Rise of the Planet of the Apes
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Origin story/prequel to the 1968 Planet of the Apes. Stars James Franco and Andy Serkis as Caesar the ape.
Franco stars as a genetic scientist who is working on a cure for Alzheimer's by experimenting on monkeys. But this medical research goes horribly wrong when the test subject Caesar (Andy Serkis who, like in Lord of the Rings as Gollum and in King Kong as Kong, gives the CGI primate his expressions and body movements) begins to mutate rapidly and develops a higher level of intelligence. This leads to the further development of intelligence in apes and an eventual battle between monkey and man in a war for planetary supremacy.
The ape special effect rendering is by Weta Digital in Wellington. There's no relation to Tim Burton's 2001 Planet of the Apes remake.
Starring
James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow
Directed by
Rupert Wyatt ('The Escapist')
Written by
Amanda Silver, Rick Jaffa, Jamie Moss
(M) Contains violence | Action, Adventure, Science Fiction | USA | Official Website
USER REVIEWS
Add your two cents...
Average rating 
Way better than expected
really enjoyed this movie.. a good mix of story and action.
Reviewed by PeterFar better than any other Planet of the Apes movies
I'm old enough to remember all the original Planet of the Apes movies. This movie is better than any of them. This is similar to the 1972 film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". However it is not a remake. The plot is very different, but does follow events that lead to the end of human civilization and the rise of the apes afterwards.
This could well be the start of a new series of Planet of the Apes movies. The first series starting with the 1968 movie wasn't very good, but if this is the new standard, then the Apes will do well.
the Apes are fantastic
Reviewed by angemuch better than I expected
Well acted and scripted, not fast paced but a very solid story. Bring on the next installment.
Reviewed by Gregbest ape movie!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS MOVIE IS THE BEST MOVIE OUT ABOUT APES TAKING OVER.EVEN BETTER THAN PLANNET OF APES OLD ONE.
Reviewed by kadinTop Notch
Far Better than the previous Burton attempt to remake the classic, but with Weta involved, no surprises there.
Reviewed by Dave McDonaldPRESS REVIEWS
Average rating
A.V. Club (USA)
Wyatt brings a light touch to the potentially grim material - too light when it drops in some groan-inducing references to the original film - but he keeps the action compelling whether focusing on apes as they run amok or as they quietly contemplate their next move.
Click to read full review.Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The movie has its pleasures, although human intelligence is not one of them. Caesar, to begin with, is a wonderfully executed character, a product of special effects and a motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis, who earlier gave us Gollum in "Lord of the Rings."
Click to read full review.Dominion Post (Graeme Tuckett)
But after its commendably brief 105 minutes, I was impressed. The performances are committed, the special effects - especially Andy Serkis' work in the suit - are terrific, and the big money set-pieces are spectacular.
Click to read full review.Empire (UK)
A worthy, exciting, emotional addition to the venerable monkey movie marathon. Apes will rise. Sequels are likely.
Click to read full review.Hollywood Reporter
Strong action, special effects and by far the most credible ape "performances" yet seen will spell box office to inspire chest-thumping in all markets.
Los Angeles Times
Smart, fun and thoroughly enjoyable, it's a model summer diversion that entertains without insulting your intelligence.
Otago Daily Times
Smart, fun and thoroughly enjoyable, it's a diversion that entertains without insulting your intelligence.
Click to read full review.Total Film (UK)
With simulated simians authentic enough to make Project Nim look almost phoney, allied to an involving, evolving story, Rise is the Planet we’ve been waiting for.
Click to read full review.Variety (USA)
Thanks to stunning advances in performance capture technology, director Rupert Wyatt successfully ditches the cumbersome makeup appliances of past chapters, building the story around a cast of photoreal CG simians convincing enough to identify with as characters, rather than just special effects.
Click to read full review.Flicks.co.nz "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Movie Review
Flicks.co.nz rating
Steve Newall, Flicks.co.nz
The notion of rebooting the Planet of the Apes series chronologically is an eminently sensible one, even if we all have a pretty good idea of where things are going to end up (there are constant references to the original films, not all of which are subtle). There’s probably no remake of the first film in the works because the ending wouldn’t exactly be the biggest surprise. But by revisiting the overall storyline of the original films and dragging it into the present, director Rupert Wyatt has done an excellent job resulting in something that should work for those either familiar or unfamiliar with earlier incarnations.
An enormous share of the credit for this can be taken by Weta Digital and their brilliant CGI ape creations, which come across as living breathing entities with actual personalities (thanks King Kong). Further to Wyatt’s credit, he has a good handle on how to make a movie in which a massive proportion of what we see is assembled in a computer, keeping rollercoaster camera movements to a minimum. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not without flaws, however, from convenient plot turns to James Franco, the film’s human lead that doesn’t get to do anything but run around and watch stuff in the film’s last act. Still, bring on the next one...
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