MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Stars: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Andy Serkis, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Richard Ridings, Devyn Dalton, Jay Caputo, Christopher Gordon, Tyler Labine, David Hewlett, Jamie Harris, Chelah Horsdal/Runtime: 105 minutes
If there is one thing that a cynical person like me finds, however perverse, a great delight in it would have to be just how many films out there can be tied to the concept of “people engaging in choices that eventually come back around to bite us”. Indeed an island theme park of dinosaurs goes on a bloody rampage? Well that possible fallout clearly didn’t get thought up when they decided to bring them back from the realm of extinction in the name of profit (though let’s be honest: that park was screwed the moment they hired Newman from Seinfeld to run their computer infrastructure). A giant lizard with radioactive breath decides to completely and utterly annihilate Tokyo? Well heck that’s kinda what humanity gets for deciding to test nuclear weapons without thinking that there would be any collateral damage whatsoever on the part of Mother Nature! Oh and a resurrected creature made up of various dead people comes back to life and causes a fair amount of chaos whilst searching for a purpose/identity in the world? Well that’s what happens when a mad scientist decides to break through barriers that we as human beings perhaps were never meant to break through and engage in that “timeless” scientific activity known as playing God. The reason I bring these examples up incidentally is because of all the cautionary stories out there, there is one franchise that I don’t think gets fully recognized as such. That being the Planet of the Apes franchise. A franchise that, beyond a few iconic lines, a gut-punch of a twist ending in the first film, a few iconic performances, and groundbreaking costume/make-up effects, is also one that uses its core narrative hook of an Earth where apes are now the dominant species on the planet to explore such ideas as humanity’s constant failure to learn from our mistakes finally catching up to us, the environment finally treating humanity the way so many of us tragically treat it, and even how it’s important that we treat everyone and everything with decency and respect lest we find ourselves one day in a position where we really wish that we had. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that such a thought-provoking franchise did *to no surprise* inspire a reboot from 2001 and yet remarkably that too managed to be quite the effective cautionary tale. That being one on how NOT to reboot a seminal franchise. A decade later though and we as movie goers soon waited with bated breath as Hollywood decided to dust the franchise off and give it yet another try with the 2011 slice of cinema, and film I am reviewing for you today incidentally, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Imagine my surprise to tell you then that apparently the second time is the charm because this film is. No it’s not perfect, but with the aid of skilled work on both sides of the camera Rise of the Planet of the Apes is definitely a solid little film that you are sure to go bananas for time and time again.
The plot is as follows: Getting underway in a fictional take on the long-ago year of 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (man that title is going to give me carpal tunnel with how often I’m going to have to type it) gets underway in the iconic City by the Bay (or San Francisco if you prefer formality). It is here where we are introduced to our main hero in the form of a young man by the name of Will Rodman. A young man who, among other things we could mention about him, is a member of that distinct community known as scientists. To be more precise, our hero is a pharmaceutical chemist for a biotech company known as Gen-Sys (the founder wasn’t exactly that clever when it came to coming up with a name apparently). It seems that for at least a few years now, our hero has taken it upon himself, for reasons both personal and professional, with testing an experimental viral-based drug known as ALZ-112 on chimpanzees in the hopes that this drug could prove to be the long-awaited cure for that infamous ailment known as Alzheimer’s disease. Yet despite Will’s recent test subject, a chimp known to the research team as Bright Eyes, showcasing a vast increase in terms of her intellect, we sadly soon have to watch when, in the midst of our hero giving a presentation on the drug to the board, Bright Eyes goes a wee bit on the ballistic side and is sadly put down out of *ahem* “safety concerns”. As a result, we see our hero’s boss, a more than slightly unscrupulous corporate-type named Steven Jacobs, makes the choice to have the project shut down and the remaining research subjects terminated. In the midst of shuttering the lab area down however, we, along with Will, soon uncover that the real reason Bright Eyes went ballistic wasn’t out of pure grade-A madness. Rather, it was because of one of the most powerful forces in the universe. That being the love of a mother for her baby. As such, we see Will (albeit somewhat reluctantly at first) make the choice to bring the infant chimp, who eventually is given the name Caesar, home. Yet it’s not until Will finds out that Caesar has actually acquired the same level of intellect that his late mother possessed via the ALZ-112 that our hero makes the choice to raise him in secret. 5 years on however, and we see that Caesar has now grown into an adult (?) chimp who is very much confused as to not only where he came from, but also where his place is in the world. Yet it isn’t until an inadvertent tragedy occurs that we see Caesar unjustly taken from those he loves most and become a, very reluctant, “guest” of an “ape sanctuary”. One that, upon seeing the injustices faced by his fellow primates-in-arms (or something to that effect) sees a seed of an idea planted in Caesar’s mind. An idea that, by the time it has reached fruition, could not only be more than just the greatest breakout this side of Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, but one which could also pit man and ape against one another with no less than the top spot on the planet hierarchy hanging in the balance….
