Bryan Creason

A reboot is definitely what Planet of the Apes needed, especially after the abysmal remake of the original classic. Rise of the Planet of the Apes gives us everything a fan of the series would want and has enough amazing effects and great acting for any newcomer to enjoy the film. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, Andy Serkis stars as the simian leader, Caesar, and James Franco plays Will Rodman who is essentially Caesar's father.

In the film, Rodman is attempting to find a cure for Alzheimers partially to treat his father who is afflicted with the disease. One of the apes involved in the testing, named Bright Eyes, shows promise; however, the ape escapes and is gunned down before Will can report his results to the board. Having only a wrecked boardroom to show for their efforts, the board decides to stop Rodman's research and get rid of the apes. Before Will leaves, he finds out that Bright Eyes had a baby. Will takes it upon himself to take the baby chimp home and raise him, naming him Caesar. As Caesar grows, he shows vastly increased intelligence. However, still being an ape, he responds violently to an angry man berating Will's father. Deemed a danger, Caesar is sent to an ape prison. Here he begins to plot his escape, along with his fellow ape captives.

This film showcases Weta Digital, the company whose special effects were seen in King Kong and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and their abilities. They succeeded in making the digital apes seem more human then their human counterparts. Andy Serkis, though never actually seen, plays Caesar. Portraying the human emotions we see in Caesar, he turns in an amazing performance. The humans also do a great job. John Lithgow, who plays James Franco's father, convincingly portrays someone afflicted with Alzheimers. The only thing about this movie that wasn't great was the choice of Tom Felton, best known for portraying Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series; his British accent occasionally comes out and can be distracting.

When a film actually makes you root for the apes over the humans, it's well worth watching. A reboot is what this film series needed; Rise of the Planet of the Apes delivers just that.