Review: The Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011, Rupert Wyatt)

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes (referred to as Rise for the following) is an attempt to reboot a science fiction series that has spanned the best part of 48 years, including four sequels, two TV series and one dodgy remake courtesy of the master of all things strange; Tim Burton. Therefore there is a strong argument to be made as to whether another instalment was really needed in a series that has already had the life flogged out of it. As ever though, money talks and The Planet of the Apes has always been a money spinner for 20^th Century Fox so it is not at all surprising the cobwebs have been dusted off once more.

This time around, though, the modus operandi has changed. Rise is is the first Apes film to feature primates that are not played by unsightly actors in unconvincing monkey suits. With the help of modern technology the chimps now come via the result of some highly impressive motion capture and CGI work. Lead ape and focus for much of the film Cesar is played by motion-capture vet Andy Serkis. Who himself is no oil painting but is extremely talented at injecting life into fictional creatures on the big screen. The results are wholly realistic monkeys which give the film believability immediately, whilst encouraging the viewer to forget they are at the movies. There is nothing worse than a human, in monkey outfit, to persistently remind you that you are only watching a film.

Not only helping  to suck you into the world of Rise the motion-capture magic also gives the various monkeys, gorillas and orang-utans, fully defined character traits and personalities. This together with a concerted effort from the screenwriters to develop not only the human characters in the film but to also create real emotional roles for the apes – brings a depth and sentiment that is often lacking from big budget, summer action features.

Nevertheless the chimps don’t totally steal the show. There are also some very strong performances from the well selected cast, including James Franco whom I successfully tipped for an Oscar nomination earlier in the year. I also particularly enjoyed seeing Tom Felton (better known as Draco Malfoy) getting his comeuppance at the hands of Cesar and couldn’t help thinking that if only he had his wand with him he could have been able to avert the whole disaster...

Glossing over the alarming stupidity of some of the decision making and obvious lack of intelligence by certain individuals in the opening sequences, Rise is on the whole genuinely immersing and enjoyable. For 90 minutes it offers a pleasant and healthy balance of humour, romance and sorrow. But it is not without flaws.

Depending upon the audience you are with and possibly your state of mind at viewing; there are some pivotal moments in closing that will really test your ability to block the little voice in the back of your mind that keeps telling you; ‘this is just silly now’. The fine line between movie greatness and self-parody is very much flirted with here and there are key moments (and if you have seen the film you will know what I am talking about) that you will either be left in awe or find yourself flung back into reality thinking, ‘hang on one second now...I don’t care what drugs these chimps have been exposed to...there’s no chance they could do THAT!’

But such is the nature of Hollywood blockbusters, and to be perfectly fair to Rise, it makes enough of a concerted effort to convince you prior to these moments that they are quite possible that it can be forgiven. Overall Rise is definitely more king of the swingers than banana peel and praise must be made for how easily this could have become an unintended comical catastrophe. Expect sequels.

4/5