Now right off, it should be pointed out that the work done by the various departments behind the camera here definitely all manage to do a terrific job at bringing this story vividly to life. This starts with the work done by Rupert Wyatt at the helm and honestly he does a more than commendable job with the material he is working with here. Indeed not only does Wyatt thankfully learn from how Burton handled the material back in 2001, but he also does a wonderful job of ensuring that the focus of the film remains not on the human characters, but on Caesar and his journey from infant to an aspiring Chimp Guevera if you will. We also see that this film benefits immensely by possessing a top-tier script as penned by Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa respectively. To be sure, it does manage to incorporate quite a few wink and nod moments toward the first film (some genuinely good and others that are sure to make you sigh/roll your eyes) into the mix, but perhaps the key thing that Silver and Jaffa do wonderfully here is that they make sure the script at the same also brings a wonderful degree of intellect into the proceedings as well. In other words: yes this slice of cinema does contain quite a bit of visual flair that is nothing short of incredible, but the script manages to do a beautiful job of really immersing us in thematic concepts tied to how exactly we as people treat animals on this planet. An immersion that the film, more often than not, manages to succeed at due in no small part to how the script manages to instill in us both a disgust toward how a fair amount of the characters that are people in this act and comprehension (if not being completely outright onboard with) in regard to how the characters that are apes (especially Caesar) decide to treat people as a response. Far and away though the best element to the work done behind the camera has to come from the special effects department. Yes, this particular team showed what they could do already with their work on bringing Gollum to life for Lord of the Rings. With the apes in this movie, with particular regard to the character of Caesar, however, not only did the team up their game considerably, but perhaps the most astonishing thing about the character is not the work done by the team to bring him to life. Rather, it’s the fact that special/visual effects were even utilized in the first place to conjure up for us a character that feels less like the result of movie sorcery and more like an actual chimpanzee interacting with the environment and human characters in this in a manner that feels refreshingly genuine. Suffice it to say that when you also factor into this distinct blend a musical accompaniment from Patrick Doyle (Carlito’s Way, Donnie Brasco, and the 1996 take on Hamlet among others) that, despite its similarities to the scores for a lot of other “Hollywood blockbusters” still manages to be quite the beautiful mix of naturalistic, emotional, and thrilling in equal measure, nothing short of gorgeous work from the late yet undeniably great Andrew Lesnie in the cinematography department, and skilled editing work from both Conrad Bluff and Mark Goldblatt even though there are definitely points where you wonder if perhaps 5-10 more minutes wouldn’t have been too bad among others it’s clear that this film might not be top banana-material by any means, but it’s also not just a group monkeying around either by any stretch.
