Rise of the Planet of the Apes

A loose prequel to the five-film Planet of the Apes series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes follows genetic scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) as he inadvertently creates a smart, cunning ape (Andy Serkis’ Caesar) while attempting to cure Alzheimer’s disease – with the bulk of the proceedings subsequently revolving around Caesar’s ongoing efforts at finding his place in contemporary society. Filmmaker Rupert Wyatt has infused Rise of the Planet of the Apes with an almost astonishingly slick and fast-paced sensibility that proves impossible to resist, with the movie’s pervasively watchable atmosphere heightened by its top-notch cast and inherently compelling premise. It is, as a result, fairly easy to overlook the less-than-convincing nature of the movie’s computer-generated special effects, as Serkis and the various animators do a fantastic job of transforming Caesar into a compelling and unexpectedly sympathetic figure. The mindlessly entertaining vibe persists right up until the film enters its comparatively underwhelming midsection, with Wyatt’s decision to stress Caesar’s unpleasant exploits within a rundown ape sanctuary – complete with needlessly callous minders – only exacerbating the narrative’s decidedly uneven feel. (There reaches a point, after all, at which one can’t help but wish that the filmmakers would just get on with it already, as we all know exactly where this story is going.) Things pick up substantially as Caesar and his ape followers finally begin to fight back, with the ridiculous yet thoroughly entertaining third act effectively justifying the film’s entire existence – although it’s worth noting that the movie doesn’t, in the final analysis, depict the ape uprising that one might’ve expected (ie the animals are simply attempting to get from one location to the next, as it turns out). Rise of the Planet of the Apes ultimately stands as a fine start to a promising new series, which is no small feat, certainly, given the less-than-stellar nature of most contemporary reboots and remakes.

*** out of ****