Movies – Rise of the Planet of the Apes

By Denise Turney 

Picture by Shhhhhh at Wikimedia Commons

Sunday, August 20, my son treated me to a movie.  From halfway across the parking lot at the mall where we saw the movie, I could tell there was a good chance the theatre would be full.  Curiosity and the chance to enjoy a movie for free (something I hadn’t done in several years) propelled me on.    

Fortunately, it didn’t take us long to get our tickets, clerks at the mall theatre proving that they know how to serve customers quickly and professionally.  After grabbing a pizza (I know, price wise I should have done that before I got to the theatre, but there’s something about those theatre pizzas my taste buds like) we got seats.  Even arriving a few minutes late, advertisements for future movies were stilling running across the screen. 

More On Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Then the screen darkened and Rise of the Planet of the Apes began.  The story starts in an African forest, depicting apes being abducted from their homes to be used as test animals in a laboratory, the same place where scientists are working to create a cure for Alzheimer’s.  James Franco (he played the Green Goblin’s son in Spiderman), Freida Pinto (she starred in Slumdog Millionaire) and John Lithgow (appears in Invictus and Journey to the Center of the Earth) are some of the major characters in the film.   

Don’t want to give the movie away, but the lab work doesn’t go as well as the scientists (and one money grubbing executive) had hoped.  Each person associated with the lab has his own reasons for wanting the lab created drugs to succeed, some reasons (as already noted) appearing to be more selfish than others.  However, I came away wondering if the scientists’ reasons for pushing the lab experiments were just “different” as none of them appeared to be willing to “back off” and stop the experiments until it was, of course . . . too late. 

Andy Serkis plays Cesar, one of the apes that truly steals the show.  The CGI technology in the movie is off the chain.  It’s hard to tell the primates (except for Cesar) are actually actors in make-up; they look that real.  There were times when I felt like the pace of the film was a little too slow.  However, by movie’s end I appreciated that the directors gave viewers a chance to watch Cesar develop into what he became, some of his early personality traits remaining with him throughout.  Other parts of his earlier self he tossed aside, seemingly feeling or thinking that holding onto them would keep him from becoming what he really was and from doing what he most wanted to do. 

Like the other Planet of the Apes movies, the primates in Rise of the Planet of the Apes are intelligent beyond what one may think is naturally possible.  Throughout the movie, Cesar felt both human and primate to me.  Buck and the orangutan were other favorite primates of mine in the movie.  Andy Serkis brought Cesar to life in a way perhaps only he could.  Right away, from the very first time the movie showed Cesar, I cared about what happened to this primate, which might serve as one of the movie’s strongest takeaways. 

As with other Planet of the Apes movies, I thought this film was suited more for adults than children.  Loved the scene in the park with the German Shepherd; it got a laugh out of the audience.   

Don’t be surprised if this movie generates a host of questions and ponderings in you, including musings regarding the hope and havoc caused by desire.  I highly recommend seeing the movie.  I think thoughts and ponderings you could take home after watching the movie extend beyond what the creators imagined.  And oh yeah!  It’s very entertaining!  People clapped at the end of the movie showing my son and I went to.   

(Your thoughtful comments on this and all of our articles are welcomed and encouraged.)

Denise Turney is a freelance writer and novelist who resides on the East Coast.  She is online at:  www.chistell.com

Get into Spiral online at:  https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000841/Spiral.html

Check out Long Walk Up online at:  https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000531/Long-Walk-Up.html

Sources:

http://www.apeswillrise.com (Rise of the Planet of the Apes:  Official Website)