Excuse me! Is that storytelling in a summer movie?

Rating: 8/10 (15 August 2011)

I watched the original 'Apes' and enjoyed it. I didn't hold much love for the others in the series. when I watched the reboot with Whalberg, I thought it was OK, but nothing special. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was very different. It was original and striking. Compelling and meaningful. Surprising and different. This is the movie from this franchise that I completely bought into. I got this one.
It struck all the right chords, rang all the right bells and does so without being over the top or clichéd. It was a fantastic movie. Unlike so many other big budget, summer blockbusters, it was all story driven. You could see they spent a great deal of time, and probably a great deal of money, on the CGI for the look and feel of the Apes. But this was done to service the story and not the other way around, which we find in so many films with hype.
The acting was top notch, with Franco putting in a stellar performance, backed up perfectly by Lithgow as his ailing father. But the standout, just like in Lord of the Rings, was Andy Serkis. Like in his previous incarnation of Gollum, we don't see the Actor himself, as he plays the lead role among the Apes, Caesar. His performance was once again flawless and brought Caesars character to life.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. It's what most film making should be about. Telling great stories.