Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Flash back to 2011. Having been treated to arguably one of the biggest cinematic summers in recent memory (X-Men: First Class, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Kung Fu Panda 2, Super 8, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2), I went to a special early screening for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The excitement was palpable; the cinema was packed and we were each given free posters for the film. Thankfully, the film didn’t fail to deliver on that excitement and promise.

Will Rodman (James Franco) has stumbled upon a potential cure for Alzheimer’s. After testing the cure on apes, the apes show vastly increased intelligence. Following an incident at his lab, Will and his father Charles (John Lithgow) become the guardians of a baby ape, Caesar (portrayed through motion-capture work by Andy Serkis). As he grows, Caesar shows great intellect and understanding; unfortunately, other humans aside from Will, Charles and Will’s girlfriend Caroline (Freida Pinto) aren’t so understanding. Following a confrontation where Caesar protects Charles, Caesar is locked away in an animal shelter with other, less educated apes and abused by sadistic worker Dodge (Tom Felton). Seeing the conditions which his kind endure and growing to understand their current place in the world, Caesar grows bitterly angry and decides that enough is enough…

Let’s start by talking about the most praised aspect of this reboot series; the visual effects and motion-capture work. In short, what everyone involved achieved in these areas is outstanding. The apes all feel like real-breathing creatures with a huge range of expressions and a multitude of subtle gestures which feel them less like avatars created on a computer and more like individuals with rich emotional history. While the visual effects team must be commended for their work here, a huge piece of the credit has to go to the motion-capture actors. Karin Konoval, Christopher Gordon (Koba), Richard Ridings (Buck), Terry Notary (Buck) and all the other motion-capture actors are outstanding (Konoval is a delight as Caesar’s orangutan friend Maurice). These actors all commit to their craft and are never anything less than convincing. However, the man (and ape) of the hour is Andy Serkis as Caesar. Serkis is one of the original pioneers of motion-capture work in film after his exceptional work as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his performance here may be even more impressive. Serkis portrays all of Caesar’s internal struggles flawlessly through his motions and sounds; nary a word is spoken, and yet you feel the turmoil, confusion and rage that Caesar feels. Caesar himself is already a compelling figure who is easy to relate to and become attached to, but Serkis’ portrayal gives the character so much depth and presence. The character’s arc, coupled with the electrifying work from Serkis, makes Caesar a sensational lead who I can’t help but cheer on.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about Rise is that the human characters pale in comparison to the apes, and for the most part, I’d have to agree with that. It doesn’t help that the actors are often either saddled with severely one-dimensional roles or given very little to do. Tom Felton sneers like he’s in a pantomime as chief human antagonist Dodge; there’s no redeeming qualities for this individual, and try as Felton might, the character seems like he wandered out of a cartoon; it also doesn’t help that Felton clearly struggles with his American accent. Playing Dodge’s father John, Brian Cox aces the accent and gives a solid turn, but the character still feels under-written. There’s an emotional moment for the character in the last act which Cox sells, but it feels too rushed. David Oyelowo, a usually terrific actor, is nothing more than the stereotypical evil businessman as Will’s over-seer Jacobs (there’s even a point where he exclaims aloud “I make money!”) Freida Pinto, who’s recently proven herself to be a captivating screen presence on TV’s Guerilla, is a likeable presence, but Caroline often feels like more of a moral argument than an actual character. She’s just there to point out where things can go wrong; there’s not much else to her, apart from that, making her the archetypal ‘concerned girlfriend’. As Will’s lab partner Franklin, Tyler Labine does good work. Outside of Will, Charles and Caroline, Franklin is the only other human in the film who treats the apes with something approaching love and respect. He’s also apparently an intelligent character, which is why it’s such a shame to watch what the film does with his character. I understand that the screen-writers needed to find a way to move the plot forward, but couldn’t they have found a way which didn’t have a supposedly smart individual suddenly and incomprehensibly act like an utter imbecile? On a final negative note regarding the human characters, Will’s neighbour Douglas (David Hewlett) is actually funny in how much of a pain he is. Whenever we see him, he’s in a foul and unpleasant mood. What’s more, his responses to everything are over-the-top; there’s a critical moment in the film where Douglas takes offence at someone knocking on his neighbour’s door. Not his door, but his neighbour’s door on a detached house. That’s a small detail, but it shows how much the film occasionally tries too hard to make some of these human characters antagonistic. As a result, they can come across as obvious, dimensionless constructs.

