Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Liked It

1/23/2018

Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | 2011

I’m not sure how Planet of the Apes became one of the trilogies that we would cover this month. I guess because it’s a fairly new trilogy that I haven’t seen before. I should have known that the fact that they were apes would get to me. Of course, all the fighting and hurting the apes really pissed me off. Even with that fact that they are enhanced apes and all, more human like, I still had a hard time watching the epic fight scene on the Golden Gate Bridge.

The whole science fiction aspect of it is completely interesting to me. Will (James Franco) is a scientist who is trying to find a cure for degenerative brain diseases. Testing the vaccines on chimpanzee’s is the way that he is determining if it’s working or not. When one of the apes attacks the head honcho people, the company must terminate the project… and the apes. Ah! But, one of them had a baby and Will takes it home and raises himself.

Here is where we find out the that vaccine works. It enhances the brain’s capabilities in the apes. But this movie is called “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” so essentially its the story of how the apes band together to be against humans. Caesar (which apparently is voiced by Andy Serkis even though he only says a few words) figures out a way to make all the apes enhanced.

The movie itself is very interesting and fairly entertaining as far as starts to a franchise. Typically these types of movies (the beginnings), much like the one that started the X-Men series, is slow moving as the characters are developed and the start to the story is told. I won’t say I loved this movie, but it wasn’t horrible to watch. I was anxious the entire time that the apes were in harm’s way.

I think I’m going to give this film a “Liked It” rating. The acting was good (as far as CGI apes go) and brought the emotions multiple times. I liked the inclusion of Will’s father and the affects. I particularly liked the scenes on the Golden Gate bridge minus that fact of the death of some of the animals (ok that’s not a spoiler right?). And I liked watching Caesar own the fact that he is an ape. (3.5/5)

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