Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2/4
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton, Brian Cox
Rated PG-13 for Intense and Frightening Sequences of Action and Violence
The original "Planet of the Apes" movie was released in 1968 and followed by four sequels and two short-lived TV shows. I haven't seen it, but it was widely popular when it was released, and in some circles its fandom rivals "Star Wars" and "Star Trek." It survived a "re-imagining" by Tim Burton in 2001 that did okay at the box office, but 20th Century Fox decided against a direct sequel and instead reboot the franchise a decade later. Thus, we have "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
Will Rodman (Franco) is on a mission. His father Charles (Lithgow) is dying of Alzheimer's, and Will is convinced that he's found the cure. After a test with a chimpanzee goes horribly wrong, his research is stalled. Undaunted, he takes baby of the tested chimp (who was shot to death when she went bezerk trying to protect her baby...surely someone would have realized her pregnancy before then) home to study. The serum was passed onto him, whom Will names Caesar. Caesar's intelligence surpasses all expectations, and he and Will, plus Will's girlfriend Caroline (Aranha) grow close. Sadly, a misunderstood act of protection forces Will to place Caesar in a sanctuary. There, under the cruelty of the owners, John (Cox) and Dodge (Felton) Landon, and broken promises from Will, Caesar decides to break out on his own.
The main problem with the film is that the script is weak (isn't this the way it is with all bad movies?). The film is of acceptable quality until the final act, when due to unconvincing motivations and a poor set-up, it implodes.
The acting is acceptable, but no one really stands out. James Franco does not have a lot of range. When he's miscast or out of his element, the results can be cringe-inducing ("This is the End," "Oz: The Great and Powerful"). Fortunately, this is one of his stronger performances. Franco plays the teacher/parent/straight man combo with consummate skill; there isn't a false not in his performance. Frieda Pinto, who never became the "it" girl that Hollywood thought she would be after "Slumdog Millionaire," is effective, but doesn't have much to do than play off of Franco's character. John Lithgow does solid work with an underwritten part; his performance is better than the script deserves. David Oyelowo, an English actor well on his way to the A-list (he's playing Martin Luther King, Jr. in an upcoming biopic), is quite good as Will's profit-obsessed boss. His character isn't ruthless, just pragmatic but short-sighted. And Tom Felton's Dodge is so vicious that he makes Draco Malfoy look like a pussy.
The CGI looks great, but when the apes move around, it's clunky and unconvincing. They don't seem to interact believably with their environment. "Ted" did this to much better effect a year later (which isn't that long in terms of CGI improvement history). Director Rupert Wyatt should have slowed it down and added more weight to the creatures.
Then there's the plot. The final act is inevitable, since we know what's going to happen once the end credits role. In terms of plot structure, I was reminded of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." George Lucas's epic was like watching a train head towards a collision. This left me unmoved. There are a few reasons for this. Most egregious is a lack of convincing motivation for Caesar. He (rightly) has a beef with two or three characters, but I never bought that he would be able to form a revolution based on that (and the other apes' grudges against John and Dodge). Second, their success is partly due to the complete ineptitude of the humans. They're under prepared and without a clue. If this group of bumbling dumdums is all we think we need to put down a revolution by a group of apes, we deserve what we get. The stakes don't feel very high either (which is essential for any movie like this). Finally, I'm not sure how I was supposed to feel about the revolution. Early on, our sympathy lies with Caesar. Then as he is wreaking havoc in San Francisco, we're supposed to see him as the villain. And it switches back at the end. Wyatt wants it both ways, and the result is a confused and ambivalent audience.
I'm going to see "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" tonight. According to James Berardinelli, it's supposed to be lightyears better than this one. I hope so.
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, David Oyelowo, Tom Felton, Brian Cox
Rated PG-13 for Intense and Frightening Sequences of Action and Violence
The original "Planet of the Apes" movie was released in 1968 and followed by four sequels and two short-lived TV shows. I haven't seen it, but it was widely popular when it was released, and in some circles its fandom rivals "Star Wars" and "Star Trek." It survived a "re-imagining" by Tim Burton in 2001 that did okay at the box office, but 20th Century Fox decided against a direct sequel and instead reboot the franchise a decade later. Thus, we have "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."
Will Rodman (Franco) is on a mission. His father Charles (Lithgow) is dying of Alzheimer's, and Will is convinced that he's found the cure. After a test with a chimpanzee goes horribly wrong, his research is stalled. Undaunted, he takes baby of the tested chimp (who was shot to death when she went bezerk trying to protect her baby...surely someone would have realized her pregnancy before then) home to study. The serum was passed onto him, whom Will names Caesar. Caesar's intelligence surpasses all expectations, and he and Will, plus Will's girlfriend Caroline (Aranha) grow close. Sadly, a misunderstood act of protection forces Will to place Caesar in a sanctuary. There, under the cruelty of the owners, John (Cox) and Dodge (Felton) Landon, and broken promises from Will, Caesar decides to break out on his own.
The main problem with the film is that the script is weak (isn't this the way it is with all bad movies?). The film is of acceptable quality until the final act, when due to unconvincing motivations and a poor set-up, it implodes.
The acting is acceptable, but no one really stands out. James Franco does not have a lot of range. When he's miscast or out of his element, the results can be cringe-inducing ("This is the End," "Oz: The Great and Powerful"). Fortunately, this is one of his stronger performances. Franco plays the teacher/parent/straight man combo with consummate skill; there isn't a false not in his performance. Frieda Pinto, who never became the "it" girl that Hollywood thought she would be after "Slumdog Millionaire," is effective, but doesn't have much to do than play off of Franco's character. John Lithgow does solid work with an underwritten part; his performance is better than the script deserves. David Oyelowo, an English actor well on his way to the A-list (he's playing Martin Luther King, Jr. in an upcoming biopic), is quite good as Will's profit-obsessed boss. His character isn't ruthless, just pragmatic but short-sighted. And Tom Felton's Dodge is so vicious that he makes Draco Malfoy look like a pussy.
The CGI looks great, but when the apes move around, it's clunky and unconvincing. They don't seem to interact believably with their environment. "Ted" did this to much better effect a year later (which isn't that long in terms of CGI improvement history). Director Rupert Wyatt should have slowed it down and added more weight to the creatures.
Then there's the plot. The final act is inevitable, since we know what's going to happen once the end credits role. In terms of plot structure, I was reminded of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." George Lucas's epic was like watching a train head towards a collision. This left me unmoved. There are a few reasons for this. Most egregious is a lack of convincing motivation for Caesar. He (rightly) has a beef with two or three characters, but I never bought that he would be able to form a revolution based on that (and the other apes' grudges against John and Dodge). Second, their success is partly due to the complete ineptitude of the humans. They're under prepared and without a clue. If this group of bumbling dumdums is all we think we need to put down a revolution by a group of apes, we deserve what we get. The stakes don't feel very high either (which is essential for any movie like this). Finally, I'm not sure how I was supposed to feel about the revolution. Early on, our sympathy lies with Caesar. Then as he is wreaking havoc in San Francisco, we're supposed to see him as the villain. And it switches back at the end. Wyatt wants it both ways, and the result is a confused and ambivalent audience.
I'm going to see "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" tonight. According to James Berardinelli, it's supposed to be lightyears better than this one. I hope so.
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