Rise of the Planet of the Apes

 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Running Time: 105 minutes

Starring: James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow

Closing in at 105 minutes, the Rise of the Planet of the Apes was packed with promising action from the start but dwindled to an anti-climatic finish.

Will Rodman, played by James Franco, is a scientist researching into cures for Alzheimer’s disease when all hell breaks lose as one of the apes being tested on causes havoc within the company. He finds himself taking home the rather adorable chimpanzee’s offspring named Caesar, who from an early age shows signs of increased intelligence. The first half of the film shows the connection between the abnormally bright Caesar and his owner Will as the chimp grows older. An unbreakable bond forms between the two as well as introducing several more characters along the way such as Will’s father Charles and Caroline, his girlfriend, Frieda Pinto.  With years passing by the ape begins to grow bigger and stronger and after a brutal attack on a citizen is sent to an facility to stay in where he and the other animals are abused by the workers.  The latter half of the film shows Caesar’s rebellion against the conditions he is forced to live in and an uprising from the apes.

The winning point from this blockbuster is the superb visual effects. It is the first of the ‘ape’ films to use digital rather than makeup and costumes but this does not make it feel any less ‘tactile’ than the original films and instead gives it a new modern lease of life. The effects are especially shown off well on the Golden Gate Bridge scene where the film reaches full action.

Despite the brilliant effects, the end felt somewhat rushed and anti-climatic. After watching years worth of Caesar growing up and adjusting to his ever changing surroundings, supposedly building up tension and aggression within him towards the human race, it felt as if his mood changed overnight and from being this cute chimp went to an aggressive ape who I struggled to sympathize with. Although James Franco did a convincing job of being the naïve scientist whose idea was corrupted by big business and money, John Lithgow, playing the part of Rodman’s father with Alzheimer’s disease, outshined his performance. The connection between Charles and Caesar was stronger, with them both sharing a common interest of taking the ‘cure’ and the respect and love the chimpanzee had for the human was shown when he was trying to protect him from the angry neighbour. This same bond wasn’t formed between Franco and the ape, or even Franco and his father; there was no convincing sense of devotion between them. Caroline played by Frieda Pinto was also a weak character with her making no real impact on the plot or atmosphere, producing a generally forgettable performance.

Overall, the stunning effects and well-thought out plotline dramatically overshadowed the few character flaws. Genuine anger towards the facility handlers was felt throughout the film, bringing issues of animal cruelty and testing back to the foreground. This was a convincing prequel to the much-loved original films and left several hints for future ‘ape’ movies which although no desperate anticipation would be felt would be well worth the watch, even if just for the visuals. 


7/10