Jason KingRise of the Planet of the Apes: A Review
July 29th 2011 22:46
:
AWESOME!!
Category: Reviews
Why would you continue to endeavour to tell the story of a classic that had two sequels and a disliked remake? Because you can - that's why....... And because you can tell parts of the story never told before and explain the premise of all the others. This film is an origins film and in my opinion quite possibly the best origins film ever told. It is better than the most recent XMen film and better than all the Star Wars origins films combined. It is a brilliant piece of story telling that is filled with so much heart and emotion.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes tells how Apes began to run the world and enslave the remaining humans that weren't wiped out. It is hard to tell this story without giving away spoilers so I will keep it short.
It centres on Will Rodman, played successfully by James Franco, who is trying to create a genetically engineered cure for Alzheimer's disease to cure his father, Charles, played by John Lithgow. All is on track until, due to an unfortunate circumstance everything goes pear shaped. The funding is stopped on his research and all the chimps are ordered to be destroyed. There is one baby chimp that no one will destroy. So Will takes baby "Caesar" home to look after until a home can be found. What Will discovers is baby Caesar has a strong dosage of the cure in his body from his mother. This cure has increased the chimp's intelligence astronomically and looks like it could be a successful cure for Alezheimer's.
Caesar develops faster than children of his age and becomes part of the family. But all chimps must grow and Caesar cannot deny his true nature while the rest of the world will fear him.
Part of the success of this film is in the heart of it and the emotional questions it asks with racism and the treatment of animals. Is Caesar an equal or a pet? If you were treated as a pet how would you react with an exponentially increasing IQ? This emotional and soulful questions will bond the audience to this film. It is hard not to like and you have no heart if you don't have the thoughts of "I want one" of baby Caesar
.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes treats all the previous films with incredible respect and explains them with surprising credibility. It does them honour and you will constantly be going "oh, that's where that came from". During the film the spaceship even leaves Earth on it's way to Mars, the actual beginning of the original Planet of the Apes. You will see how evolution and "what monkey see, monkey do" came about.
I never expected this film to be as good as it was and it was a huge surprise. I was ecstatic at how they pulled it off. The acting is fine, with Lithgow and Franco clear standouts. I should also give massive credit to Gollum, oops sorry, Andy Serkis, who (of course) plays Caesar. He isn't in a costume but more covered with wires so they could CGI him - just like they did for Gollum. It should be known that this is the first Apes film that does not have actors playing Apes but is a CGI wonderland created with "standing ovation" worthy effects by WETA, the people best known for their work on Avatar. The realism of the Apes is astounding. Caesar's facial expressions and body movements are just chilling. It is getting really close until actors will not be required.
I do also have to mention asshole Draco Malfoy, oops again, Tom Felton, that looks set to be pencilled in for every asshole role for teenagers. He does that smirk so well and is part of the reason that Caesar turns against humanity. Freida Pinto, best known for her part in Slumdog Millionaire was basically a love interest and IMO not really needed for the story. I would have preferred to have seen Will as the obsessed scientist who grows his heart through his love of Caesar.
Director, Rupert Wyatt, is a relative unknown and again I am surprised they are giving films to relative unknowns to make. I believe it is something to do with payments they will receive and the fact that if they can pull it off then they can become hugely successful but if they screw it up the director will cop all the blame and the studio will lose some money but come out generally unscathed. Well they are in for a big budget increase with this film. It is going to go busters!! Wyatt has made the well received THE ESCAPIST and is co-founder of successful UK production house Picture Farm. He has maestroed a hugely well made film and did it all with CGI effects galore. I look forward to his future works.
The biggest success of this film is probably the writing. They followed the writing of the original master, Pierre Boulle, who wrote all the original material for the original movies and TV show. This guy pretty much lived Planet of the Apes in his head. They could not actually consult or hire him as he died in 1994 but I think he would pass a positive review in his grave somewhere. It was all written together by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who have worked together over the years on such things as The Relic, Eye for an Eye and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. They managed to create the essence of the first while paying homage and respect it. It is a tour de force of origins writing and I applaud them.
While I love the heart and soul of this film the one thing that may let the film down is too much of the heart and essence. The film is marketed as an action film and when the action starts you will be gobsmacked but it takes it time getting there while it builds its momentum and backstory. I thought it was perfectly handled and was like a simmering volcano because you know it is coming and it builds to this crescendo of violence. But some people may get fidgety.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes releases this coming Thursday 4th August 2011 and for me it is close to perfection. It is worth an easy 9 out of 10 and my thought of the day on this: If you are on a horse and a gorilla is charging you full steam - do not attempt to charge back. Turn that bloody horse around and ride like the wind!
