Rise of the Planet of the Apes

[TNGTony]

[CONTAINER][MOVIE1]Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Tagline: Evolution Becomes Revolution.

Genre: [GENRE]Science Fiction[/GENRE]

Director: [DIRECTOR]Rupert Wyatt[/DIRECTOR]

Cast: [ACTOR]Andy Serkis[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Karin Konoval[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Freida Pinto[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]James Franco[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Tyler Labine[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]David Hewlett[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]David Oyelowo[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Chelah Horsdal[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Jesse Reid[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Tracy Spiridakos[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]Christopher Gordon[/ACTOR], [ACTOR]John Lithgow[/ACTOR]

Release Date: [RELEASE]2011-08-04[/RELEASE]

Runtime: [RUNTIME]105[/RUNTIME]

Plot: [PLOT]Scientist Will Rodman is determined to find a cure for Alzheimer's, the disease which has slowly consumed his father Charles. Will feels certain he is close to a breakthrough and tests his latest serum on apes, noticing dramatic increases in intelligence and brain activity in the primate subjects... Especially Caesar, his pet chimpanzee.[/PLOT][/MOVIE1][POSTER1]

[/POSTER1][/CONTAINER]

 

[TNGTony]

With the release of "Dawn" in a few weeks, I think this reposting is apropos

Rise of the Planet of the Apes i- nothing short of awesome!
January 27, 2012 at 11:39pm
So continuing with my trend of seeing movies a year after they are released in the theater, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is nothing short of awesome! This is coming from a person who grew up on Charlton Heston's "damned dirty ape" movie, its 4 sequels and live-action the TV series that must have had a ratings bump of 1 point every time I tuned in since I seemed be be the only one who watched it first run.


So knowing this I can tell you that there are so many connections and tips of the hat ito the original 1968 movie in "Rise" that made me almost giddy. {Puts on propeller hat and pocket protector} I won't give away all of the tips of the hat, to the 68 movie, but I will tell you that "It's a Madhouse" and "Take your stinking paws off me you damn, dirty ape!" are both prominently featured in this movie. And another one that I was laughing at for a while, but I know many will miss it: one of the characters is named Dodge Landon. Dodge and Landon were the other surviving two astronauts that crash landed with Taylor (Charlton Heston) in the original 68 version. An orangutan's name is the first name of the actor that played Dr. Zaius (Maurice)

Without giving too much away, "Rise" replaces the old "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (and the very last few scenes from "Escape from Planet of the Apes" (Essentially the original beginning of the Charlton Heston cycle. It takes place "present day" or near future we would recognize. A scientist working on a drug/gene therapy to help cure Alzheimer and other brain related diseases tests them on Chimpanzees. The therapies have an unexpected effect unfortunately all the chimps are destroyed. but just like in the original cycle, a kind human takes in a new-born and names him Caesar. Through the course of the movie (and into the closing credits) the fate of humanity is mapped out and the rise of the apes is chronicled.

The CG effects were next to awesome, but still a big ding to my suspension of disbelief occurred with what can only be called "cartoon physics". Some of the overlays were quite noticeable making the images look inserted which also dinged this nearly flawless vision of what Planet of the Apes should be.

Throughout the movie there are a few throw-away scenes on TVs and news papers in the background mentioning the first manned missions to Mars which could possibly set up one of the sequels that are sure to come!

Anyone who liked the original movies should love this one! And let's not confuse this movie with the 2001 re-imagining. Rise does everything it can to separate itself from the 2001 PotA movie. Just like "Highlander 2" in its universe, the 2001 version of Planet of the Apes will be disavowed from the franchise even though there was a cameo by Charlton Heston himself (or should that be Himself) on the pile of bovine waste that was the 2001 movie.