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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