Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) is on the verge of a
breakthrough that will change the course of human history. He has been developing a genetically
engineered retrovirus that may one day cure Alzheimer’s disease. He has been using chimpanzees as his test
subjects, one of whose offspring becomes the true beneficiary of the
experimentation. Will smuggles the baby
chimp out of the facility and brings it home to closely observe his
progress. He names it Caesar (Andy Serkis) and treats it
almost like a family member. Caesar’s
mental capacity expands at an exponential rate, as does his understanding of
human behavior and his place in the earth’s pecking order. When a violent mishap lands Caesar in a
controlled environment where he is quarantined with other primates, the mutated
chimp learns his true place in the world.
He will be the one who will places his kind at the top of earth’s food
chain.
Rise of the Planet of the
Apes is a reboot of the 20th Century fox’s 42 year old science
fiction franchise. It arrives exactly a
decade after Tim Burton’s superficial debacle of remake, which placed fan
enthusiasm at an all-time low at the time of its release. As with so many wayward film series these
days, Rise turns the clock back to
the very beginning, serving as a prequel to events that audiences are already
well familiar with. Though 1974’s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
already covered that same ground, Rise
looks at it through fresh eyes and with state of the art technology. The film uses its underdog status to its
advantage, emerging as one of the most sneakily effective (if not perfect) summer
blockbusters in quite some time.
Relative unknown Rupert Wyatt does not cloak his vision in
overt stylishness and personal signatures.
The cinematography, shot compositions and editing are no frills to the
point of feeling pedestrian. That’s not
an insult by any means. Unlike his
immediate predecessor Tim Burton, Wyatt does not use a well-worn brand to
elevate the profile of his visual sensibilities at the expense of story and
character. He isn’t trying to remind the
audience of his auteur/visionary status.
He plays the role of a highly skilled and competent journeyman. He realizes that this is Caesars story, and
organizes the film to accommodate the origin and development of its lead
character.
Wyatt’s adherence to the aforementioned discipline is
perhaps a bit overzealous, to the detriment of the human characters in the
story. The same can be said for the screenplay
by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The
subplot involving Will and his father (John Lithgow) provides credible and
ample motivation for the scientist, but lacks the necessary dramatic punch. Franco is aloof in a way that borders on
outright disinterest at times, robbing key moments of the necessary gravitas. The lovely Frieda Pinto is provided with a
criminally underwritten character that exists only in the most perfunctory sense. By the second act, all of the human elements
and backstories have faded completely into the background. To a degree that is not unwelcome, as Caesar
is a thoroughly fascinating and relatable protagonist.
Caesar himself is a revelation in regards to the melding of human
performance and visual effects. The
venerable Andy Serkis, now the official “go to” guy performance capture roles,
plays Caesar with a sense of dignity and humanity. He isn’t simply a successful mutation, but an
intelligent and emotive sentient being.
Much of Serkis’s performance is done via miming and facial
expressions. Weta Digital provides the
chimp’s highly detailed visage. The
illusion is seamless, though never quite photoreal. It’s remarkable in its versatility and
attention to detail.
Rise of the Plant of
the Apes is not a perfect film, but its virtues tempt one to put it in that
category regardless of its shortcomings.
It has a fully realized hero, and tells his story in the simplest and
most affecting terms possible. Had Rupert
Wyatt and his screenwriting team took a bit more time fleshing out the human
characters, Rise might’ve been a true
classic instead of simply a very good though film. It might just attain classic status in spite
of its flaws, as Caesar is a character for the ages. He represents the evolution of special
effects technology as a story telling and character building tool instead of
merely an end to itself.
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