Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Movies have long since proven that the combination of caged animals and groundbreaking special effects is an effective way to deliver a sensational cinematic experience that is equal parts grand thrills and bittersweet emotions. And apes are often the animal of choice. From King Kong to his smaller cousin Mighty Joe Young, angry apes with the ability to wreak bloody revenge upon their oppressors are no strangers to cinematic magic. And considering Kong has already been brought to life by a variety of special effects techniques (stop-motion animation, costumed actors coupled with trick photography, and motion capture-assisted CGI), it would seem that this combination of apes and effects has reached the limits of its creative potential. Well, apparently not, because screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and director Rupert Wyatt have dusted off an old franchise and done something new with this proven formula. And the result, the awkwardly, though appropriately titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes, marks a stunning addition to this already dazzling collection of celluloid primates.

The key to this latest Apes picture is Andy Serkis, who has already played an ape with attitude (he was the most recent Kong in 2005). Serkis is at the heart of a landmark leap forward in special effects technology and he's also responsible for delivering the most powerful performance in the movie. Similar to his experience on Kong, Serkis donned a motion capture suit to play the role of protagonist Caesar, an impressively intelligent chimpanzee who leads a revolt of like-minded apes in an effort to assert dominance over humankind. As he has done before, Serkis performs in the suit and then has his actions and facial expressions used as the performance framework for a computer generated character. It's a sort of digital costume, in the sense that the process captures the actor's performance and relies heavily on the strength of the acting to succeed.

Serkis has logged many hours in motion capture suits, but things are a little different this time. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the first movie to utilize this technology on actual, physical sets and in real locations. In the past, all motion capture work had to be confined to green screen-covered sets where everything on screen would be brought to life in a computer (Avatar's groundbreaking use of the technology clearly relied on extensive green screen sets). But with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Serkis actually interacts with normally clad humans and wanders around on real sets and even goes for a jaunt in the streets of San Francisco. This allows Caesar to become a believable digital character in a tangible setting, one filled with flesh and blood and concrete and metal. The result isn't perfect (the CGI is spotty at times), but it is certainly a major moment in effects history.

It's also a major moment in Serkis's career. Even when Caesar is a somewhat noticeable effect, he never loses even the subtler hints of character. Serkis brings such emotion and energy to the role that Caesar remains beautifully believable throughout the entire movie. A dramatic connection is forged early on when we first meet Caesar as a day-old little chimp who is brought home by scientist Will Rodman (James Franco). Caesar is the offspring of a chimp who underwent drug testing and gained great intelligence as a result. It isn't long before Will begins to see that the increased intelligence was genetically passed down to Caesar. As he grows up, our primate protagonist becomes even smarter and more astute in his observations. All the way, the digital character pulls us in to his personal experiences and makes his fateful journey one worth anticipating with meaningful excitement.

Caesar's emotional contribution to the movie continues to grow as his arc embarks on a thoughtful and thunderous trajectory that takes the overall franchise to startling heights. Dual conflicts coalesce, first joined by theme, then soon after by the thirst for revenge shared by all onscreen apes. Caesar has a lot of ups and downs in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but one thing is for certain: he knows how to make those ups count. He uses his time wisely, which can also be happily said about the movie. Wyatt patiently paces the narrative, never wasting any moments and also managing to avoid any dull stretches of plot filler. Instead, the movie has a lean, fat-free feel to it, while each scene receives the amount of care and attention it deserves. A prison break of sorts planned by Caesar unfolds piece by piece, with specific details falling into place with authentic precision. Suddenly, we're watching The Great Escape with Apes and instead of seeming silly, it feels inspired.

This is clearly a tale of apes, as it should be (they've got rising to do, after all!), but the movie still finds room for some touching human moments as well. Franco's Will is struggling with the deterioration of his father (a wonderfully well cast John Lithgow), who suffers from Alzheimer's. Will's research at the drug-testing facility has been focused on finding a cure for the horrible disease and there is hope that he has finally found a solution. Caesar also proves to be a great companion and the trio form a tender family unit that adds additional dramatic muscle to the narrative. Love interest Frieda Pinto doesn't fare so well, since she's basically there to look pretty and be the only woman to utter more than a few lines (but not that many more). The villains are also quite one-dimensional, with Harry Potter vet Tom Felton essentially reprising his role from that series as a wanton jerk. David Oyelowo fares better as the heartless head of the drug testing facility, but it's still a thankless role. Even then, Wyatt keeps this villainy at acceptable levels and orchestrates the entire experience so that voluntarily cheering on Caesar and his ape army seems like a necessity.

Fans of this franchise have visited the titular Planet (twice, different versions of it), gone Beneath it, Escaped it, witnessed a Conquest of it, and survived the Battle for it, so it makes sense that we're finally seeing it Rise. Continuity has been discarded and the plot refashioned for a modern age and a new beginning, so this prequel of sorts is best viewed as a fresh start. And a bold, bountiful one at that. Following in the footsteps of past ape/effects pairings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a character-driven journey that hits its mark, gloriously, at the point where performance and technology intersect. Serkis and the effects team at Weta Digital really have outdone their collective selves here. Even though some of the CGI is obvious and transparent, the actual creation of the character as a believable being is quite extraordinary. Getting wrapped up in the ambition of Caesar's revolt is an engaging, exciting experience and our loyalty to the primate protagonist is rewarded with what is easily the most angrily awesome action sequence of the summer. It all adds up to a surprisingly great movie anchored by a powerful performance and a sensational celebration of technological growth. We've seen these Apes do a lot of things before, but we've never seen them act quite like this.