An origin story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering (in the quest to make the cure for Alzheimer's) lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the consequences of genetic engineering in what may be the first of a new PLANET OF THE APES series.

ANALYSIS:

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a clever re-imagining that re-introduced THE PLANET OF THE APES universe.  They have a couple of nods to the first APES film that starred Charlton Heston including one of the most quoted lines from that film.   This film chronicles the development of Caesar and the start of the fall of the human race.  The reference to the Icarus mission to Mars sets it up for a possible sequel.    The ALZ-112 drug leads to smarter apes, but the ALZ-113 is a deadly virus to humans and making still smarter apes.   You can fill in the gaps where the story is going.  the weak link of the story is the character arc of James Franco's scientist character, Will Rodman.   It continues to make me think either Franco isn't a really good actor or he keeps picking roles that aren't well developed (or character directed).  You know why he wanted to develop the drug (to save his Father from Alzheimer's), but his story takes back seat to Caesar's story which is the most developed of the film's story.   The story raises questions about medical ethics and whether we should alter teh course of evolution (and what will be the price).   The effects work of the Apes is almost flawless and the story is good at showing Ape mayhem (which is over too soon)

 If they make a sequel which I imagine will be a remake and re-imagining of the first THE PLANET OF THE APES with the Icarus crew returning, I will definitely be in line to see that one.   I would like to see a film bridging the gap between this film and that remake, but the post-credits sequence renders that story moot if you stay around for a minute into the credits.

this movie review is (c)8-6-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permision.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com