It's a Madhouse! - A Review of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

Film: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto
Released: 2011
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Having heard many good things about the ‘Planet of the Apes’ prequel, I was entering the cinema with a certain level of expectation, but I definitely was not expecting to enjoy myself as much as I did. There was one point in the film that completely took me (and everyone else in the theatre) by surprise, even though most of us, who are at least partially aware of the existence of the previous films, should really have seen it coming. I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t seen it, so I won’t reveal it here, but the way in which the film built up to it was fantastic and used to its optimum potential.

One of the elements that really impressed me about this film was that even though many of us were already well aware of the events which took place in the other films, I was still itching to know what was going to happen next. The pacing of the film was relentless and extremely well laid out, with a definite feeling of there being no means of escape, which was very refreshing. I even said to my sister before we entered our screening that there was no way that they filmmakers could find a way to make this film end in a positive light – it was all in the title. We all knew, audience and filmmakers alike, that the essence of this film’s structure was to consist of an unyielding, plunging, downward spiral, positively ripe with senses of dread and guilt, and that is exactly what we got.

Something else that struck me was how effectively and completely Andy Serkis’ facial nuances and emotional flickers transferred over through the motion capture technology and to our screens. His body language, of facial expression, the utter depth of his performance – someone give this man an Oscar already. Seriously. Serkis essentially carried the film on his own hulking ape-shoulders, as well as being hugely overdue one following the snubbing he received at the Academy Awards for his role as Gollum in ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

As is to be expected, the filmmakers of ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ were clearly excited at the prospect of a repeat Serkis performance (hell, who wouldn’t be?), but in their enthusiasm they ended up somewhat sidelining James Franco and Freida Pinto as the film progressed. Both gave enjoyable performances however, especially Franco who was appropriately perceptive and emotive. One performance I particularly enjoyed was John Lithgow’s, as Franco’s character’s father. Lithgow’s character’s actions served as a weighty dose of foreshadowing, of which Lithgow provided with great sensitivity and insight.

Overall, I highly enjoyed ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’. No, it was not perfect (for example, some of the well known references to the original film seemed slightly out of place, as fun as they were), but for what it was, a prequel to a hugely popular and famous film made many years ago, I think it did very well. It not only held onto the audience’s attention, but latched onto it, refused to let go and shook it like there was no tomorrow. And of course, if you think about it, there really wasn’t.

Rating: 4/5