Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes -A Review

I just finished watching this flick and I have to say, I'm surprised by how thoughtful and, even emotional it was. Damned if I didn't tear up at the end! I really liked this one, so much so that I came out of the void to write my first review in months. You're welcome, world. lol

THE POOP:
James Franco plays scientist Will, a brain doctor testing a new drug meant to cure Alzheimer's disease on monkeys. The drug proves to be so successful that it's main test subject, a chimp called Bright Eyes, gains near-human intelligence. However during a board meeting with potential investors in the miracle drug Bright Eyes goes on a rampage and testing is effectively shut down. When its discovered that Bright Eyes had secretly given birth days earlier Dr. Will saves the baby chimp by taking it home and raising it for study purposes. He soon realizes that the baby, named Caeser, has inherited his mother's intelligence and continues to develop at an incredible pace; so much so that eight years later Caeser is caring for Will's elderly father, himself an Alzheimer's patient. Unfortunately, as Will's girlfriend Caroline (Frieda Pinto) points out, Caeser is soon going to grow into a big strong ape, and when he finally does... well, let's just say an unfortunate misunderstanding with a mean-spirited neighbour gets Caeser locked up in an ape sanctuary, which in this film is not unlike an insane asylum, especially for the super-intelligent Caeser. Faced for the first time with his own kind he quickly begins plotting a liberation for himself and his soon-to-be much smarter captives. Of course this all builds to a thrilling and visually breathtaking conclusion that left me moist eyed and adrenaline rushed.

THE REVIEW:
Franco is fast becoming one of my favourite actors, which is somewhat a surprise since I knew almost nothing about his work pre-Spiderman. His performances in Pineapple Express and, more notably, 127 Hours, have shown that this guy is a serious actor. Unfortunately he's kind've expendable here. Yes he's good, believable, etc., but the real star of the movie is Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong) as Caeser. No, Serkis didn't don an ape suit, he provided the motion capture upon which was layered the ape, and the ape is spectacular! Advances in SFX mean that surprisingly no actual apes were needed. Instead Serkis and others endowed their monkey avatars with souls and real, tangible emotions. Caeser is an incredible character and Serkis has proven himself the go-to guy when you want a realistic non-human actor. An odd niche, but it seems to be working for him.
Frieda Pinto is engaging as Will's girlfriend, whose character serves to remind us that the humans have souls too, lest we forget. She's the picture of evolved civility as a counterpoint to the apes' newfound evolution. She's kind and gentle and patient; Caeser and his cohorts are smart but confused and frightened. They don't yet know what to do with their intelligence, they just know they have to do something!
Director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) delivers a visually and emotionally compelling film, and quite smartly keeps the focus on Caeser's emotional development, which drives the entire plot. He has hinted several times that this could be not just a prequel to the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, but a reboot of the franchise, which could see a second installment of a post-prequel involving all out war between the humans and the apes. Hell, I'll watch it!
The pace of the film is fast as is the plot development. I was fully involved at all times whether there was action or not, and there usually was.
I have to say this was a pleasant surprise. The action was good, the story was good and it turned out to be better than just a B movie. This could've gone wrong sooo many ways, but the creators did the almost impossible; resisted the temptation of a brainless blockbuster for a genuinely solid film.
Tim Burton's 2001 remake of the original must be crying in a corner somewhere. What? A movie that can cry? Andy Serkis could play that!