Movies in general, and Summer movies in particular, seem to be less and less surprising to me. Stories often feel recycled and their execution is tired. At the very least I feel like I already know what to expect when I get to the theater. That last issue is my own fault. Too often I get excited about films and I spend hours researching them and reading reviews. Before I ever get to the theater I already know what's going to be good and what will disappoint. This summer was no exception. Super 8 was fun, if a little derivative. Harry Potter was climactic and exciting (but a little too quick). Cars 2 was a bust. I knew this going in and in a way it lessened my appreciation or excitement for these films. Then at the end of the summer, along comes Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A film that should've been dismissed simply for its title, but surprisingly wasn't. Critics and moviegoers began to take notice and respond well. Like other movies of the summer I followed the reviews and the box office for ROTPOTA and was shocked as anyone else that it was doing so well; until I saw the film.
Even after high expectations and review overload I went to see Apes and went bananas for it! It was thrilling, emotionally involving (weird right?) and it left me wanting more in the best way possible. The story is simple enough. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist trying to discover a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but loses his funding after one of the apes he was testing the drug on goes berserk. Turns out the ape's reaction wasn't to the drug, she was simply trying to protect her baby. The baby, Caesar (played amazingly well by Lord of the Rings' Andy Serkis) becomes Will's new test subject when he discovers Caesar inherited the effects of the drug . Will secretly begins to study Caesar at his own home. Why does Will have such a desire to cure Alzheimer's? Turns out his father suffers from the disease.
Caesar begins to develop faster than other chimps. He has an increased vocabulary (in sign language) beyond any other ape. He soon becomes a part of Will and his father's family. But after Caesar attacks a neighbor while defending Will's dad, he's sent to a facility for apes (think ape prison or an ape pound.) It doesn't take long for Caesar to realize not all humans are as friendly as Will and his dad. He also discovers that not all apes are as smart as he is. Using his advanced intellect, Caesar frees himself and his counterparts at the pound. He also exposes the apes to the same serum that made him hyper-intelligent. Now Caesar has become the leader of the revolution of evolution. The apes are free to take revenge on their human captors.
The premise is a bit silly, but it's fun and extremely well executed and it ties in nicely to the original film. The genius, however, lies in the amazing special effects and above all the brilliant performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar. I was a little upset after Lord of the Rings that Serkis got no Academy recognition for his role as Gollum. Sure it was a CGI character, but Serkis was on set same as all the other actors and his movement and facial features are what we saw on screen. Sadly, I feel Serkis won't get any recognition for POTA either, but he definitely deserves it. It's exciting to watch him perform.
Sure the movie has its weaknesses as well. The human characters are much less interesting than the apes, but the actors do a great job of playing their types (particularly John Lithgow as Will's dad). I feel bad for Freida Pinto, the lovely actress from Slumdog Millionaire, who plays Will's girlfriend. She really has no point except to remind Will that Caesar needs to have a normal life. Pinto is much more talented than the material allowed her to be. The film also can go over-the-top with some of the action scenes, but I forgive that offense, because it's so cool to watch apes terrorize San Francisco.
I can't wait for the sequel to this movie, provided it is as engaging as this film. I think the idea of showing the war between humans and apes could be very fun, but it needs to be handled delicately. We all remember how bad a Planet of the Apes movie can be, right? However this movie is my vote for best of the summer 2011! Bring on the War for the Planet of the Apes! (I call dibs on that movie title!)
4/5
