“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” The apes say “NO”!

[Film Quality: 7 ]

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” The apes say “NO”!

            Back in the olden days of the 1960s and ‘70s, there was a series of films about planet Earth being ruled by apes. The first starred Moses himself, Charlton Heston, who brought an air of authority to the whole proceedings. Naturally, it was so successful that a sequel was necessary, briefly starring Heston again. Following those were three more sequels which tried to explain how Earth became the ‘Planet of the Apes.’ The fourth film “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” sets out an intricate scenario for how simians eventually take over the Earth. There were outstanding actors behind Oscar-winning makeup who brought these hominids to life. Naturally, these sequels gradually ran out plausible story lines and were stopped—but not before a TV series tried unsuccessfully to carry on the extremely limited plot possibilities.

            A revival of the story was tried again with limited success with Mark Wahlberg replacing Heston in the starring role, but he lacked the gravitas to carry the role. Using a different story line, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” attempts to do what the fourth film did, that is, explain how humans became servants to the apes. This time the apes are not real actors but creations from computers. Remember, today, unlike a generation ago, anything can be fashioned for the movie screen today. Suspension of disbelief may be a thing of the past. On the other hand, it is hard to believe that what you see on the screen in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is not real. Caesar, the chief chimpanzee, has a very expressive face. Soon you also feel that you can interpret his sign language. It was Steven Spielberg who said that if you can believe the eyes, you will accept it as a real character. Behind the computer is Andy Serkis, who also was the pattern for Golum in “Lord of the Rings,” and 2005’s “King Kong.” Just call him the terrifically talented invisible actor.

            A single act of both compassion and arrogance by researcher (James Franco) leads to a war unlike any other--and to the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The Oscar-winning visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of “Avatar” and “Lord of the Rings” is breaking new ground, creating a CGI ape (Serkis) who delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate. When the film reaches its warlike action conclusion, we are aware of how the apes became intelligent enough to rule Planet Earth. When you watch the closing credits, you will also know why the humans lost their supremacy. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” adds new dimensions to the previous mythology and shows that CGI can create lifelike characters. But, what do you do when you don’t know who to yell for?

            Family Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language.

            Also featuring: Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Tyler Labine. Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Significant musical score by Patrick Doyle. (1 hr. 45 min.)

Also opening: THE CHANGE-UP. [Unpreviewed] Oftentimes crude comedy about two men who accidentally change bodies, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. Family Rating: R for pervasive strong crude sexual content and language, some graphic nudity and drug use. It’s not the family rated “Freaky Friday.”