Film Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

The fact that this movie manages not only to exceed expectations, albeit pretty low ones considering how many people (myself included) seriously questioned the need for another Planet of the Apes story especially after seeing its tacky initial previews, but also to warrant a new, rebooted franchise is incredible.  Although it fails to soar like the classic Charleton Heston-led original Planet of the Apes (1968), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) is the next-best-thing as it breathes unimaginable life into the storied series that has seen some pretty bad lows (i.e. Tim Burton’s remake Planet of the Apes [2001]).  It has several flaws, including weak human character development and some narrative deficiencies (i.e. typical prequel problems like an abrupt ending).  However, it features remarkable special effects (the cheesy trailers don’t give the final product justice by any means), fairly compelling drama, and interesting continuity devices that ought to please fans.  Furthermore, and perhaps most cleverly, the film engages the audience to side with the apes rather than the humans, for the most part, as viewers will feel genuine emotion for Caesar, the movie’s true protagonist/lead character.  In short, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is more entertaining than you would expect and could imagine; it is one of this summer’s biggest surprise hits.

 

Unless you are Colonel George Taylor and just flew through a wormhole/time warp, you know how this story ends or at least where it is headed but this movie illustrates how it all began.  Will Rodman, a brilliant young geneticist working in a San Francisco lab called Genisys, has been developing a “cure” to Alzheimer’s and testing it on chimpanzees.  After an investment pitch goes terribly awry and the company’s hopes for the drug all but disappear, Will takes his work home with him, literally.   He finds out that the prized ape “Bright Eyes” had a baby chimp and takes it home until he can find a better place for it; of course, he discovers that it has inherited its mother’s improved intelligence capabilities and cannot let it go – it becomes part of the family.  The film then accelerates forward as the chimp, now named Caesar, ages and becomes increasingly intelligent.

Meanwhile, Will’s father Charles, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, deteriorates as his dementia progresses, thus pressing Will to administer the drug on his own father, cutting through years of bureaucratic red tape and medical precautions.  To his surprise and elation, Charles not only instantly improves but also gains some intelligence capacities as well.  However, the improvement is short-lived as Charles’ immune system adapts and destroys the virus in his system; his disease fought back with a vengeance and is worse than ever.

This leads to a scuffle with a neighbor in which Caesar intervenes and ultimately gets taken away because of its brutal attack.  Under court order, Caesar goes to an “ape sanctuary” where its hostile zookeepers and survival-of-the-fittest chimps, orangutans, and gorillas turn it into a sort of monster and makes it realize it belongs among them, not with humans.  This is the staging point for the evolutionary revolution that eventually conquers the world and enslaves humans.

Contrary to popular preconceptions, Rise of the Planet of the Apes features astonishing special effects.  The computer-generated images (CGI) are practically seamless and rarely appear as artificial or over-the-top goofy.  The big action scenes, which are actually limited until the final act, are clear and distinct, not muddled by many overwhelming quick-cuts, poor cinematography, or useless 3D.  The photography is even beautiful or clever at times (i.e. forest shots, Golden Gate Bridge shroud of fog).  Beyond the simple look of the creatures, viewers are able to distinguish actual acting and emotions of the apes.  In particular, motion-capture legend Andy Serkis, who has previously portrayed King Kong and Gollum, perfectly brings Caesar to life.  In fact, Caesar is the only character that viewers have a genuine emotional attachment to, much thanks to Serkis’ brilliant performance that shines through the CGI.  He makes sympathizing with Caesar, the real “hero” of the story, easier to digest, an astounding feat considering viewers are rooting against humans and for the apes’ rise.

The same cannot be said for Caesar’s human counterparts, because the characters are poorly written and/or the principal cast members give lackluster performances.  Of course, with every rule or claim an exception exists and John Lithgow is it; he gives a touching depiction of Charles Rodman’s sufferings from Alzheimer’s disease.  James Franco, however, turns in a serviceable but uninspiring performance as the main human character Will Rodman.  Furthermore, when the main human character actually seems more like a supporting character by the end of the film, you know that either the characters or performances are poorly written or portrayed.  Freida Pinto, famous for playing “Latika” from Slumdog Millionaire (2008), is Will’s love interest Caroline Aranha.  Her character is nearly useless (apart from some cautionary advice about playing god) and even their relationship is unconvincing; this is not because Pinto gives a particularly bad performance, rather the character really has only a handful of lines so she had little to work with anyway.  Typical bad-guy Brian Cox and Tom Felton (who brings his “Draco Malfoy” persona) play John and Dodge Landon, father and son operators of the ape zoo; they are decent but nothing special (Cox, though, seems to get limited by his minor character as well).  Tyler Labine appears more than I anticipated and gives a solid performance as Will’s lab partner Robert Franklin, a surprisingly crucial character in the grand scheme of the story.  David Oyelowo plays the primary antagonist Genisys CEO Steven Jacobs.  He is fine but again the human characters’ everyday issues (i.e. business politics) seem trite when all is said and done, thus rendering his character somewhat obsolete, much like most of the human characters who take a back seat to the apes’ screen-time.  Whether this is entirely good or bad for the film is hard to say, since Caesar is the actual protagonist, but after a while any human-centered scenes without the apes seem insignificant and only pass time.

