Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Some movie franchises are meant to expire and give way to other movies in similar lines; then some franchises are continued decades later. For 20th Century Fox’s “Planet of the Apes” movies the sequels, spinoffs, and even remakes have all felt flat from the original 1968 Charlton Heston sci-fi epic. However, in the recent development of franchise reboots (Batman Begins, The Amazing Spider-Man), sometimes old ideas can inspire a whole new generation. Such is the case in ” Rise of the Planet of the Apes”, not a sequel or remake, but rather a fresh start in the series that is just as good as the original.

“Rise…” stars James Franco (Milk, 127 Hours) as Will, a brilliant young scientist looking to cure the Alzheimer’s disease in his father Charles, played by John Lithgow (TV’s 3rd Rock from the Sun, Shrek). Will has a retro virus that he has found works on chimpanzees but needs funding to get human trials going. At a presentation for investors, one of the apes crashes into the meeting then is killed by security. Later it is discovered that she was only protecting her newly born baby, which Will decides to take home with him. Will and Charles form a love for the little guy, who they name Caesar. As the little guy grows up over a span of 5 years, he soon becomes a genius outsmarting even some humans. When he needs medical attention, Will brings him to Zoo veterinarian Caroline, played by Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Immortals). Will and Caroline begin a relationship while bringing Caesar to state parks to run around freely, but when Charles gets in trouble with angry neighbors the chimp gets defensive and protects Charles…aggressively. This scene causes Caesar to be imprisoned in an ape sanctuary ran by a cruel Brian Cox (Manhunter, X2: X-Men United). There Caesar is taught brutality from other apes and jailers. What he teaches them is how to fight back, and ultimately how to escape.

The best way to describe this is just like the original “Planet of the Apes”, but backwards and closer in themes to “Spartacus”. Even though Franco gets top billing, it’s really Caesar who is the star. Actor Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, King Kong (2005)) brings our hero to life in vivid reality. Though he is mute, Caesar can communicate through sign-language quite fluently. Even without dialogue, Serkis is able to mime a truly great performance that rivals his earlier “Gollum”. Additionally, he manages in rallying fellow apes to be his soldiers in an uprising to be free of humans once and for all by giving his cellmates a taste of the retrovirus. If you have to reboot a franchise, this is the way to do it. The thrills don’t just come from the action, though the Golden Gate Bridge climax is very exciting, but in the discovery and development of Caesar’s intelligence. This is a coming of age story for an animal wrapped in a revolutionary war.

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is not just the best movie of the summer, but certainly one of the best of the year. Come for the special effects, stay for the great storytelling.