Here's a little story bout an ape named Ceasar

Rating: Null/10 (5 August 2011)

Call me skeptical, but when I first heard about a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes, I kind of took it as a joke. It was another attempt to cash in on something long gone. Forget that Tim Burton did a terrible job attempting to revive the series. The simple fact of trying to create a prequel about apes taking over the world in our modern day was a bit hilarious. However, word of mouth had me deciding to check this one out. Glad I did, because this was one of the best surprises of a summer that has been full of them.
But before that, forget that this relates to the earlier Planet series. While I haven't seen the original, this merely hints at those films. Instead, what we have is really a story about our main character, Ceasar, whose film this obviously is. This may very well be the biggest reason to check this film out. Andy Serkis is fantastic, essentially bringing the ape to life. However, credit must also be served to WETA, who have once again pushed what technology can do in terms of creating life. More than any actor in the film, Ceasar puts on displays of emotion like no other in the film. He is so well crafted that you instantly forget the fact that he isn't even a real ape. It's a new level of an actor being created. This is definitely his film and his story is a fantastic one.
While the majority of the hard action comes at the end, there are plenty of wonderful scenes and shots that are loads of fun. Travelling with these apes is a blast and watching Ceasar grow and his interactions with the people around him creates a wonderful coming of age story that easily fits in with any other. Best of all is that nothing is too ridiculous. Sure, the idea of apes taking over the planet is ridiculous in and of itself, but nothing seems so far beyond reach that you can't suspend your disbelief for the film. I do have my gripes with this, but for this film in and of itself, it's a wonderful story about revolution, nature overtaking man, and above all the reasons for rising against oppression. And though Ceasar may eventually lead to mankind's downfall, you can't help but root for the guy after all that has transpired. This not to mention that the final scene is a fantastic bit of action that justifies everything before it, the big payoff as they say.
That isn't to say I don't have my gripes. Unfortunately, in an effort to make Ceasar the star, the other actors are downplayed. They are either cliché or boring. Even Franco, who ends up playing second to Ceasar, is pretty boring. While I still dig the guy, this was not his big film, and he mostly just carries it along as the catalyst for what becomes Ceasars's show. The one bright bulb is John Lithgow, who plays the father part well and it is quite enjoyable seeing him in something this big. My other major gripe has to do with the overall premise. No matter how hard I try, and no matter how good the film may be, I still find it hard to believe that this lays the ground for a planetary takeover of apes. It's just not that believable and that is a problem as, coming out of the theater, I had to kind of shake my head.
But, these are minor gripes compared to the what's good. Some fantastic cinematography and shots, a wonderful story, and Andy Serka's wonderful performance of Ceasar make this not only a wonderful summer surprise, but one of the best films of the summer.