RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011)

Intriguing.  Thoroughly intriguing.

Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist working on a genetic cure for Alzheimer’s at a company called Gen-Sys.  Gen-Sys does its testing on chimps and one chimp in particular shows promise.  When the chimp goes insane and on a rampage through the building, it gets killed, along with all the other tested chimps, and Will's project is shut down.  In the chaos an adorable newborn is forced on Will by an assistant who can’t stand to put it down.  Thus Caesar (Adam Serkis) grows in Will's care and reveals, being the offspring of the one particular chimp, that the drug does work.  Caesar is incredibly smart and more or less human.  Will steals the drug from Gen-Sys and gives it to his father Charles (John Lithgow).  Charles is cured.  The project resumes.

But then events happen that find Caesar attacking a neighbor who appears to be attacking Charles.  Caesar is ordered into the custody of an Ape Shelter.  Of course he doesn’t understand why Will is abandoning him to a place with caged degenerates.  Caesar then undergoes abuse at the hands of other primates and keepers.  First he’s confused, then sad, and finally angry.  By the end of it Caesar is the boss, he’s talking, he’s the leader of a revolution and the apes are on a mission to regain their freedom.

Not what you expected?  Not what I expected.  The story of Rise of the Planet of the Apes is wonderful.  The ride is continuously thrilling.  No insulting dialogue or stupid and unnecessary comedic relief as many thrillers are apt to contain.  The film delivers exactly what it needs to and does so in just the way it needs to be done.  Acting is well executed all around.  James Franco is adorable, as always.

Do the apes look real?  YES!  This is NOT one of those Syfy thrillers where the ants, snakes, crocodiles or what have they look like first grade play dough pieces.  The effects are truly incredible and one forgets that the ape characters are apes.  Caesar’s work in particular is insanely realistic. 

Of course there is a moral at the end of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want Caesar’s revolution to involve a deadly vengeance on the human race, which really just shows that we’re not as evolved as we think.  Okay I, I am not as evolved as we think.  Therein is the moral.

Gather a few friends, turn on the surround sound, switch off the lights and have some fun.  Watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes.