Rise of the Planet of the Apes Reviews

El Origen de El Planeta de Los Simios es una obra complicada. No porque tenga una trama súper profunda, sino que deja mucho que desear como filme en los ámbitos como la edición y los cortes que entorpecen o no dejan claro lo que quiere contar, sin hablar del doblaje que llega a confundir de manera ridícula el tercer acto. A pesar de lo que pueda decir de las pestes que tiene este filme, no quita que sea de estas películas que volvería a ver por el cariño extremo que le tengo. Cuando era un niño fue de estas películas que no paré de ver por más que quisiera. La devoré y mucho.
Tras lo que estoy diciendo pensarás que le daré una buena calificación, pero no. No porque desde mi joven edad como la etapa adolescente y ahora la adulta siempre detecté los increíbles fallos que presentaba la obra.
Siempre mantendré la opinión de que la edición de esta peli es fatal y que incluso las escenas eliminadas entorpecen muchísimo todo lo que quiere tratar de mi amado César.
Entretenido filme, pero no es tan bueno como yo pensaba.

El Origen de El Planeta de Los Simios es una obra complicada. No porque tenga una trama súper profunda, sino que deja mucho que desear como filme en los ámbitos como la edición y los cortes que entorpecen o no dejan claro lo que quiere contar, sin hablar del doblaje que llega a confundir de manera ridícula el tercer acto. A pesar de lo que pueda decir de las pestes que tiene este filme, no quita que sea de estas películas que volvería a ver por el cariño extremo que le tengo. Cuando era un niño fue de estas películas que no paré de ver por más que quisiera. La devoré y mucho.
Tras lo que estoy diciendo pensarás que le daré una buena calificación, pero no. No porque desde mi joven edad como la etapa adolescente y ahora la adulta siempre detecté los increíbles fallos que presentaba la obra.
Siempre mantendré la opinión de que la edición de esta peli es fatal y que incluso las escenas eliminadas entorpecen muchísimo todo lo que quiere tratar de mi amado César.
Entretenido filme, pero no es tan bueno como yo pensaba.

El Origen de El Planeta de Los Simios es una obra complicada. No porque tenga una trama súper profunda, sino que deja mucho que desear como filme en los ámbitos como la edición y los cortes que entorpecen o no dejan claro lo que quiere contar, sin hablar del doblaje que llega a confundir de manera ridícula el tercer acto. A pesar de lo que pueda decir de las pestes que tiene este filme, no quita que sea de estas películas que volvería a ver por el cariño extremo que le tengo. Cuando era un niño fue de estas películas que no paré de ver por más que quisiera. La devoré y mucho.
Tras lo que estoy diciendo pensarás que le daré una buena calificación, pero no. No porque desde mi joven edad como la etapa adolescente y ahora la adulta siempre detecté los increíbles fallos que presentaba la obra.
Siempre mantendré la opinión de que la edición de esta peli es fatal y que incluso las escenas eliminadas entorpecen muchísimo todo lo que quiere tratar de mi amado César.
Entretenido filme, pero no es tan bueno como yo pensaba.

I loved the original film, the sequels that followed were a mixed bag and I disliked Tim Burton's remake especially for the ending. I wasn't sure at first whether I would like Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but guess what? I did, very much so.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes mayn't be perfect, but it is for me one of the better movies to do with Planet of the Apes since the original and one of the better movies this year.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes for a start looks mind-blowing. Beautiful photography, striking settings and scenery and brilliant effects are plenty of reasons to like this movie, as well as the breathtaking action sequences especially the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge and emotionally powerful score.

The story is thrilling and well paced with not too much excess to interrupt the flow. Dialogue is mostly very good and thoughtful, if sometimes clunky particularly in the scenes with Franco and Pinto and one or two of the morals about Man Playing God. Rupert Wyatt's direction is excellent.

The characters are mostly engaging, though it is true that the apes are more interesting than the human characters. But Franco's character especially is given enough empathy and depth to make us care for him. Best character? Easily Caesar, not only the most interesting characters but the one I felt the most sympathy for.

Acting is very good. It is occasionally a little hammy, with John Lithgow and Brian Cox, however James Franco gives a very credible lead performance, Frieda Pinto is decent, Tom Felton is surprisingly good and Andy Serkis is just phenomenal.

Overall, a very good movie. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

Contrary to most of the viewers, I made sure to watch all the Planet of the Apes movies before watching this new installment. It is something I did last year with the Star Trek franchise as well and I think it ensures a much more rewarding viewing. Anyway, after hearing so many good things about this flick, I was really eager to check it out. And indeed, there were many things I enjoyed in this movie. The first thing that impressed me was the state-of-the-Art CGI displayed in this movie. Indeed, it was pretty mind-blowing and you can imagine that in 10 years from now, you won’t even be able to make the difference between a real monkey and a CGI one. The other thing that I enjoyed was the performance provided by Andy Serkis as Caesar. By now, after portraying such iconic figures such as Gollum and King Kong, Serkis can be considered as the undisputed master of the motion capture performance. This time, he managed to create a fascinating character and that was even more impressive when you take into account that it was almost only based on body language. So, I really loved those elements but, unfortunately, the rest of the movie was not really impressive. Indeed, even though the story was entertaining, it was still pretty generic and predictable. Furthermore, all the human characters were terribly underdeveloped and rather underwhelming. It was above all obvious with Freida Pinto’s character. I mean, in spite of the fact that she looked insanely gorgeous, she didn’t have much to do there except warning the main character that what he was doing was wrong. It was about the same thing for John Lithgow’s character who was there mostly to explain James Franco’s drive to find a cure. Hell, even the main character was rather underwhelming. Still, to conclude, in spite of these flaws, it remains a pretty decent reboot and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Okay, confession time- this is my first "Planet of the Apes" movie. I have never seen the Charlton Heston original. Hell, I haven't even seen the crappily reviewed Tim Burton film with Helena Bonham Carter and Mark Wahlberg.

But I have to say, despite my lack of experience with the 'Apes' franchise, this one grabbed my attention right away. This is up there with Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" as science fiction at its most emotionally charged, tinged with social commentary.

This is a star-studded cast- James Franco, John Lithgow, Tom Felton of the "Harry Potter" films- and yet the film belongs to the apes. These CGI wonders are incredibly realistic, and through the magic of modern technology, given the facial expressions of actors.

The plot- Will (James Franco) works for a scientific research facility, where he is trying to create a serum that will help the brain repair itself, curing maladies such as Alzheimer's and other mental disorders. His heartache and his inspiration is his father Charles (John Lithgow) whose mind is in the grip of the disease.

For reasons I will not go into here, Will is put in charge of raising Ceasar, a highly intelligent ape. Ceasar's expressions are contributed by Andy Serkis, the face behind Peter Jackson's Gollum and King Kong. Will quickly gets attached to Ceasar, but Will veterinarian girlfriend, Caroline (Frieda Pinto,) wisely advises Will that Ceasar will not be young and cute forever.

Ceasar's presumed of abandonment at the hands of Will and abuse perpetrated by cruel ape handler Dodge (Tom Felton, mustering every bit of his meanness from his Draco Malfoy days) is upsetting, but crucial to Ceasar's development as a character. But rather than make Will (Franco) into a villain, the film makes him a essentially good character who grows to care for Ceasar deeply, but can not take charge of his fate.

It hurt me to see Ceasar abandoned and abused by the humans, so watching him break free and command a legion of primates in the ape revolution is gratifying. Most of the time, the movie makes you believe in it's characters and happenings 100% percent, which is hard to do in a super-intelligent-apes-take-over-the-world movie. Ceasar is an amazing character who grows so much throughout the movie, reaching a peak of development that some human film characters never even aspire to.

You don't have to be a "Planet of the Apes" fan to see there is some kind of genius at work here, and this timely and relevant film will thrill and engross you. Go see it. Really.

"Careful, humans don't like smart ape."

After six feature films (including a remake) and two TV shows, a prequel exploring the apes' rise to global dominance seems to be the only avenue left to tackle in the exhausted Planet of the Apes franchise. Borrowing bits and pieces from earlier films (most notably Conquest of the Planet of the Apes), 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes starts from scratch, rebooting the tired saga and asking that we forget all the prior Apes pictures. This is a fresh, baggage-free outing which disposes of the franchise's pre-existing timeline to resurrect the Apes brand and pave the way for a whole new series. Surprisingly, the gamble has paid off. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a rare type of summer blockbuster which is more interested in storytelling and character development than mind-numbing action.

In San Francisco, ambitious scientist Will Rodman (Franco) is testing a special virus on apes that has the potential to cure Alzheimer's Disease. When an accident leaves both the project and Will's star experiment dead, he chooses to take home the baby ape left behind in order to save its life. He only intends to take care of the ape momentarily, but ends up keeping the pet to comfort his dying father (Lithgow). Named Caesar, the chimp grows up to be an obedient pet with a heightened intellect and a curiosity about the outside world. The household's tranquillity is shattered, though, when Caesar's fierce protective instincts lead to him being imprisoned in a shady primate shelter. He is soon abused and mistreated by both the staff and other inmates, leading Caesar to lose his faith in humanity. The intelligent ape longs for freedom, and looks to harness the power of Will's viral creation to create an ape army and spearhead an uprising against humankind.

In addition to being more patient and meticulous than more typical summer blockbusters, Rise of the Planet of the Apes tackles a number of social and political topics. It brutally depicts Caesar's abuse while imprisoned, observing the tragic darkening of his soul and sending a message about animal mistreatment. It also raises ideas about the morality of using animals for drug testing, and the evils of greedy pharmaceutical companies more interested in their bottom line than ethics. On top of this, Caesar's abnormally high intelligence raises provocative questions - what rights does Caesar have? Should he be treated as an equal? Is it morally acceptable for him to be owned and treated like a pet? While Rise of the Planet of the Apes doesn't explore this stuff with genuine profundity (this is a summer action movie), the film's alacrity is to be admired - writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver clearly wanted to leave you thinking about various things, rather than simply numb from countless explosions.

Once Caesar is incarcerated, the film is enthralling in the way it wordlessly portrays the ape growing from uncertain newcomer to feared leader, using his superior intellect to plot an escape plan and unite his ape army. During this section, the human characters are less interesting. The entire subplot concerning Will's father is downright affecting, but the rest of the human stuff is somewhat clumsy and lazy. The fact that the apes' interactions are so enthralling despite lack of dialogue is a testament to Rupert Wyatt's strong direction and storytelling. It's also a testament to the workmanship of WETA Workshop, whose vibrant, expressive motion-capture technology effortlessly conveys the complexities of the ape characters. The eyes are especially soulful, allowing these digital creations to express genuine depth and feeling.

Viewers expecting tonnes of ape combat may be disappointed by the prolonged build-up, but the rest of us will have no trouble appreciating the dramatic growth and character building. Even in spite of the lack of action, this is a briskly-paced motion picture which never noticeably lags. Plus, the payoff of marvellous - the film's climax set atop the Golden Gate Bridge is a true highlight. It's an epic battle pitting the awakened apes against armed forces, and - on top of being coherently shot and edited - it carries emotional weight and suspense. It almost goes without saying that the CGI is phenomenal, bordering dangerously close on photorealism. The only troublesome thing about the digital effects is that they sometimes lack weight and inertia (it doesn't look quite right when Will picks up a three-year-old Caesar, and, later on, Caesar climbs into a car which isn't weighed down by the ape's mass).

Andy Serkis has become the go-to guy for motion capture movies, having already played Gollum in Lord of the Rings and King Kong in Peter Jackson's 2005 epic. Here, Serkis is sublime as the conflicted Caesar, giving the character convincing life and conveying both Caesar's interior revelations and craving for freedom. Serkis is the soul of the film; he truly becomes an ape, and he's both lovable and fundamentally human. The rest of the cast are serviceable, but are not on the same level as Serkis. The biggest standout is John Lithgow, who nails the bewilderment associated with Alzheimer's and is both believable and empathetic in the role of Will's father. James Franco, meanwhile, is merely okay as Will, and Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) is completely wasted as a thankless love interest who has absolutely no relevance to the story.

Not everything works (a few corny references to the 1968 movie don't entirely gel), but Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a marvellous resurrection of an ailing saga. Its ending leaves room wide open for a sequel, but this self-contained story is completely satisfying by itself, especially with an extra sequence during the end credits which briskly illustrates the fall of man. I'm hooked, bring on the sequel!

8.2/10

Okay, I loved this movie. It moved at just the right pace for an action movie, kept the suspense high, and things moving along perfectly. John Lithgow was excellent, and I don't know why this movie had some negativity thrown its way. It was very, very well done in every way. The effects were fantastic, the throwbacks to the original were fantastic and fun - I love the references to the original movie, and I love that they kept it so that the first word spoken by an ape was "No" (mentioned in "Escape From the Planet of the Apes").

I am a huge fan of the series, having seen all the movies (except the remake of the original, which I have seen once or twice) several times over, mostly during marathons, and I love it. This newest film in the franchise is just awesome, it had me tearing up at the treatment of the apes, it had me in awe, and I just loved it, start to finish.

There's really not to much to say about this one, it's about what you'd expect it would be.

It's definitely fun to watch and delivers pretty much what you're looking for. And the apes look great. They did an excellent job making them humanistic as well as realistic.

My only complaint is that the majority of the film felt almost palpably rushed. I realize they had a lot of story to cram into a single film, but I would have gladly sat through a 2-hour picture to have it a bit more fleshed out and not have such bothersome pacing. It's not like they leave holes in the story — you can follow it okay — but there are plenty of times I felt myself thinking: "Okay, I see what you're saying here, but jeez. Slow it down a notch." Especially in the beginning, when it's all moving so fast that things that would usually be relayed quite subtly, instead become obvious information cues. A quick camera shot on the father's teaching award, and now we know he used to be a great piano teacher. Even the camera shot didn't seem to linger as long as it normally would in a different film.

It's possible this was at least partly done on purpose, to give an added feeling of uneasiness or anticipation, but I doubt it. This isn't the kind of film you necessarily need to feel rushed. Shooting something like Catch Me if You Can in 52 days makes sense. I think in this case it was either time constraints, budget constraints, rookie direction, or any combination of those and other things.

I was also kind of surprised the Frida Pinto role wasn't bigger, but then again, there wasn't much of any character development. (There wasn't time for it, apparently).

Still, the pacing does slow down a bit as the film progresses and is a good cinematic experience. Fun, and leaves you wishing the next one was available to watch already. I'd give it a 7.5, but for this whole-number rating system, I suppose that has to get rounded up.

I have to admit I was a bit skeptical before watching this movie. I saw the trailer before and I thought "Wow, another crap movie about apes". (Mind you it wasn't just me who thought so, the editor of the trailer should be taken blame for that) But then I saw the rating and reviews and I was surprised (lots of the reviews say the same thing too). Thus, I became excited to watch it.

It was kind of a prequel to the original "Planet of the Apes", which I did not watch. Well "Planet of the Apes" was about a planet conquered by Apes where humans were enslaved. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" I suppose, is how it started. A few scientists tested a medicine which was supposed to help human enhance the brain action, on Chimpanzees. so eventually before the humans get smart, the Chimpanzees gotten smart first.

OK I think I made it sound a little stupid, but I have to admit it was quite well done. and it was no doubt for the effects and everything to be good after realizing it was done by Weta, which previous works were "Lord of the Rings", "King Kong" and even "Avatar".

Andy Serkis was Caesar the Ape. I think he was brilliant, again being cast as a character as so after Gollum in "Lord of the Rings" and the King Kong in "King Kong". The emotions and details looked really good. James Franco did fairly for his part, nothing spectacular but did what his character needed to be. It was interesting to see Freida Pinto here, interesting choice, though her part was not a lot in the movie. The other actors like John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and etc. did fairly well too.

The length of the movie was just nice, and enough to keep going for the whole movie. Even some really tense scenes too. Overall it was above expectation, I give it a thumbs-up for a movie as such to be made successful.