Evolution becomes Revolution

Rating: 8/10 (23 July 2017)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts and stops with the emotional-motion capture acting ability of Andy Serkis. He's a master of his trade, a pleasure to watch and what he does with the Caesar character is Oscar worthy, if it was legal to nominate him. He's the heart and soul of the film, and without him, the movie wouldn't be the same.
I'm amazed how the apes look. It's a wonderful combination of special effects and motion capture. I love the growth in Caesar's personality, the boss daddy pimpness of Maurice and the bad assness of Koba. The action scenes with the apes are as thrilling as they come.
For some strange reason, James Franco doesn't appear stoned or ready to cut off his arm. This is the soberest I've seen him. He's very likable, and his story arc makes sense. To me, he's one of the few humans with any depth. His girlfriend is just there. The bad people act like bad guys. John Lithgow is cool as Franco's Alzheimer's suffering father, but his development is predictable.
I like how this movie doesn't wear out its welcome. A lot of times, origin stories tend to be overlong. I believe the runtime is just right, and does just enough, to set up the next film.