Rise of the Planet of the Apes Movie Blurb by Shale August 5, 2011 This movie is a prequel to the 1968 Planet of the Apes, with Charlton Heston as the astronaut who lands on a planet run by apes, eventually discovering the planet is earth. (Forget all the other sequels.) This movie lets us know how the planet earth went from human control to ape control while the astronauts of that original film (referenced here) were lost in space for thousands of years. And it wasn't blown up in thermonuclear war as insinuated in that cold war era film. It starts in San Francisco with a breakthru in brain function of a chimpanzee test subject who was given a research drug developed by scientist Will Rodman (James Franco). He is searching for a cure to Alzheimer's while caring for his father (John Lithgow) who has the disease. Will Rodman Giving Presentation on His Alzheimer's Drug All goes well until side effects are suspected and all the chimps are to be put down. There is a baby chimp that Will smuggles home and his father names him Caesar. Caesar is very smart, learns sign language and develops at Will's house like a normal child, only faster and forms family bonds with Will and his father. Eventually he bonds with Caroline (Freida Pinto) a veterinarian who treats a small wound and whom he suggests his surrogate father take out to dinner. Well, this story really spends a lot of time on the chimp's development, the problems with the neighbors that cause Caesar to be put in a primate rehab place, where he becomes a leader to the other apes and where he gets attitude. He knows the effects of the drug which is now in a gaseous form and releases it on all the other apes. Caesar Taking Action Long story short, they all escape; release all the apes at the zoo and go on a smart-ape attack on the authorities. (OK, I doubt that there would be that many apes in the San Francisco area as seen in the rampage, but suspend disbelief). Most of the confrontation takes place on the Golden Gate Bridge, with Caesar as the battle tactician. Caesar Living Up To His Name Will and Caesar still share a bond and try to help each other thru this turmoil. I really liked this movie and thot it was a good tie in to the original. When they start rolling the end credits, don't jump up to leave. There is a little more postscript explanation to how the apes took over. The CGI apes were very well done using the same technology for Caesar as was used for Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
I too really enjoyed this movie, was rather clever. But the CGI, errr, better than anything before quality, but still not all that convincing A couple scenes stood out: - The scenes when Caesar was little, think they would have been far creepier if it actually just had been a kid actor in a monkey suit - The scene where Caesar attacks the dad, that didnt look real at all - The end scene on the bridge, didnt look all that convincing I think this movie would have been better if they'd just gone back to prosthetics, makeup and monkey suits. As good as the CGI was, its still not convincing The motion capture stuff is really just Andy Serkis acting like a monkey with them digitally painting over him. For me the CGI was the main negative of the film
I have this problem with all films. I can't help it, i just tend to enjoy good acting over computer work. Its far to easy a lot of the time to pick it apart. I haven't see the film yet but it seems they are really messing with the story. The original humans destroyed themselves from nuclear war and later apes took over the planet. Very different when humans are still around as the apes take over. It makes me wonder if they are going to make another following this new release. I will see it eventually
Just from the previews, I could tell the CGI was iffy. We must admit there have been amazingly well done CGI characters, such as King Kong, in Peter Jackson's version. But every time I watch Jurassic Park I just marvel at how short many directors are cutting themselves these days.
Part of the reason Star Wars was so good is that Lucas had silly little models lined up on tables for the death star canyon, midgets in tin cans (R2) etc, and it all ended up looking so cool. Most convincing part of transformers was when they had those huge models at the dam in the second one. Just wish someone would attempt a big blockbuster amping up the tech with robotics, stop motion, even claymation really, makeup, anything instead of CGI, it just never looks real
In all i though it was a great movie, though i have never seen a different planet of the apes. the CGI did not seem to bad to me, only a few scenes could have been a little better. 8/10 rating for me.
Part of the reason Lord of the Rings looked so good. For any given scene they would pull a different trick. Plus Peter Jackson heavily relied on scale models to complement the CG. But in the end it's all a question of how you shoot it and even more importantly how you edit it. If you have a CG scene and you run it too long it WILL become less believable. It takes a major effort and different concepts to make an "all CG movie" look real good. Examples, in my opinion would be 300 and Sin City
I like a good plot and good character development but it dragged on far too long I came to see an action flick and left disappointed “more apes on the march and less stupid humans” Hotwater
I'm just home from watching it. I was really looking forward to it. I loved the picture, thought it was clever. However, I thoroughly hated the film. I felt uncomfortable and didn't find that it was enjoyable to watch at all. Maybe I'm just a hormonal pussy today but I'll not be watching it again in a hurry, if ever.
i thought it was an okay film i found that it took ages before the rise of the apes took place, which is what i was interested in in the first place. i had seen the trailer before, and i didnt expect the whole "oh my monkey is getting smarter" thing to last forever like it did. i want to see what happens between that film and the 1968 masterpiece. namely : the epidemic (or nuclear war) that killed most humans, the apes taking over the planet, organizing a new society, building towns, constructing a culture, Caesar becoming a legendary god like figure to all apes, the apes pushing the humans back in the woods, and the humans becoming wild creatures and losing the ability to talk. maybe they'll make another movie for that?
I watched the original when it came on televisin in the 70"s, And iv watched it either on DVD or dish. Im looking forward to watching this one too..
This movie although OK had the feel of being a set up for the next movie and it's that aspect of it that I don't like The next movie should be great (epidemic, famine, nuclear war) h
To me the movie reaffirmed 3 things: Anyone that abuses animals needs fucking castrated. Wild animals shouldn't be pets. Police have shitty and easily defeated tactics.
I haven't seen the movie but I'd love the last scene to have something to do w/ the distruction the Statue of Liberty.
I watched almost half of this movie online a few weeks ago and I couldn't watch the rest. I actually really like this film and it kind of makes me see domestic animals in a different light. I refuse to call domestic animals "pets" because that part of the movie where Caesar asks Breck if he's a pet made me sad. I mean, would you want to be kept on a leash and called a pet?
