Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Trailers can potentially ruin a movie and in this case my enjoyment of Rise of the Planet of the Apes was suppressed. I should of learnt my lesson by now but trailers are either unavoidable at the cinema or too tempting online! In this case the trailer gave away far too much of the plot and the whole film was pretty much sketched out from beginning to end. This is just a personal niggle that has applied to a few films in the past (I'm looking at you Iron Man!).

Anyway, the real highlight of this is undoubtedly the stunning CGI, by the same people who brought us the Na'vi. It really is (mostly) the best motion capture technology you'll ever see, especially when we get close up facial expressions of Andy Serkis's ape rendered face. When the apes are in full swing (literally) it starts to look more graphical than life like but still, you wont find any better!

Whilst the CGI alone amused me enough to carry the film, the plot also stands pretty firm, with the Alzheimer's and animal testing themes well incorporated. The problem I do have is the how most of the film is a drama. It's less Rise of the Planet of the Apes more, Escape of the Small Group of Apes and I was expecting more of the 'Rise' part (and more Gorillas launching themselves at helicopters). The other problem I have is taking the subject matter seriously. There's a moment where lead ape Caesar shouts "no!" in rage, but it just felt really awkward and a few people were even laughing in the cinema. It's a ridiculous premise set in a realistic setting that takes itself very seriously... and I'm not quite sure if that sci fi combination works that well here.

That said, I did enjoy it as a popcorn flick and James Franco was hugely likeable as the lead role. Worth a watch for the special effects alone. I'm just not completely convinced by the premise! [B-]