Rise of the Planet of the Apes tells how Apes began to run the world and enslave the remaining humans that weren't wiped out. It is hard to tell this story without giving away spoilers so I will keep it short.
It centres on Will Rodman, played successfully by James Franco, who is trying to create a genetically engineered cure for Alzheimer's disease to cure his father, Charles, played by John Lithgow. All is on track until, due to an unfortunate circumstance everything goes pear shaped. The funding is stopped on his research and all the chimps are ordered to be destroyed. There is one baby chimp that no one will destroy. So Will takes baby "Caesar" home to look after until a home can be found. What Will discovers is baby Caesar has a strong dosage of the cure in his body from his mother. This cure has increased the chimp's intelligence astronomically and looks like it could be a successful cure for Alezheimer's.
Caesar develops faster than children of his age and becomes part of the family. But all chimps must grow and Caesar cannot deny his true nature while the rest of the world will fear him.
Part of the success of this film is in the heart of it and the emotional questions it asks with racism and the treatment of animals. Is Caesar an equal or a pet? If you were treated as a pet how would you react with an exponentially increasing IQ? This emotional and soulful questions will bond the audience to this film. It is hard not to like and you have no heart if you don't have the thoughts of "I want one" of baby Caesar
.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes treats all the previous films with incredible respect and explains them with surprising credibility. It does them honour and you will constantly be going "oh, that's where that came from". During the film the spaceship even leaves Earth on it's way to Mars, the actual beginning of the original Planet of the Apes. You will see how evolution and "what monkey see, monkey do" came about.
I never expected this film to be as good as it was and it was a huge surprise. I was ecstatic at how they pulled it off. The acting is fine, with Lithgow and Franco clear standouts. I should also give massive credit to Gollum, oops sorry, Andy Serkis, who (of course) plays Caesar. He isn't in a costume but more covered with wires so they could CGI him - just like they did for Gollum. It should be known that this is the first Apes film that does not have actors playing Apes but is a CGI wonderland created with "standing ovation" worthy effects by WETA, the people best known for their work on Avatar. The realism of the Apes is astounding. Caesar's facial expressions and body movements are just chilling. It is getting really close until actors will not be required.
I do also have to mention asshole Draco Malfoy, oops again, Tom Felton, that looks set to be pencilled in for every asshole role for teenagers. He does that smirk so well and is part of the reason that Caesar turns against humanity. Freida Pinto, best known for her part in Slumdog Millionaire was basically a love interest and IMO not really needed for the story. I would have preferred to have seen Will as the obsessed scientist who grows his heart through his love of Caesar.
Director, Rupert Wyatt, is a relative unknown and again I am surprised they are giving films to relative unknowns to make. I believe it is something to do with payments they will receive and the fact that if they can pull it off then they can become hugely successful but if they screw it up the director will cop all the blame and the studio will lose some money but come out generally unscathed. Well they are in for a big budget increase with this film. It is going to go busters!! Wyatt has made the well received THE ESCAPIST and is co-founder of successful UK production house Picture Farm. He has maestroed a hugely well made film and did it all with CGI effects galore. I look forward to his future works.
The biggest success of this film is probably the writing. They followed the writing of the original master, Pierre Boulle, who wrote all the original material for the original movies and TV show. This guy pretty much lived Planet of the Apes in his head. They could not actually consult or hire him as he died in 1994 but I think he would pass a positive review in his grave somewhere. It was all written together by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver who have worked together over the years on such things as The Relic, Eye for an Eye and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. They managed to create the essence of the first while paying homage and respect it. It is a tour de force of origins writing and I applaud them.
While I love the heart and soul of this film the one thing that may let the film down is too much of the heart and essence. The film is marketed as an action film and when the action starts you will be gobsmacked but it takes it time getting there while it builds its momentum and backstory. I thought it was perfectly handled and was like a simmering volcano because you know it is coming and it builds to this crescendo of violence. But some people may get fidgety.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes releases this coming Thursday 4th August 2011 and for me it is close to perfection. It is worth an easy 9 out of 10 and my thought of the day on this: If you are on a horse and a gorilla is charging you full steam - do not attempt to charge back. Turn that bloody horse around and ride like the wind!
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