Wasn't Expecting This!

Rating: 10/10 (11 March 2013)

I came into this movie with very low expectations and I was just blown away by the time I finished the movie. I didn't expect much because I don't think fondly of the original series except for the very first one and 2002's remake was okay, but nowhere near anything like this and I'm being kind. I also wondered how a rookie director could handle a movie like this, but Mr. Rupert Wyatt did a mighty fine job.
This film is a prequel set in modern-day San Francisco and tells the tale on how the apes took over the world. It all started with a drug that makes chimps have higher intelligence. The main ape in this movie, Caesar happens to be a victim of this drug. When Ceasar is taken away from his home and to an ape facility where he is mistreated, that is where the fun begins....
The acting is kind of weak only because Andy Serkis's performance overshadows them all. He really played the part just wonderful and I'm amazed how he wasn't nominated for an Oscar, even though he was motion-capture. That being said, I think James Franco and Frieda Pinto were good in their roles.
Overall, this is a movie that highly exceeded my expectations. The visual effects are amazing especially with Caesar. I also loved the expression of the chimps' eyes. Certainly better than the remake ten years ago. Even though there are some great action scenes which the Golden Gate Bridge scene comes to mind, there is a heart here. That is what the previous Plane of the Ape films were lacking. I rate this film 10/10.