Review: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Cast: James Franco, Andy Sekis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow

Running time: 112 minutes

Synopsis: ‘An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.’

Release date: August 12th

The words ‘franchise’ and ‘summer blockbuster’ are enough to send a shudder through any seasoned cinema lover, and falling headfirst into this category, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES trailer did little to curb our cynicism. As many of us remain reeling from Tim Burton’s remake, now a decade old and appalling as ever, a rehash of the story was never going to be welcomed with open arms. We hear the anti-popcorn chorus calling: the lack of originality, the money pit, the hallow predictability. But RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, despite being the most clumsily titled picture since ‘THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS’, defies all expectation. The poster art of a fist pumping CGI ape is enough to scare away Michael Bay enthusiasts, but keep an open mind. The sincerity at the core of this movie is lifted by its monumental special effects, and both manage to quash the lacklustre human acting that damages its impact.

With only one known feature under his belt, THE ESCAPIST director Rupert Wyatt was thrown in to a Trading Places situation by taking on this monster. Thankfully, Wyatt’s untainted indie roots could save this picture from box office asphyxiation. PROJECT NIM, the story of a humanised chimpanzee is already in theatres, diverting the narrative path of this blockbuster uncomfortably close to home. The story tackles our treatment of animals, the ethics of genetic engineering and the frailty of the human race in a 2 hour swoop.

In his search for the alzheimers cure that could end his father’s suffering, scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) covets his drug-trial chimp, Caeser, raising him in secret as his precocious child. Lines are blurred as Caeser matures, and begins to pose the heartbreaking question, ‘am I a pet?’

Franco is offered little to build on in terms of dialogue, but his trademark crooked smile and stoner-squint make him seem uninterested. From beginning to end, Franco keeps his audience at a distance while the CGI chimp pulls them close to his hairy chest.

It is not until Caesar is confined into an ape ‘sanctuary’ that we find our real leading man. The furrowed leathery brow, the trust draining from his eyes: as the cage door closes on Caesar, we begin to forget he is computer generated. Motion Capture king, Andy Serkis has stepped in yet again to create the hyper-intelligent chimp, and without a single line manages to out act every one of his co-stars. Caesar is worlds apart from the latex-stretched faces of his 60s predecessors. With ‘Rise of’ Weta have managed to make their own Avatar creation look about as hi-tec as Logan’s Run. However, Caesar’s human like expressions of sadness and disappointment tread almost too close to the uncanny valley, where we are repulsed by the realism of a human replica.

Meanwhile, HARRY POTTER’S Tom Felton stays firmly in his comfort zone as Caesars sadistic chimp handler. The wand has been replaced by a cattle prod and Hogwarts halls with rows of caged simians, but Malfoy is very much alive. Felton’s bratty performance isn’t helped by a big, hulking reference to Charlton Heston that near tips the film into fanboy absurdity. Thankfully, Caesar pulls it right back into action, opposable thumbs be damned.

Director Rupert Wyatt demonstrates admirable restraint in his storytelling for ‘Apes. While most blockbusters treat basic narrative like an inconvenient visit from the council while they try to blow up entire cities (We’re looking at you, GREEN LANTERN) Wyatt is not afraid to offer his story all the time it needs to evolve. He wants us to care what happens to Caesar as we would any human character, and he succeeds. The key action sequence is saved for the film’s finale, a literal rising of the apes as Caesar’s army storms across the Golden Gate bridge, and allows the audience to swap a few plot holes for an intense, original stand-off between the two species.

Following the comic-film formula of the ‘after the credits’ reveal, the story leaves the franchise open for a very long, Potter-replacing run. And THN will be there, fistful of sweaty sweets in hand, ready for the next instalment.