures the brain and soon realizes that the experiment works but there are certain side effects. After the project is shut down he sneaks home a baby ape, named Caesar, and over time this ape's intelligence begins to grow at a fast rate. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a pretty surprising "Summer Blockbuster" because it's not just all action and no brains. In fact, it's actually the opposite because there's really not any action until the very end and the majority of everything else is developing the characters and certain Caesar. I must admit that I'm a little shocked this film is going over so well with current audiences because it seems most blockbusters of today just have loud action scenes with very little sense thrown in. I was very shocked to see how much time they actually give to Caesar and his growth into a smart human. It's not like his growth simply happens in the first thirty-minutes and then we're off to the races in terms of action. Instead, nearly 90-minutes is delivered to him, his way of life and the changes that happen which force him to become a leader. I thought the early scenes of him as a bad were incredibly funny and touching and especially the stuff between he and Franco. These early scenes really built up a touching father-son relationship and there's even a very nice section with Franco's father (John Lithgow) who is suffering from Alzheimer's. I thought the film took a very serious look at all of their relationships and this much character development certainly isn't the norm for this type of movie. Another major plus are all the small things thrown in that really leads up to Caesar's knowledge once the revolt begins. The performances are another major plus with Franco turning in a very believable job. There's not a second that you don't believe him as this great scientist and I thought he did a remarkable job acting with the CGI Caesar. The two of them really manage to build up a great relationship and this is really impressive on Franco's part since he wasn't really "acting" with anyone. Lithgow is also very good in his role as are Brian Cox and Freida Pinto. I'm not a fan of CGI but I must admit that the effects here were very impressive. I thought the human quality they were able to bring to Caesar was something quite remarkable and I enjoyed how the supporting apes really did come off as apes and each of them had their own personality. The only time the CGI was ugly would be in an early sequence inside Franco's house when Caesar is running around and this scene is used to show him growing. When the action finally does happen it's very well handled but the fear of what's the come is what really stands out. There's no question that this here is just a build-up for the eventually sequel (and remake) and I must admit that I can't wait. Kudos to everyone involved for delivering something with a brain.