Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
By Matthew Huntley
August 15, 2011
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the “summer blockbuster” prequel to Planet of the Apes, meaning it’s lighter on intelligence and social commentary and heavier on action and special effects. The 1968 original is mostly remembered for its final scene, but with it came a certain level of intrigue, mystery and insight into our social system. This being a prequel and all, and with most viewers already aware of what’s about to happen *spoiler alert* - that humans become subservient to apes, who gain a higher intelligence and take over as leaders of modern civilization - I suppose it could never have as great an impact as its predecessor.
With that being said, Rise is not without some intelligence and commentary, and as a summer blockbuster, it has exciting action and superb special effects. It is a well-made and heartfelt within the confines of its type, and although it could have been better and probably offered more surprises and smarts, it has a high entertainment value.
The movie opens on a group of men capturing chimps in the wild and bringing them to a research laboratory in San Francisco, where neuroscientist Will Rodman (James Franco) heads a team of researchers testing a drug that would allow the brain to repair itself. Will calls it "the cure for Alzheimer's," which hits particularly close to home because his live-in father (John Lithgow) suffers from the disease. Will’s boss, Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo), warns him not to mix emotions with science, but Will hits a major breakthrough when one of his female chimps shows increased intelligence. It leads Will to believe the drug is ready for human testing.
However, during a meeting with the board, the female chimp goes on a rampage and is gunned down. It turns out she was trying to protect her secret baby, which Will reluctantly takes home and names Caesar. For the next eight years, he raises the chimp (Andy Serkis performing motion capture) like a son and comes to realize he’s inherited his mother's intellect. Caesar learns at a rapid rate and Will believes he could still prove the Alzheimer's cure works.
But Caesar begins to learn exponentially and becomes more aware he’s not human. He’s afraid he’s being treated like a pet and longs to explore on his own. After a violent incident with a neighbor, he’s seized by animal control and mistreated by humans and chimps alike. But Caesar adapts and turns the situation to his advantage, which leads to his foregone rebellion and escape.
We know going in the purpose of this movie is to provide answers for how the planet of the apes came to be, and it does that well, but it also does it easily. By the time the chimp revolt takes place, the movie seems less interested in the psychology and evolution of its main character, not to mention its human characters, and more concerned with violence, destruction and mayhem, climaxed with a big battle on the Golden Gate Bridge. Like I said, this is a summer blockbuster, and it goes without saying it will end on an effects-filled blowout.
There are other conventions at work, including the heartless humans who mistreat the chimps just so they can get their comeuppance later on; the corporate suit whose only priority is money and cares nothing about the humaneness of drug testing on animals; and the moralistic, compassionate female (Freida Pinto), who lends the movie its voice of reason. At some point, you know it will also reference the original “Apes” by speaking that film’s most famous line ending in "…damn dirty ape." It would have been nice if the movie found ways around such inevitabilities, but I understand it comes with the territory of a summer blockbuster. After all, this wasn’t meant to be a thoughtful science fiction fable.
But in the realm of summer blockbusters, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is at least one that wants to be about something more. I think it could have reached higher had director Rupert Wyatt honed in on the complexity of Caesar and if the screenplay didn't evolve him so fast just to get to the action. However, the movie redeems itself somewhat when one very important line is spoken, which gets reiterated more powerfully at the end. The special effects are also incredible, especially after we allow the Caesar character to grow on us. Although he’s completely computer-generated, his expressions are so detailed and touching, we eventually accept him as a real chimp.
Still, I can't shake the easy explanation for how apes come to take over the planet. I left the theater thinking there's got to be more to it than that. Deep down, I think the filmmakers know it too, but they were obviously tasked to make a summer blockbuster, and while they give us a good one, I think they could have delivered an even greater non-summer blockbuster. Maybe that's the one we'll get with the next "Planet of the Apes" movie, a series that will no doubt keep evolving, and hopefully for the better.
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