Review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) by Evan D — 27 Jul 2014

You know, this film is much better than it has any right to be. By all accounts, it should be awful (just consider that it's the seventh film in the franchise, and it also happens to be the second remake). Nevertheless, the filmmakers treat the material completely seriously, and they give a a core group of characters that we can actually empathize with. Not only that, but they actually take their time to establish all that important information and create a tone before the big action scenes arive. The special effects are almost universally spectacular, and Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar nomination for his excellent portrayal of Caeser.

It clearly takes it's cue from the recent Star Trek reboot, and it's better for it. Unfortunately, one or two things keep it from equaling it. The first is that there are a number of tiny plot contrivances (how is it, for instance, that a lab experimenting on a female chimp cannot know that she's pregnant--so pregnant, in fact, that she gives the birth the same day that they put her down?). These moments don't completely destroy the movies' credibility, but they do have you scratching your head after it's done. The second issue is that outside of the core protagonists, every character is a jerk; Tom Felton in particular comes to mind as an over-the-top ape handler who abuses them for no good reason. As a result, there are a few moments that come off sillier than they should.

These are really minor quibbles, however. As stated before, the movie has heart and takes itself seriously. It takes its time to make sure that everything is in place before the big action set pieces occur, and when they do happen it's easy to know where everything is in relation to everything else (take notes, Micheal Bay...). It's the biggest surprise of the summer, and I highly recommend it.