The iconic âÂÂPlanet of the Apesâ series was rebooted August 5th with the premiere of âÂÂRise of the Planet of the Apes,” which aims to show the franchise in a more human light as it paves the way for the dethroning of the human race at the hands of its simian counterparts.
The film is a prequel of 1968âÂÂs âÂÂPlanet of the Apes,â the story of an American astronaut who travels to the future and finds that apes have become the dominant species of the planet, and humans are their mute slaves.
âÂÂRiseâ stars James Franco as Will Rodman, a scientist on the brink of producing a cure for AlzheimerâÂÂs. But before Will can market his research, the test subjects, apes, are abruptly put down. Unbeknownst to RodmanâÂÂs superiors, one of the test apes gave birth to a chimp, Caesar which has greater than normal intelligence.
The real stars of the film are the apes, largely due to the digital animators. For the first time in the 43-year history of the âÂÂApesâ franchise, the apes are completely digital and not costumed actors. These apes are realistic yet scarily human like.
Will raises the chimp but despite his care, Caesar discovers how different he is from his human peers. When Caesar attacks a neighbor for scolding WillâÂÂs diseased father, he gets sent to a primate sanctuary, where he is abused by the owners (Brian Cox and Tom Felton) and his fellow apes.
Eventually, the apes realize they have a common enemy and Caesar assumes leadership over them. Now with an army to support him, Caesar ignites an ape revolution in San Francisco.
Despite the trailer’s indications, this $90 million blockbuster is not an action film or a sci-fi thriller, although there are elements of both and it is marketed as such. In fact, for much of the movie, the plot has the pace of a drama. This is a showcase of the complexity of the primate mind: our cruelty, our power to love and our willingness to test the limits of nature. NICE
Director Rupert Wyatt challenges the audience to cheer for the apes. Because they look so human, one starts perceiving them as such. One begins to understand why theyâÂÂd want to wipe us all out based on the actions of the filmâÂÂs humans.
Freida Pinto (âÂÂSlumdog MillionaireâÂÂ), who plays ape doctor Caroline Aranha, has only aesthetic value. Pinto is given little impacting dialogue or action and appears to only be eye candy to attract a wider audience.
Tom Felton, known for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, once again plays a bully, this time in the form of Dodge Landon. LandonâÂÂs bullying is so effective that he sets the stage for one of the signature characteristics of the franchise: talking apes. When Landon attempts to tase Caesar into submission, the chimp yells âÂÂNO!â and grabs the Taser away from the frightened boy.
”Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It has intense man-to-simian violence and vice versa.