Now alongside the more than capable work being done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing, this slice of cinema is also blessed with solid (albeit uneven to a fair degree) work from a talented collection of performances in front of the camera. This starts with none other than James Franco and honestly he is really good here both in showcasing Will’s heart and determination to both find this cure whilst also do right by both Caesar and his father, but also in how he beautifully conveys the struggles a grown child faces when taking care of a parent afflicted with Alzheimer’s. We are also treated to a wonderful performance from Frieda Pinto as Dr. Caroline Aranha. Yes the character is by and large treated by the film as a typical “love interest”, but even so there is no denying that Pinto manages to instill such a beautiful degree of both warmth and humanity to the part that she feels less like an archetype and more like an actual person. This slice of cinema also gives us a heartbreakingly beautiful turn here from John Lithgow in the role of Will’s father Charles. Yes, Lithgow has long been one of the most underrated talents that the silver screen, be it of the TV or movie variety, has blessed audiences with. In this film however, we see that Lithgow does a phenomenal and tear jerk-worthy job at bringing to life for us one of the more authentic portrayals of an individual that has been afflicted with Alzheimer’s and struggling in their fight against it that I have seen in some time. Indeed in many respects, if Caesar is the soul of the film then the work done by Lithgow here is very much the heart of it and, in another reality, would definitely have garnered him an Supporting Oscar nod at the least. Far and away though, the best performance in this entire film is one that comes from none other than Andy Serkis in the role of Caesar. Indeed, through the art of mo-cap work that he utilized to bring such iconic characters as Gollum and King Kong to life, we see that Serkis does a masterful job here at not only bringing a soul and nuance to the role, but also in masterfully showcasing for us this character’s growth on both an emotional and intellectual level. As a result, not only do you find yourself actually rooting for this character, but you are also able to empathize and relate to him in a way that is nothing short of incredible. Suffice it to say that this is without question not only the best performance in the film, but easily one of the best in the year this film came out and the fact that Serkis didn’t even get nominated for an Oscar to me is nothing short of a travesty. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in pretty good work from such individuals as David Oyelowo who is appropriately smarmy and scheming in his role of Will’s boss Steven Jacobs, Brian Cox (even though this is definitely the kind of role he could play in his sleep with how often he has played it), Tom Felton (despite the fact that he not only has the most groan-worthy moment in the film, but also seems like he is playing Draco Malfoy again), Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Christopher Gordon, Tyler Labine, and David Hewlett among others it’s clear that while a lot of the performances in this can undeniably be reduced to mere archetypes, the work done by the cast in those roles definitely helps elevate them and then some.
All in all and at the end of the day is Rise of the Planet of the Apes a perfect slice of cinema? Sadly no though honestly that’s a pretty high bar to attain. With that being said though, is this the worst slice of cinema to deal with fairly intelligent monkeys since either the 2001 Planet of the Apes or 1996’s Dunston Checks In? Honestly (and thankfully for my peace of mind) I can definitely say that’s not the case though in all fairness I do remember much younger Alan getting a few chuckles out of the latter movie so I suppose it did have something worthwhile about it at that time. All sarcastic-tinged nostalgia aside dear reader, I can’t lie when I say that I really do dig the heck out of this particular movie. Yes, the cast of human characters in this aren’t as fleshed out as they really could be, yes things do wrap up quite a bit abruptly here, and yes the work done by the editing department (despite being an all-around good effort) does make me strongly suspect that there was material cut from this film that perhaps shouldn’t have been cut from this movie. With that in mind however, the work done behind the camera (especially in regards to the direction and visual effects) is a cinematic grand slam and the work in front of the camera by the talented cast is solid though the performance given by Andy Serkis is most assuredly next level in every sense of the word. Suffice it to say then that it might not reach the heights set by the legendary original from 1968, but Rise of the Planet of the Apes is definitely one surprisingly well-done cinematic equivalent to the big red franchise reset button that would prove to lay the groundwork for a series of films that, with 3 entries to its name, has managed to make audiences go bananas the world over for each new installment that we have been treated to. As for whether or not the 4th one is able to achieve the same amount of love and adoration we shall have to wait and see because whilst I would like to answer in the affirmative I also don’t want to be accused of monkeying around either. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Rise of the Planet of the Apes a solid 3.5 out of 5.
