Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Genetically enhanced apes revolt and run amuck thanks to geneticist, James Franco. The notion alone is enough to elicit snickers and eye rolls. The entire premise of the Planet of the Apes franchise is entrenched in Sci-Fi giggledom. Humans dressed up in simian makeup, riding horses and subjugating primitive human-culture led by Charlton Heston is best known as kitschy, 60s camp. Hollywood most recently took a stab at a remake with Tim Burton’s (mostly) straightforward, if oddly generic, retooling in 2001. Wisely eschewing continuity with Burton’s film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a 100% reboot, starting from scratch and rewriting the primate history as a sort of cautionary tale of a scientist’s noble intentions gone, well, ape.
The film builds with a restrained attention to pace. There are very few mindless action scenes, no on runs through crowded streets jumping on cars or dodging traffic. Instead, the relationship between Franco’s Will and his chimp/adopted child Caesar. As Will continues to develop a cure to his father’s Alzheimer’s, his bond with Caesar grows. Eventually, due to a rather violent accident, Caesar is shipped to a primate holding facility where the seeds of revolution are planted.
Eventually, the premise washed over me and took me away, in part due to the nifty CG ape, Caesar. Filmed using motion capture and brought to life by Andy Serkis, Caesar is one of the strongest characters in the movie. Alas, as the premise builds, the apes finally attack on the Golden gate bridge. The action felt at once overdue and underwhelming. They jump, they climb, they YELL, they throw things. The humans shoot their guns, they sling their batons. I didn’t know who to root for. The apes in revolt or the dumb humans – knowing the trajectory of the franchise, you know the outcome before the movie even starts.
Of course, a new franchise is in mind and the film has a rather clever way of setting up the next film. Rise was made on a (relatively) modest budget, but given the financial success I’m guessing the subsequent films will receive a bigger budget. This usually equates to more apes, more fights, more scope, more scale, but probably will lose the emphasis on relationships that makes this movie so successful.