Rise of the Planet of the Apes (5 Stars)

I'm rewatching the Planet of the Apes films in preparation for seeing "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" when it's released in May. The films in the reboot franchise are sheer brilliance. Much more effort is made to show how the apes took over the Earth than in the original film series (1968-1973).

The film introduces us to Caesar, who will be the main character in the first three films of the rebooted franchise. In the near future a company called Gen-Sys is working on a cure for Alzheimer's. There's a personal reason for the research: the father of the head scientist, Will Rodman, suffers from advanced Alzheimer's. The medication is tested in the laboratories on chimpanzees. One particular chimpanzee, Bright Eyes, develops remarkable intelligence after being treated with the drug. Unknown to Will, she's pregnant. She's shot when she goes wild, trying to protect her baby. Will takes him home, keeping him as a pet. The baby chimpanzee, now called Caesar, is even more intelligent than his mother.

We see Caesar's development over the next eight years. He develops from being a playful little ape into a quiet, brooding adult. He's no longer a pet, he's like a child to Will. When Caesar attacks a neighbour who's threatening Will's father, he's put in an animal pen. Caesar is a natural leader. Soon the other apes are following him. Caesar breaks out and collects vials of the Alzheimer's drug. He treats the other apes to increase their intelligence.

The drug, ALZ-113, is a big success on the apes, but it has a different effect on humans. It creates a contagious disease. Those who are infected cough blood and soon die.

What makes this film so appealing is that the apes are the good guys. In the first two films they were portrayed as evil, with very few exceptions. In this film the humans are mostly bad, while the apes are all good. Am I cheering on the demise of the human race? Maybe. But it's only a film. Isn't it?

Success Rate:  + 3.2

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