Ask any of my close friends: leading up to its release, I was convinced that Rise of the Planet of the Apes was going to be a disaster and I had absolutely no desire to see this newest recycled project. The original Planet of the Apes from 1968 is an undoubted classic, but Hollywood unsuccessfully tried a modern remake with Mark Wahlberg in 2001, so I saw no reason why the franchise should be revisited a decade later. I also lost a considerable amount of respect for James Franco after his arrogant reaction to the criticism he received concerning his perceived laziness in hosting the 83rd Academy Awards, so his being the top name attached to this project certainly didn’t help. If there was one element that added any semblance of credibility to Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it was the presence of Andy Serkis, who is widely regarded as the hardest working motion-capture actor in Hollywood. Expecting nothing and undoubtedly confused about all the praise the film was receiving, I was only hoping that I could make it through this newest origin story.
At the end of the month, I will put together a synopsis of the entire movie season, awarding honors to different projects, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the clear winner for Biggest Surprise of the Summer. Despite my desire to hate it and point out every conceivable shortcoming, Rise of the Planet of the Apes overcame my bias and was absolutely fantastic. Combining stylish direction with jaw-dropping special effects and a surprising cast led by a tour-de-force performance by Andy Serkis, this newest science fiction film tells a smart story filled with thrills and genuine empathy. If anything, there were a few uneven portions of the narrative that threatened the proposed plausibility of the film, but the end result is still thoroughly entertaining. You may be inclined to think that Rise of the Planet of the Apes is nothing more than a retelling of an established story, but critical reaction and box office performance prove that this film should not be missed.
For more information, please read the full review.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