Nonetheless, Rupert Wyatt’s stylish direction, brisk pace, and clever focus help make Rise of the Planet of the Apes a very entertaining summer blockbuster.  Also, Given the fact that the film works in spite of sparse dialogue and CGI apes getting most of the screen-time is remarkable.  Caesar’s development is compelling and affecting, particularly during its rise to the top of the ranks at the zoo.  Wyatt’s direction and pace is energetic, rarely dragging or lingering too long (except when it comes to some human relationships).  In addition, he hands the large action sequence towards the end of the movie rather well; for example, the spear-wielding scene is terrifyingly awesome.  Patrick Doyle, on a roll after making Thor’s (2011) triumphant soundtrack, composes an equally lively and at times great score here (frankly, the alarm-ring found in the trailer and the song “Zoo Breakout” could have been used more for a bigger, epic and chilling feel).  In sum, Wyatt understood that an Apes film needs to focus on the emotional and moral side of the story rather than a straight-up action flick; in that sense, he has made an Apes film worthy of being considered the classic original’s prequel.

I haven’t seen the original Planet of the Apes all the way through, nor have I seen any of its sequels or the 1970s TV show (and thankfully, the mediocre Tim Burton 2001 remake is completely disregarded here in terms of continuity), but Rise of the Planet of the Apes does a clever job at paying homage to the original film and TV show while developing the grounds for a new series of Apes films.  For instance, the mentions of the space shuttle Icarus and its eventual “lost-in-space” headline is a neat reference to the original.  The end credits scene quickly tells the tale of mankind’s downfall that is not hokey as “the apes beat humans into submission;” besides, one must remember the takeover is a gradual endeavor as the intelligent apes must breed an entire evolved race.  Rather than fall for the trap of “the apes can beat mankind’s numbers and military strength in a present-day world”, the movie gives a fairly plausible scenario that accelerates the collapse and defeat; it is a great setup for possible sequels, if this movie is profitable enough.

On the other hand, the central problem(s) relate to the fact that it is an origins story; the film cannot escape the curse of prequels.  We know that the apes must break free and eventually take over the world.  But perhaps more detrimental to the audience’s appreciation of this barely standalone film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ story literally stops.  If you consider how insignificant the apes’ mayhem caused in San Francisco is to the world, at that moment, then you may feel a bit cheated since the story is somewhat unsatisfying.  In other words, the film feels like a part of something bigger, much like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) but without the guarantee of a sequel.  The global situation is unchanged, apart from the concise credits scene (which may or may not be a part of the sequel), and viewers receive minimal closure.  Nevertheless, the story of how Caesar and the other apes evolve is still a highly entertaining piece of cinema, even if you leave the theater wanting more.

X-Men: First Class (2011) gets top honors as the most surprising summer blockbuster since it not only was as unlikely or not expected to succeed but also turned out to be one of the year’s finest films thus far, whereas Rise of the Planet of the Apes offers solid entertainment and a great diversion but misses the mark on one too many levels to be as satisfying, compelling, or unforgettable.

Nonetheless, since the movie not only manages to cleverly set up a potential new series of Apes films but also convinces many moviegoers and critics to call for sequels is a noteworthy achievement.  Apart from Caesar’s reciting a line, the film steers clear from over-the-top campiness for the most part.  Moreover, with the burdensome task of creating an origins story out of the way, perhaps the famous franchise will soar with its loads of potential (i.e. Caesar’s struggles against more brutal apes while depicting mankind’s downfall as well) to make an epic, intellectually stimulating sequel that is far greater than the original or previous installments, something film franchises haven’t really accomplished in a sequel since The Dark Knight (2008), which has become and continues to entrench itself as a benchmark film in many respects.  Thanks to the solid pre-boot Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we can sincerely hope for sequels in the Planet of the Apes series.  Check this one out in theaters, at least as a matinee or definitely as a rental.

 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes – 7.5/10

 

 

 

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