Directed by:
Rupert WyattCinematography:
Andrew LesnieComposer:
Patrick DoyleCast:
James Franco, Andy Serkis, Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Tom Felton, Tyler Labine, Sonja Bennett, Chelah Horsdal, David Oyelowo, David Hewlett (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. (official distributor synopsis)
Videos (6)
Reviews (17)
Generally, I tend to avoid American blockbusters knowing that they target a different age category of audience and usually work with genres that I couldn't care less about. If they ever catch my attention, they are mostly light comedy affairs. Serious-minded blockbusters usually reek of pathos and ostentatious arrogance. The novel "Planet of the Apes" operated on a simple principle and set a simple goal: to warn about a nuclear war that would bring humanity to ruin and have the void occupied by an animal species. The original film from the 60s was impressive and effective - mainly because it faithfully stuck to the source material. At the time, it was actually a blockbuster too, but its choice of topic, simplicity, precision, and broad communication made it exceptionally strong. Its younger sibling sells something else and uses different tools. It can be argued that the original Planet of the Apes influenced a generation of viewers, sparked a social discussion, and changed the view on the Cold War. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a predictable morality tale about the arrogance of humans in contrast to the nobility of the silent face. Many scenes are played solely for the effect, the characters are black and white, and the film is clichéd and literal, blatantly playing on emotions. From the first minutes, I didn't find it likable, but I would give it two stars for its craftsmanship without hesitation. However, that wouldn't take into account the last action-packed third, where there is a revolution and heroic clever monkeys demolish a helicopter in flight or a moving car with an armed crew. It got dark in front of my eyes and my mood dropped at the speed of a skydiver lacking a parachute. The film has enough enthusiastic admirers, so I don't need to exert myself and will limit myself to an overall impression of 10% for the technical execution.
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Leaving aside Green Hornet, which came out in winter, this is the first blockbuster of the year that managed to not only meet my expectations, but to surpass them, too. If you really wanted to dig into it, you’ll find loads of inconsistencies in logic, but this film is so entertaining, genuine and emotional that I will not get into that. The old classic can be glad to have such a good young sibling, It has nothing to be ashamed of. I loved the references and I would love to take little Caesar home :)
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The film objectively has enough flaws (logical missteps, sometimes strange editing, a few unnecessarily cheesy scenes). But it deserves great respect for its childish enthusiasm and completely anachronic use of tricks. I haven't enjoyed the liveliness and soul of trick sequences this much in a long time... as if Rise of the Planet of the Apes was actually going back to the 1960s, when every trick was a little joyful miracle. Personally, this film reminded me of why I love science fiction so much (that uplifting feeling of magical escape from the everydayness) and surprised me very pleasantly by resigning on the theme of direct civilizational conflict. In short, we follow the spontaneous demise of the old community and the resulting birth of a new community, which has, much more than the features of the classic apocalyptic sci-fi elements, features of a romantic story of a lone monster and its naive creator. At the same time, the film establishes the opportunity to tell the whole series again (including a reference to the unfortunate flight of Icarus), which makes me happy after watching this intimate, emotional and outwardly pleasurable spectacle.
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The monkeys’ gazes gradually become more expressive and sincere than the gazes of the human actors, and the initial protagonist, a scientist played by James Franco, and his companions become nothing but a bunch of extras. In other words, it’s rather more "Rise of the Planet of WETA". It has the charm of fantasy worlds, a fast pace, a deluge of visual and screenwriting ideas, perfect action, loads of emotions, a subtle ecological message, and especially the omnipresent positive feel-good vibes without the need for darkness and violence, though the film talks about serious things. It is not possible that it took just a little over 100 minutes. For me, this was a feast, a perfect viewing experience and the most enjoyable blockbuster since the mid-1990s (Jurassic Park, Twister). And here I thought that the problem was just me being unable to go back there.
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I can't help but find this movie as a whole so paradoxically human. I was mesmerized by the beautiful shots and the perfect music. Watching the apes defy the humans and fight for freedom was an incredible experience for me. That monkey power took over the whole theater. Caesar's legendary line "Caesar is home" made me want to stand up and clap... I am also happy about the casting of the beautiful Freida Pinto. Ladies and gentlemen, you couldn't have done it better. The full 5 stars.
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