Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine, Jamie Harris
This summer, CGI’s been presented mainly as a gimmick – in good ways, like in Thor, in okay ways, like in Cowboys & Aliens and in nauseating ways, like in Transformers Dark of the Moon. While Rise of the Planet of the Apes is packed with digitally created apes, they are in no way comparable to the CGI planets, aliens and robots we’ve seen in the past few month; they’re as real as they can be without actually being chimps in the flesh. But, even more importantly, they’re not just pretty props used to wow the audience. They’re authentic characters with personalities, feelings and traits that will undoubtedly earn your compassion.
Will (James Franco) is a lead scientist at a facility in San Francisco, currently working on a cure for Alzheimer’s. When a test on an ape, whom the teams calls Bright Eyes, proves Will’s latest formula is a success, his boss, Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo), arranges to present the results to their wealthy investors. Problem is, Bright Eyes is having a bad day and her poor behavior chases away the investors and compels Steven to shut down the entire operation, which includes putting down all of their test subjects. When Will’s left to kill one last ape, Bright Eyes’ newborn, he just can’t bear it and takes Caesar (Andy Serkis) home to raise as his own.
Turns out, some of the formula matriculated from mother to son and not only are damaged portions of Caesar’s brain healed, but he experiences growth making him exceptionally bright. All is well for the first few years, but as Caesar grows smarter, larger and much stronger, calling a suburban neighborhood home is no longer an option and he’s sent away to a Chimpanzee sanctuary with less than ideal accommodations. Will, Steven and the sanctuary employees underestimate Caesar and before long, Caesar gets past his homesickness, embraces his new housemates and brings them up to his intelligence status.
There’s some very smart composition here. What makes Rise of the Planet of the Apes particularly effective is the writers’ ability to root the material that borderlines on the absurd in wholly relatable relationships and emotions. Will isn’t some abnormally good looking scientist that gets lucky; he’s a man with a personal investment in this operation as his father, Charles (John Lithgow), suffers from Alzheimer’s himself. Nearly every decision Will makes is fueled by his determination to save his father, making the first act of the film quite sensible and impressively endearing.
Still, the better relationship arises when Caesar comes into Will’s life because not only does he change Will, but Charles, too, and the overlap enriches the scenario extensively. As Caesar ages, his growing ferocity is never abated, but whenever he acts out, it’s in an innocent fashion or to protect someone he loves, making his separation from Will truly heartbreaking.
Then again, that change brings an even greater element to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the portion that stars Caesar. This is really Serkis’ movie. Without his knowhow in the motion capture realm and his sheerly beautiful performance, Caesar could not have come to life in such an authentic fashion, nor the film for that matter. With nearly zero dialogue, Serkis manages to convey an absolutely incredible amount through facial expressions and psychical behavior.
The character is also supported by the wonderful dichotomy of Caesar’s course of action. In a way, he’s both the protagonist and antagonist of this film. In the first portion, Will’s the leading man while Steven assumes the role of the villain. During that time, there’s this foreboding rumbling that something’s boiling within Caesar and then, in the second act, it manifests into something quite fearful. However, through rather reserved yet profound behavior, Caesar hints that his intentions are nobler than the humans suspect. Many of the characters are shown in this ever-changing light, which keeps you on your toes and engaged from beginning to end.
As successful as Rise of the Planet of the Apes is, there are a couple of subpar elements that stand out quite a bit courtesy of the great achievements in the rest of the piece. First off, Freida Pinto’s Caroline Aranha, a zoo medic that treats Caesar early on in the film, is a menial love interest for Will. No fault of Pinto’s as she does manage to make an impressive impact with the little importance her character is given, but, ultimately, she’s got zero effect on the grander story and the film would have been perfectly fine without her.
Plus, perhaps her exclusion would have freed up some more time for Tyler Labine as the research facility’s ape handler, Robert Franklin. He’s not a particularly deep character, but he does get swept up in an element of the film that needs more attention, the drug’s effect on humans. The results are touched upon through Franklin’s experience, but the repercussions are basically ignored. This is just such a curious aspect of the story and then the film carries on as though nothing ever happened.
Regardless, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an entirely enthralling experience. It’s not some showy use of digital technology through raucous action sequences or some ridiculous sci-fi nonsense; it’s exhilarating, charming and surprisingly packs the power to be a bit of a tearjerker. Of all the big budget productions to drop this summer, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is certainly one of the best.
Technical: A-
Acting: A-
Story: B+
Overall: A-
