Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a multi-faceted, compelling chronicle that creatively utilizes a sci-fi premise to bring to life an engrossing story of emancipation and liberation. The movie is an absorbing, imaginative commingling of sci-fi and sci-fact that reinforces the desire of every living thing: freedom. The movie acts as a prequel to the classic 1968 movie, Planet of the Apes, and stars James Franco (This is the End), John Lithgow (Leap Year), Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings Trilogy), Freda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Brian Cox (RED 2), Tom Felton (Harry Potter series of films), and David Oyelowo (The Help).
The seventh movie in the long running “Apes” franchise is an emotionally captivating, heartfelt story that is shrouded in its sci-fi nature. More than anything else, "Rise" is a showcase for the desire of every living creature for freedom no matter how good the circumstances. The movie exquisitely details how and why Caesar fell out of love with humanity on the path to becoming the ape’s version of a messiah. "Rise" more than any of the other Planet of the Apes films, makes the audience feel for the apes and not for humanity by implementing a role reversal. In the prior incarnations, the humans were the ones to seek their freedom and escape from the tyranny of the apes, however, “Rise” superbly uses role reversal to compel the audience to cheer for the apes, while showcasing Caesar and his path to liberation. Every step of Caesar’s enlightenment is shown which establishes an emotional connection with the audience. His feelings of regret, loss, and isolation are shared, and we the audience feel for Caesar as he encounters a gambit of emotions, whilst becoming more aware of the world around him.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes respects and actively pays homage to the films in the series that came before it. Its greatest asset is the number of creative subtle nuances that it uses to link and bridge the gap between it and the original film. A news clip, the use of the name “Bright Eyes”, and even the closing credits are all utilized in order to make this film complement the 1968 masterpiece.
The film is filled with stunning graphics which enhance the appreciation for the movie. The CGI is used well and enhances the realism of the film - the apes look and act just like real apes and not computer generated copies of them. Andy Serkis puts in another one of a kind performance as Caesar. Just like his performance as Gollum, Serkis steals the show despite not appearing once in the film as himself. It makes a good statement about his acting ability; he really played the part in spite of not speaking much and having to convey most of his acting through his body language. James Franco also does a good job as the driven scientist, Will Rodman. Franco does well playing off of Serkis as he is clearly a supporting character, because in all actuality, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is Caesar’s story.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is one of those rare exceptions in the movie industry. It’s a film that meets and exceeds its predecessor without decimating the existing film. Rise is the best adaptation of the use of the concept and it is the best film in the series since the original. The film has a universal appeal and is a sci-fi lovers dream come true, as well as a great watch for all movie lovers.
Later this week we'll bring you our review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
Da’Mon Guy is a talented writer and artist. He’s a graduate of Coppin State University and an avid, life-long lover of film. Da'Mon has been actively writing movie reviews since 2011, for a number of publications inc The Baltimore Afro, Move, Raise Up, and Westside News. Check out more of his work at Examiner.com, where he has published over 400 reviews. Visit his Blog and follow him on Twitter.
