Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
Rotten Tomatoes grade: 82%
Overall Grade: C+
Another movie Hollywood simply doesn't need to make but they go ahead and do it anyway. Rise of the Planet of the Apes goes where none of the previous six have gone and gives a glimpse into how exactly the backwards world Charlton Heston visited in the 1960 classic came to be.
Even though this one is a strong improvement on Tim Burton's 2001 attempt it still falls short in my eyes. The film stars James Franco as Will Rodman who works for a major pharmaceutical company. Because his father is plagued with Alzheimer's, Rodman's goal is to find a way to reverse the disease. In doing so, he creates a virus which allows the brain to repair itself and tests it on chimps. It comes to be that he takes in Cesar, a chimp played by Andy Serkis and becomes the leader of the apes.
First, I liked the motion capture job this film did. Serkis mimicked a chimp's movements and facial expressions very well, simply proving that when it comes to motion capture acting, Serkis is in a whole new ballpark. The action sequence at the end of the movie is cool as the apes begin to take over. I will go no further as to not give the movie away.
However, the film fails more than it succeeds. I felt it is somewhat slow moving and boring. The main character, the ape Cesar, can't speak and has to use signs and grunts to communicate. He does this a lot with other apes, leading to silence in scenes and a lack of suspense. Freida Pinto plays Caroline Aranha, Franko's vet love interest. Her character is completely irrelevant and could have been eliminated. I don't like when Hollywood forces a romance on screen because it looks false and takes me out of the moment. Finally, the ending leaves things open for a sequel, but doesn't do a good enough job for me. I feel they left way to many questions unanswered and you simply end up feeling a lack of accomplishment after sitting through it for two hours.
If you want to see this movie, I suggest seeing it at a matinee rather than paying full price for it.
- Adam St. Paul
