Rebuilding Rob

I feel weird calling this a “retro review” but the movie is 13 years old so I guess it applies…

Last week, I finally sat down to watch 2011s rise of the planet of the apes. This movie, of course came out will to what I think of as the “prequel generation“. It seems like everywhere you go these days, just having a backstory with a story is not enough. Eventually, you need to expand upon some backstory; provided, the franchise is successful, and can be made with a prequel. As a title implies, rise… serves as a prequel to the 1968 movie the planet of the apes – and even the ill- fated 2001 version I guess. James Franco plays Will Rodman a doctor who is working on a potential cure for Alzheimer’s Disease Will has a personal stake in this research as his father (John Lithgow) is afflicted Alzheimer’s. as you may have assumed, Rodmans lab is testing their experimental drug on apes. The results end up exceeding Rodman‘s expectations. And if you know the planet of leaves franchise at all, you can probably guess where this is going…

Overall, I like the movie! It shows audiences that it doesn’t take a whole lot to imagine our world as we know it in the 21st-century, gradually turning into the world that we saw the 1968 …Apes movie. At this point, I usually have my reservations about seeing any movies with James Franco. His off- screen antics of the past, combined with his “Seth Rogen stoner“ image make watching his movies somewhat cringe now. In spite of this, he played his role well and he stuck the landing.

But the real star of this movie, without a doubt is Andy Serkis in a motion-capture performance as Caesar. Serkis has a track record of other noteworthy motion capture performances, including Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the titular King Kong. I think it’s already way past time that he receives some sort of special achievement Academy award for his work. His performance had me sympathizing with Caesar and the other apes, which was the point.

Rise… accomplishes its task of setting the table for the …Apes franchise. At the same time, the movie ends with more of Caesar’s story still to tell. Thankfully, we would get follow up sequels in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War For the Planet of the Apes. Now I have to check them out also. 

FINAL TAKE: recommended, Rise of the Planet the Apes tells a compelling stand-alone story while also serving as a precursor to the established Apes franchise. Good viewing for a new veteran fans alike.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is currently streaming on Hulu

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article: “Rob Retro Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.