Director: Rupert Wyatt
Writers: Pierre Boulle (suggested by novel "La planete des singes"), Rick Jaffa, and 1 more credit
Stars: James Franco, Andy Serkis and Freida Pinto
Let me just start by saying that I'm a huge "Apes" fan. I've loved the franchise, for the most part, and have been highly anticipating this reboot for about a year now. When I saw the first trailer to this film, I was severely disappointed. I was expecting a gritty, action-packed movie like the original "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Later on, trailers came out alluring audiences by showcasing the film's small chunk of action, but I couldn't forget the original trailer. With that in mind, I went to the midnight showing not expecting anything great, but also hanging on to a sliver of hope that maybe it would surprise me. I got what I expected, for the most part.
Summary in a couple sentences: James Franco is a doctor working on an experiment drug that could be the cure to Alzheimer's that's being tested on apes. Then something goes awry...
For me, this was a movie that I wanted, so desperately, to be good. I gave it every chance to impress me, but it never fully drew me in. This was also my first midnight showing and I was excited.
Let's start with, what else, the apes. A friend had jokingly called this movie the "Cute Little Monkey Movie". For a time, towards the beginning, this was very much true. Then, they get older and fiercer.
I (emphasis on "I") thought the chimps looked very realistic. If you can't stand CGI, then this movie is not for you. Instead of heavy make-up and costumes like in the original movies and remake, the animals were now CGI and moved and sounded like any monkey I'd ever seen or heard before. Of course, I'm no expert.
It was interesting to see the way the apes interacted with one another and with humans. Each ape had its own personality and appearance and, therefore, apes could be distinguished from one another and recognized just like the humans. I found myself wanting more ape and less human face time as the film progressed.
Next, I'll move on to the humans and their acting. I really didn't love any of the human characters. They all gave at least decent performances and let the apes take over. Poor Tom Felton is now stuck in the weaselly villain typecast forever. Anyways, enough about those humans.
In the director's chair sits Rupert Wyatt best know for directing Brian Cox (who's also in this film) in British prison thriller, The Escapist (2008). Actually, according to IMDb, of Wyatt's four directorial efforts, Cox's been in three. Anyways, Wyatt does a excellent job with the film's action sequences, but, fails to completely ensnare me in the film's drama. I think the latter fact may have to do with my "Apes" knowledge. However, for the first-time "Apes" viewer, the drama may come more alive and more entertaining.
The story line was very well done. I usually don't care about how credible the plot is in movies, but for this one, the reality helped. It explained how the "Planet of the Apes" occurred in a way that actually seemed plausible (unlike its predecessors).
I felt like the movie could've been vastly improved with more action and less talking. After and hour and a half of drama, I received a ten minute action payoff. Not to say that the drama wasn't entertaining, but the action was much more entertaining. Hopefully, the sequels will increase the action.
Last, but certainly not least, we come to the music score. The key to any great movie is its music score. Some movies play it in the background to help the film along and dictate pace (i.e. "Secretariat" 2010). Some blast it to intensify the feelings felt during the film (i.e. "Inception" 2010). Some even use silence to create tense situations (i.e. "12 Angry Men"). Patrick Doyle's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" score falls under the "Inception" category (at least during the latter half of the film). It wasn't a great score, but it does its job and continues into the credits where my favorite music is revealed.
In summary, I really liked this movie. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it and I hope you will too. So please go see this film in theaters and increase its gross. I really want a sequel!
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