Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review

Overall Rating: A

The original Planet of the Apes was released in 1968, and is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. It's not simply a movie about apes riding around on horses. It's an allegory for the battle between science and religion, for racism, for the treatment of animals, and for humanity's strange addiction to violence. Planet of the Apes is science fiction at its best, providing us with a mirror with a slightly shifted view. This is why the movie has survived, and become a true classic.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes may not have the same power in its message, but it's a perfect science fiction movie. As a huge fan of the original, I loved all the references, both obvious and subtle. As a movie fan though, I loved the story I was presented with. The genius of this movie exists in that it's both its own movie, separate from the original, and also a perfect prequel. The acting is excellent, the action is suspenseful and exciting, and the special effects are out of this world. I won't be getting into any spoilers for this movie, but I will assume knowledge of the original, and its ending(so if you haven't seen it, and don't want to be spoiled...GO WATCH IT)

Director Rupert Wyatt has a very short filmography, but after this I think he'll be getting a lot of calls. When so many characters exist as a special effect its the director's job to help the actors' performances come off as genuine. In this manner, he succeeds gloriously. The scenes between James Franco and the ape Caesar are moving, and believable. Partially because the special effects are so perfect, you almost forget that the apes in the movie are not real. From a film viewing point of view, they are as good as real, and that's all due to the direction and the acting of the motion capture actors.

Caesar was portrayed via motion capture by Andy Serkis who should really be called Mr. Motion Capture. Some day, motion capture actors will be nominated for Oscars, and Serkis will be why they'll be considered more than just a technical award. The Avatar-like swinging through the trees sequences were impressive, and cool. But some of my favorite scenes with the apes were the quiet looks they would give each other. The eyes are pointed out early in the film, and this was a brilliant decision. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and giving the changed apes greenish eyes was a way of saying they've given them a soul(if they didn't have one already).

James Franco gives a wonderful performance as scientist Will Rodman. I can't lie, when I saw his name was "Rodman" I wished they would have called him something like Rod D. McDowell. But that would have been too silly. I love that none of the scientists are bad guys. They are experimenting on apes sure, but it seems they are not hurting the apes at all, and all of them are portrayed as wanting to protect the apes when they can. I thought this was a smart decision. In the original Planet of the Apes, the only "good" apes we meet are the scientists. Caesar may not have liked the experiments, but I think it was clear he liked and respected Franco's character.

John Lithgow plays Will's father Charles. He is suffering from Alzheimer's, and is a main reason it has become Will's mission to cure the disease. It's no surprise that his performance is moving, and powerful. His relationship with Caesar is of a grandfather and a child. Where Will sees Caesar as a friend, Charles seems to connect on a much more basic level. David Oyelowo plays villain Steve Jacobs. He's the "You get the credit, I get the money" guy. Everything he does is only driven by his desire for money. If you want to try and equate it to the original then I would say that money and stock holders are his "law giver", and he's willing to do anything to get his way. Loved Tom Felton as a jerky Death Eater...er I mean tormentor of animals. He is a bad guy, but I think he's no different then the younger apes in the original who torment Taylor with a hose. "It's a MAD HOUSE!!!"

That brings me to the wonderful references to the original. I won't go over them one by one, but if you're a fan of the original you will be more than pleased. From a cameo by Charlton Heston, to a half made Statue of Liberty puzzle they have fun with the references. My absolute favorite though, is the random mission to Mars. When it's first mentioned I wondered what it had to do with anything. Then we see a split second shot of a newspaper headline telling us that the mission has been lost. That's right, not only are apes taking over, but there is a lost space mission out there. There are more obvious references of course, and I loved every one of them.

I am shocked that this is actually my favorite movie of the summer, and I can't wait to see it again. If you haven't seen the original, see it! Then, go and see this movie. It will not disappoint.