2011/145 min
It is unthinkable to write
about this latest -so far- Planet of the
Apes installment, without travelling back
in time, in the year 1968, and
mentioning the one that started it all, starring the action hero of his
time -call me Ben Hur, call me Moses- Charlton Heston .
The first Planet of the Apes movie, was based on the French sci-fi novel
with the name: "La Planete des Singes" -1963 written
by Pierre Boulle.
Veteran filmmaker Franklin J. Schaffner, later director of unique movies like "Patton" -1970 , "Papillion" -1973 and "The Boys from Brazil" -1978, with the use of minimum visuals but revolutionary -Oscar awarded- makeup techniques, tells the story of astronaut George Taylor, whose spacecraft crushes on a planet inhabited by an advanced breed of apes and where people are inferior and used as slaves .
In spite of the heavy makeup, the best roles in this movie, are played by the ... apes : Roddy McDowall's Cornelius, Kim Hunter's Zira and Maurice Evans' Dr. Zaius, steal the show.
The film, the screenplay of
which, was co-written by Rod Serling, creator of the unforgettable Twilight Zone series, can be very pleasantly watched even today, while the unsuspecting
prospective viewers should know that this movie, has not only one
of the best endings of all time
but also one of the best lines:"Take your
stinkin ' paws off me you damn dirty
ape"!!
Not forgetting THE kiss!
You can find the original movie on Blu-ray and DVD
And here is the original trailer
After the first planet,
followed a
series of films with titles like (breathing in): Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1969), Escape
from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest
of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle
for the Planet of the Apes (1974) plus two television series (breathing out) until the year 2001, when Tim Burton helms a remake of the first film, starring
Mark Wahlberg and an exceptional assembly of actors in the roles of the apes: Helena Bonham Carter, Tim
Roth and Paul Giamatti.
The great expectations of the fans of the series were not met, despite the more sophisticated and expensive visual effects and Burton's artistic filming.
The changed finale
of this film, although interesting,
cannot be compared to the original, which remains far better and more
subversive.
Thus we come to year 2011 and the Rise .
Here, British director Rupert Wyatt, takes us to the past of the Planet of
the Apes, when the planet was still
of the Humans and explains what
happened and how we came to fall off our place at the top of the food chain.
The story in a nutshell:
Talented young scientist Will Rodman (James Franco), in his research to find a cure for Alzheimer disease, discovers ALZ 112, a revolutionary formula that can not only repair the cerebral damages of the patients -his beloved father being one of them- but also greatly improve the cognitive skills of all men.
Talented young scientist Will Rodman (James Franco), in his research to find a cure for Alzheimer disease, discovers ALZ 112, a revolutionary formula that can not only repair the cerebral damages of the patients -his beloved father being one of them- but also greatly improve the cognitive skills of all men.
He starts administering the experimental medicine to
chimpanzees and the results are dramatic.
During the presentation of his research to his
employers, the board of a multinational pharmaceutical company, everything goes wrong.
The laboratory is shut down and all the animals
are killed .
In a cage, Will discovers a newborn baby chimpanzee and secretly carries it out of the laboratory to his home, where he brings it up like a child .
Over the years the chimp, named Caesar shows incredible intelligence and ability
to communicate , which was inherited to him by his mother, to whom ALZ 112 was
administered , while she was pregnant.
Growing up, Caesar tries to understand his place in the world and when he realizes it , he rebels and then it is too late for all of mankind.
Reasons to see this movie: Again, like all previous films, the ... apes steal the show.
Here we have a chimpanzee named Caesar.
So the one who really steals the show is Andy Serkis.
The glorious King Kong, the miserable Gollum of the Lord of the Rings
trilogy and Tin Tin's Captain Haddock, are all played
with the facial expressions, the
voice, the moves,
the intelligence of the same actor, who -with the
help of the motion capture technique, gives life to a... lifeless image made on a computer.
When we see Caesar on screen, we don't see
an actor who plays a chimpanzee.
We see a chimpanzee who plays a role.
WETA's technology serves the artistic effect of the film -just like it did with Avatar- and pushes it up on another level .
The storytelling is also a big
plus regarding character development . Right
from the start we sympathize with the young scientist
who agonizes not only for the good result of
his research, but also for the health of his father (John Lithgow) and the future of his "adopted son".
We are moved by Caesar's
efforts to integrate into the society
of man and his anticipated failure.
It is ironic but true: We're on his side when one by one he overcomes all obstacles on his way to freedom, even when this will ultimately lead to the final extinction of the human species.
For the older fans
of the series the Rise holds many
surprises. Names, symbols, television news programs,
connects it to the first -the mother of all films- and pays
it tribute at every opportunity.
The much expected action sequences, the audience requires from the typical blockbuster, may be delayed but compensate, are enough and lead to the aim of the film industry:
The sequel.
The sequel.
When the majestic Caesar escapes, crossing and destroying
the pride of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge,
we know that this is only the beginning.
First San Francisco, then the world.
First San Francisco, then the world.
Ave Caesar !
Those who are about
to die salute you.
You can find Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Blu-ray και DVD.
You can find the greek version of my review HERE
The first official trailer for the third chapter of the franchise, entitled 'War for the Planet of the Apes' came out a few days ago and it looks promising.
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