Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

Most people know the story of the Planet of the Apes, but not exactly how it started and that is where The Rise of the Planet of the Apes comes in. While in experimental stages of creating a drug to cure Alzheimer's disease on chimpanzee uses his heightened intelligence to lead the other apes to freedom. Rise of the Planet of the Apes exceeded all expectations or preconceived notions I had about it beforehand. It was exciting, action-filled, thrilling, and had heart. Following a solid script with grade-A performances by James Franco and Freida Pinto this movie has everything a good blockbuster needs to be successful.

This film could have been one of the biggest failures of the summer, but instead we get thrown right into the story just as Bright Eyes is discovered, the ape who gains improved cognition and has no adverse side effects. From there the action and excitement ensues.

The acting was outstanding from every actor. James Franco was perfect in his role as the lead scientist Will Rodman. He carried much of the film and brought a lot of the heart to the movie. Every instance of drama throughout the movie was portrayed wonderfully by him and could be felt by the audience. Freida Pinto and Franco played very well off of each other as did John Lithgow. The one character that felt out of place was Dodge Landon played by Tom Felton. His character was awful to the chimps and made the audience hate him, something Felton learned to do very well in his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.

The script was just incredible. Including many twists, turns, and great action sequences it is a template that any good action flick should follow. The two main characters, Rodman and Caesar were developed extremely well. Much of Caesar's character development was portrayed through special effects, but a lot can be said for Andy Serkis's performance under all the CGI. He really knows how to bring characters like this one and Gollum from Lord of the Rings to life.

Not only were the special effects on Caesar great, but the effects throughout the movie were spectacular as well. Every bit of action felt well thought out and expertly choreographed and no action sequence ever felt out of place, too long, or stupid.

Overall this was the standout action movie of the summer. It was intense, action-packed, heartfelt, and enjoyable. The script was perfect, the special effects couldn't have been better, and the acting topped it all off. A great prequel to Planet of the Apes, it leads right into where the first of the series picks up.

8/10