Anyone who grew up in the sixties and seventies will remember the impact of the iconic Planet of the Apes series. The series was based on a 1963 book by Pierre Boulle, followed by a 1968 film starring Charlton Heston. It was followed by a series of films in the 1970s that varied in quality. When Tim Burton remade the original in 2001, it flopped. While I was anxious to see the 2011 incarnation, I was also cautiously optimistic. It is a franchise that has been done poorly more often than it has been done well. Rise of the Planet of the Apes falls into the category of well done.
I had two initial impressions while watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes the first time. First, it appeared to be prequel to the original. The original actually takes place in two places. The first is a distant "sister planet" where the concept is developed. But the events also take place on Earth at some future point in time. The events preceding this evolution were never explored, giving this film fertile soil to grow. My other impression was that this film is more than a prequel. It felt like a set up to a serial project (which it was). While the film fills in a lot of blanks, it also sets events in motion that would naturally be picked up in the subsequent films. Based on the quality of this iteration, I was destined to be among the target audience for the subsequent films.
So how did our planet come to be inhabited by intelligent apes? It all begins with an experiment to cure Alzheimers. The issue is very close to the heart of scientist Will Rodman (James Franco). Rodman's father, Charles (John Lithgow), is in advanced stages of Alzheimers. Rodman is consumed by his quest to develop ALZ112 to allow the brain the capacity to repair itself. His quest is hindered by the corporation that funds his research. They are more interested in making money than they are in the actual empirical process involved in Rodman's research. When an experiment appears to go wrong, the program is shut down and the apes are exterminated. All of them except one.
The surviving chimp is a newborn, whose intellect was passed on genetically from his mother, Bright Eyes. Rodman does not have the heart to euthanize the baby, so he takes him home. Charles draws an immediate bond with the chimp and names him Caesar (Andy Serkis) after the Shakespeare play. Caesar demonstrates an incredible intellect as several years pass. Meanwhile, Rodman develops a love interest and discovers flaws in ALZ112 that he feels he can cure. He develops ALZ113 as a more rapid delivery system for the drug to counteract antibodies that attack the original version in humans. While launching intellect in humans, Rodman is unwittingly launching the demise of humans. When Caesar perceives an attack on Charles by a arrogant neighbor, he defends his protector. When Caesar is sent to a compound for apes, his leadership is slowly established and his plan for freedom is hatched. This eventually results in the first battle of the war between apes and humans.
I like the way Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver has used Boulle's work for inspiration. The pair have worked together on a couple of other projects that I am less familiar with. While tying their prequel closely to the original story, they also manage to pay hommage to the original. Subtle "Easter Eggs" are planted throughout the movie. From classic lines lifted from the original film to a 3-D Statute of Liberty puzzle that Caesar plays with, the original film remains tightly seamed to this prequel. The writers also toyed with my emotions effectively. I was impressed with their ability to move me with a CGI character. That is a testament to a carefully constructed script that included strong characters, depth, balance and an interesting plot. While I was familiar with the concept, the delivery of this project managed to remain true to the story while interjecting unique qualities.
I am glad Franco was chosen for the lead role in this film. His performance elevated the story. His interaction with Caesar was seamless, completing an illusion that completely sucked me in. I also liked the chemistry between Franco and Lithgow, which added a strong emotional element to the story. I like Lithgow but felt he overplayed the alzheimers a tad bit at one point. This issue is close to me since I watched my grandmother slowly taken by this disease over the course of a decade. While the disease related element was overplayed, Lithgow mostly did an exceptional job with the role. His general state of confusion was believable when they didn't push the envelope. Rodman's love interest is played by Freida Pinto, who added a bit of dimension to the story but may have been slightly overlooked. I would have liked her in a more active role.
In discussing Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I would be remiss if I did not address the special effects. While the film has an explosive finale, the workaday special effects impressed me most. Simple scenes of our CGI chimp Caesar interacting with the world around him provided an opportunity for the artists on this project to showcase their skills. While it was obvious we were viewing primates that were created by CGI, the motion and movements were fluid and credible. More believable was the interaction of the CGI creatures with their environment. The effects were superbly blended for an experience that fits the bill as "eye candy." I was drawn in by the illusion and mesmerized by it. I also enjoyed the individuality of the CGI characters which showed attention to detail.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is rated PG-13. This is a classic series that I would certainly show leniency to regarding the rating. It is violent. It has the type of violence that causes nightmares in children. From an adults perspective, the violence was contextual and showed a reverence for human life that wasn't applied so freely to the CGI creatures. However, the violence to animals themes and violence between animals and humans was enough to issue a word of warning if your children are prone to nightmares. IMDB issues a warning about sexuality that is lost on me. I don't recall anything sexual in this film, unless you count an adult male and female asleep in the same bed and maybe a kiss or two at a picnic. This rating seems to be derived from the violence and is appropriately applied.
I am more than satisfied with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I recall anxiously awaiting this film, hoping that it would not disappoint. While there was room for improvement, this film was probably the best since the original in 1968. That is about as high a compliment I can pay to the artists who made this film happen. My biggest fear was that the studios would sacrifice quality in an attempt to capitalize on the success, which appears to have been the case with some of the early 1970s films. I am a fan of this franchise and anxiously awaited the sequels. Which, thus far, have not disappointed. 8/10.
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