Now let’s move on to who I think are the two really good human performances and characters here; James Franco as Will and John Lithgow as Will’s father Charles. Franco plays the role in decidedly understated fashion, which only makes Will seem more human. At first, Will is only interested in the medical ramifications of Caesar’s condition and how it can help human suffering from crippling mental diseases. But, as time goes on and Will grows more attached to Caesar, Franco sells that attachment beautifully. However, Franco and Serkis never forget the undercurrent of tragedy in that, while Will cares for Caesar, he can’t seem to understand that Caesar is his equal. There is an arrogance to Will not entirely dissimilar to a ‘mad scientist’ archetype, and Franco plays it with just enough flawed humanity to avoid slipping into caricature. Better still is John Lithgow as Charles Rodman. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Charles is the reason Will is so determined to make the cure work, and the painfully heartfelt relationship between father and son is played to palpably moving results by both Franco and Lithgow. Lithgow never overplays the character’s condition, portraying a man struggling to cling to his intelligence in a way that rings harrowingly true. The interplay between Franco, Lithgow and Serkis is truly magnificent, and it forms a large part of the film’s tragic heart.

Arguably one of the biggest things Rise has going for it is the pacing. From its first frame, this film MOVES. At a run-time of 105 minutes, this is a relatively short summer blockbuster, and while there is hardly any action until the third act, the drama and characters (particularly Caesar) create a thoroughly ensnaring narrative which moves like lightning. The major characters are developed to the point where we care about their fates and the underlying sense of tension builds masterfully until it breaks loose (literally and figuratively) in the final act. Not only is each act brilliantly constructed and clear (there are defining moments which are indicative of an act ending and/or beginning without being overly obvious), but everything which occurs in the latter half of the film is set up wonderfully in the first half of the film. This is a very tight film with few loose threads, outside of some questionable character motivation and other minor mis-steps.

Editors Conrad Buff and Mark Goldblatt keeps the story racing by with just enough time given to allow events to possess the punch they deserve (for the most part – like I said earlier, there are moments where some actors aren’t given the chance to emote as much as possible), but he and director Rupert Wyatt understand that build-up is key. Wyatt must be a fan of the ‘prison break’ sub-genre; not only was 2008’s The Escapist, his film prior to this, a film of that ilk, but from the second act onwards, Rise clearly owes a debt to prison-break dramas. As great as Wyatt’s direction of the film’s first act is, it’s from Caesar’s imprisonment onwards that he really starts to show off his skill. Not only is it great fun to watch traditional prison film tropes being acted out by apes in a way which feels very naturalistic, but it’s also amazing to see the cogs in the machine that is Caesar’s plan slowly and surely come together for terrific effect. And what is the sensational third act, where Caesar leads his fellow apes in a rush for freedom, but one of the most epic jail break sequences ever? It’s safe to say that the building suspense of the first two acts is delivered on in spades come that spectacular finale. Everyone involved, from Wyatt and the editors to the actors, from the visual effects crew to cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, is clearly throwing their all into that conclusion and it makes for an incredible ride, full of bruising strength and wicked wit.

Wyatt’s direction is perfect for the material. It’s intelligent and emotional, tapping into the heart of the characters and story without usually feeling the need to explain too much; often, a simple visual or a shot of a character reacting is enough to inform us of changes taking place in the film. The script, written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, must also get some credit here; while there are issues with how some of the other characters behave and talk occasionally, the characters normally interact and talk in a way that feels natural to both the situation at hand and who they are as individuals.   

Bolstered by Lesnie’s stunningly gorgeous cinematography and Patrick Doyle’s emotionally rich and compelling score, Rise thrives on its unexpected soul and vitality. If there was any other issue apart from the lacking or simplified characterisations for the supporting cast, it would be that the references to the franchise’s history are often ham-fisted and out-of-place. Sure, some work, but they mostly feel too slavish and have a negative impact on the film. Most egregious of all is a famous quote from the original 1968 Planet of the Apes which inspired a groan from me when I first saw it in cinemas; this was a mistake which the ill-advised 2001 remake made, so to see it being repeated here wasn’t very encouraging. However, the moment right after that is an absolute stunner; I can still recall the entire cinema going into awestruck silence. The real power in Rise is in the story of Caesar, and that moment is the culmination of it all. That moment epitomised everything so pleasantly surprising about Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and why it proved to be one of the most unexpected resurrections of a franchise in recent memory.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5