Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Well Deserved Praise

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

I think it says a lot about modern society that when I watch a film like 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' I am almost 100% on the ape's side. There is a character in this movie called 'Dodge' played by Tom Felton who may across a little unrealistic and overplayed to some. However let me assure you that there are more people like him in this world than it bears thinking about. At times we can be a truly despicable race that I am utterly ashamed of. This is touched on lightly in the film, but perhaps not heavily enough.This is a quite incredible movie. It took me a long time to get around to seeing it because I wasn't a particularly big fan of the original 'Planet of the Apes' movie, nor the remake. They didn't do much for me. This was a very different type of film. I tend to love origin stories. The way the character of 'Caesar' is handled in this film is incredible. I love that we see every stage of his development, and no matter what stage he is at or what he is doing at that time, we are on his side.The animation in the film is nothing short of brilliant either. I can't speak highly enough about the class it was handled with. The story works, and it leaves you wanting more (if I had seen this when it initially came out I would've been upset I had to wait 3 years to see the sequel). If you haven't seen this movie yet like I hadn't I recommend you get around to doing so.

An Intelligent blockbuster that's better than it had any right to be, I mean expecting a prequel to a forty-three year old franchise (at the time of release) to be any good is almost asking for disappointment, and yet here we have what is easily one of the smartest big-budget Hollywood productions of this decade. 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)' swaps out soulless spectacle for keen character development and manages to make you care about an entirely digital ape protagonist. The action-sequences, while well-done and generally quite entertaining, are actually the weakest part of this picture and that truly speaks volumes. The combination of a smart script and stellar performances, including those done in motion-capture suits, add up to a feature that's not only enjoyable but also emotional, and it's not afraid to let its audience think. 9/10

Rise Of The Planet Of The ApesA solid start offering gripping screenplay, some tight action and well developed characters Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes is a gift especially by Andy Serkis.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts and stops with the emotional-motion capture acting ability of Andy Serkis. He's a master of his trade, a pleasure to watch and what he does with the Caesar character is Oscar worthy, if it was legal to nominate him. He's the heart and soul of the film, and without him, the movie wouldn't be the same.I'm amazed how the apes look. It's a wonderful combination of special effects and motion capture. I love the growth in Caesar's personality, the boss daddy pimpness of Maurice and the bad assness of Koba. The action scenes with the apes are as thrilling as they come.For some strange reason, James Franco doesn't appear stoned or ready to cut off his arm. This is the soberest I've seen him. He's very likable, and his story arc makes sense. To me, he's one of the few humans with any depth. His girlfriend is just there. The bad people act like bad guys. John Lithgow is cool as Franco's Alzheimer's suffering father, but his development is predictable.I like how this movie doesn't wear out its welcome. A lot of times, origin stories tend to be overlong. I believe the runtime is just right, and does just enough, to set up the next film.