Okay this movie I have mixed feelings about but in the end I have to say that I really enjoyed watching it. Three chimpanzees are captured in an African jungle from their troop by poachers and shipped to San Francisco. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist at pharmaceutical company Gen-Sys who has been trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer's disease by testing a genetically engineered gene therapy on 12 chimps. The drug mutates the chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. The most successful subject, a female chimp named Bright Eyes (Terry Notary), goes on a rampage because she believes her baby, to whom she secretly gave birth, is threatened; she is killed disrupting a board meeting where Will is presenting the cure. Will's boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) orders chimp handler Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine) to put all the test chimpanzees down; Franklin cannot bring himself to kill the baby chimp and instead gives him to Will who later along with his father who is the reasons for Will's research (he has Alzheimer's) names him Caesar and raises him. Caesar eventually outgrows his surroundings and due to many misunderstandings and mishaps Caesar is locked away in a Primate Sanctuary where we later learn and see his abuse at the hands of the workers and owner's son. This is the catalyst for the entire movie.
Now I wasn't a fan during the beginning because it was taking so long to build up to the actual story. Maybe it was slow moving for me because I had already seen the result of all this in the "Planet of the Apes" so this is more like a history lesson to me than anything else. Now despite the slow beginning for me it really began to pick up when he got into the Primate Sanctuary until the crescendo of such a satisfactory ending which made me fall absolutely in love with this movie. I don't want to give any big spoilers away so I'll just say that it's an amazing movie that will move you from compassion to tears and then ending in joy. A definite must-see in my opinion so go see it! [laughs]
Thank you, Kay, for reviewing another current film. I admit that I have a tendency to review older films. I think that the majority of the films I write about are from the 1990's, though they are a rather mixed bunch.
ReplyDeleteYour review has answered some of my questions about it. It stars Caesar, the same chimpanzee who appeared in the fourth of the original "Planet of the Apes" films, but it's a completely different story. A new plot. I feel tempted to write a lot here, but I'll hold myself back. Your review has inspired me to rewatch the original five "Planet of the Apes" films. Then I'll watch the 2001 remake of the first film. Then I'll watch "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", eventually.