Apes More Enthralling Than The Humans

Rating: 5/10 (11 March 2017)

In the original "Apes" films, the one aspect of those movies that could legitimately be improved upon is the special effects and ape character presentation. Though the outlandish ape costumes were state-of-the-art in their day and give those films part of their homely touch, today's CGI can bring so much more "realism" to science fiction scenes that could never have been dreamed of 40-50 years ago. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" does just that, but unfortunately gets pretty much everything else wrong.
For a basic plot summary, "Rise" focuses on two "individuals": Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist developing a cure for Alzheimer's disease who discovers that its effect on apes is extraordinary. One ape in particular, Ceasar, gains such increased intelligence from the experimental drug that he leads his fellow simians in a revolt against the humans keeping them in captivity.
As I previously mentioned, the special effects are the hallmark of this flick. Whereas the "Apes" of yesteryear (especially the late sequels) struggle to visually depict an ape rebellion, "Rise" nails that scenario and makes it impressive to behold.
The main problem holding "Rise" back, though, is the acting (or lack thereof) from the humans in the film. James Franco is utterly uninspiring and wooden in what needed to be a key role, and that malaise seemed to trickle down through the auxiliary cast members. By the end of the viewing, I didn't care whatsoever about the human element, instead getting antsy to just see more "ape stuff".
Also, in referencing the "Apes" cannon, "Rise" is so-so. Some lines/moments are epic and true to form, while other plot points stray far away from the established material (for better or worse).
Thus, I consider "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" to be a decent re-imagining of the chronological beginning of the "Apes" saga. It is too uneven to be any kind of classic, but does warrant a watch from sci-fi junkies or "Ape-heads".