The Good: The special effects for the GCI apes is the best CGI creature to date, Cool action scene at the end of the movie, Interesting plot, Great performance by Andy Serkis as the ape Caesar, Great references to the classic Planet of the Apes movie, Although you would think in a movie like this there would be evolution references but there were non.
The Bad:
Note: The trailer below is very misleading. It makes the look like the movie is about James Franco's character but the movie is about Caesar the ape, which is a good thing. And the movie is a lot better than the trailer makes it look.
Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist at biotechnology company Gen-Sys who has been trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's disease and is testing a new gene therapy drug on chimpanzees. The drug, a modified virus, mutates the chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. A female chimp who believes her baby is being threatened goes on a rampage and is shot by security guards. Will's boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) subsequently orders chimp handler Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine) to euthanize the remaining test chimpanzees. Franklin cannot bring himself to kill the baby chimp and instead gives him to Will, who takes him home to raise.
Will's father Charles (John Lithgow), who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, names the baby chimp "Caesar". Caesar (Andy Serkis) has inherited his mother's high intelligence and develops quickly. One day, after he frightens the children of their neighbor, Hunsiker (David Hewlett), and receives a cut on his leg, Will takes him to the San Francisco Zoo where primatologist Caroline Aranha (Freida Pinto) treats his injury. Will begins to take Caesar on excursions to the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument, but after an encounter with a family's German shepherd, Caesar begins to resent his status as a human "pet". When Caesar questions his identity, Will tells him that his mother and eleven other chimps were given "medicine" and that the reason for his intelligence is that the drug affected him while still in the womb. Caesar becomes more aware of his biological identity and begins to view himself as different from his human family. Watch the movie to see what happens next.
Plot: 8.8/10- The plot is original and well developed.
Action: 7.2/10- Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not an action packed movie but the fight scene at the end and some ape vs ape battles are also good.
Acting: 8.5/10- The real star of the movie is Andy Serkis as the ape Caesar. Although he does not have any dialogue his performance was great through his facial expressions and body language.
Special effects: 9.7/10- The effect are revolutionary like the original Planet of the Apes movie. You could tell that the were CGI but they were the best we have ever seen even better than Avatar.
Soundtrack: 8.1/10- The soundtrack was great and set the tone of the movie well.
Comedy: 5.9/10- There was some humor.
Overall: 8.4/10- Overall Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an excellent re-boot of the classic franchise.
Closing comments: Rise of the Planet of the Apes is one of the rare re-boot/sequel/prequel that is just as good as the original.
Recommended for: Planet of the Apes fans, Sci-Fi fans, Action fans,
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure
Release Date: February 8, 1968 (1968-02-08)
Running Time: 112 minutes
MMPA rating: PG
The Good: Revolutionary special effects for the time, The costumes for the apes looked very real and natural they even look good today, Original plot, Charlton Heston's performance was good,
The Bad: While not excessive there are some evolution references,
Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Astronauts Taylor (Charlton Heston), Landon (Robert Gunner), Dodge (Jeff Burton) and Stewart (an uncredited Dianne Stanley) are in deep hibernation when their spaceship crash-lands in a lake on an unknown planet, after a 2006-year voyage at near-light speed (during which the crew ages only 18 months due to time dilation). However, due to an air leak, Stewart's suspended animation equipment fails. The astronauts awaken to find Stewart's body desiccated and their ship sinking. They use an inflatable raft to reach shore. Before departing the ship, Taylor notes that the current year is 3978 A.D. Once ashore, Dodge performs a soil test and pronounces the soil incapable of sustaining life.
Despite this, as the three astronauts set off through a desert, they gradually encounter plant life. They find an oasis at the edge of the desert and decide to go swimming, ignoring strange scarecrow-like figures. While they are swimming, their clothes are stolen. Pursuing the thieves, the astronauts find their clothes in shreds, their supplies pillaged and the perpetrators — a group of mute, primitive humans — contentedly raiding a cornfield.
Suddenly, clothed gorillas on horseback charge through the cornfield, brandishing firearms, snares, and nets, which they use to capture whatever humans they can and kill those they cannot. While fleeing, Dodge is killed, Landon is knocked unconscious, and Taylor is shot in the throat. The gorillas take Taylor to Ape City, where his life is saved by two chimpanzee scientists, animal psychologist Zira (Kim Hunter) and surgeon Galen (Wright King). Upon awakening, Taylor — now housed in a cage with a girl whom he later calls Nova (Linda Harrison) — discovers that his throat wound has rendered him mute.
Taylor discovers that the apes, who can talk, are in control and are divided into a strict caste system: the gorillas as police, military, hunters and workers; the orangutans as administrators, politicians, lawyers and religious clerics; and the chimpanzees as intellectuals and scientists. Humans, who cannot talk, are considered feral vermin and are hunted for sport and either killed outright, enslaved for manual labor, domesticated as pets, or used for scientific experimentation. Watch the movie to see happnes next.
Plot: 8.5/10- The plot is very original and fascinating.
Action: 5.9/10- Planet of the Apes is not really a action movie it is more of a adventure movie but there was some action.
Acting: 8.1/10- Charlton Heston's performance was good and the apes performances were also good.
Special effects: 10/10- The effects were revolutionary at the time and still look great today.
Soundtrack: 7.4/10- The soundtrack sets the tone of a strange world very well.
Comedy: 6.4/10- There was some humor.
Overall: 8.4/10- Overall Planet of the Apes is an entertaining movie with revolutionary special effects.
Closing comments: If you like sci-fi movies you need to check out Planet of the Apes.
