Review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) by Andrew J — 18 Nov 2014

Injecting a fresh dose of energy into a fast ageing franchise Rise... shows that Planet Of The Apes can still be considered cool. Rupert Wyatt brings to the table what Tim Burton could not really manage in the 2001 remake of the 1968 classic, that being a hint of brilliance. There's no all-star cast, major-name direction, and the energetic chords of Danny Elfman's musical score are all but a distant memory.

Rise... shows that this was what the movie required all along; fresh young faces, a fairly unknown director and the major talent of Andy Serkis (Gollum, King Kong). While the spotlight belongs to James Franco, who, by the way, has never been better, Serkis steals the show with another astounding performance without actually seeing him in the flesh. Another star that stands out is Tom Felton, better known as Draco Malfoy, he puts in a stunning performance, but I can't help but feel he has been typecast. He plays a very similar character to Malfoy, his major flaw is his very poor American accent.

The film is eye-catching, fascinating and magnificent in every way possible, lacking the fundamentals of an epic movie; less CGI would have made it more impressive, it also lacked the publicity of a hugely successful movie, as it seems it may have been ignored right up until release. The film still shines out as one of the best of 2011; Wyatt has created something wholly original that breathes fresh new life into this age-old franchise.