Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes does for the Apes franchise what the new Star Trek and Batman films have done for their respective properties: It makes the prospect of further movies something to eagerly anticipate. I was not a hater of Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes. I thought he did a great job with the practical makeup, and the story was OK. In retrospect, the film lacked pop, but it entertained, for the most part. The new Apes does away with the traditional makeup effects and utilizes motion-capture effects to turn Andy Serkis into Caesar, a chimpanzee who will eventually rise up and cause major problems for the human race. James Franco plays a doctor trying to cure Alzheimer’s disease who is testing an experimental drug on chimps. His drug not only repairs brains, but also makes them smarter … and it also makes chimps more human. The action is good, especially the finale featuring the Golden Gate Bridge. This is one the summer’s better offerings.