Movie Review -- Rise of the Planet of the Apes

After being completely disappointed in Cars 2 and Transformers 3, I was in desperate need of a good movie to keep my faith in movies in general. I'm old enough to remember the original Planet of the Apes, so the idea of this prequel (note to Bill Gates: add prequel to your spellchecker dictionary) intrigued me.

To give some background, from the Planet of the Apes many decades ago we learn that somehow apes became smart and took over the earth, with small pockets of human resistors. However, as far as I know, it was never explained how this happened. This is question that has needed answering for some 40 years. I'm surprised it took this long to think of this concept.

The movie covers a lot of ground, but very briefly a biotech company in San Francisco is working on a cure to Alzheimer's disease. As the movie starts they are testing it on chimps. The scientists are encouraged to find it makes them significantly smarter. It is a long story why, but one of the smart apes is raised in the home of one of the scientists. One thing leads to another and eventually that chimp gives the drug to other apes and they all revolt.

Not only was I not disappointed, but my faith in movies has been restored. This is what a summer movie is supposed to be about, a great science story. Unlike such movies as Transformers 3, it isn't about impressing the audience with special effects. Apes tells a great story, and it doesn't mock the audience by making it too complicated, like such movies as Inception. For those who need an adrenaline shot, you get it in the finale as police and apes fight it out over the streets of San Francisco, leading to a final battle on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Absolutely a great movie. I am no longer bitter about the last two turkeys I saw, because Apes makes up for it. You may remember I also liked Super 8, but Apes is even better. On my 0 to 10 scale, Apes gets a 9. I'm sorry if I gave too much away, but you pretty much learn all this from the trailer.

Quote: Wizard

I'm old enough to remember the original Planet of the Apes, so the idea of this prequel (note to Bill Gates: add prequel to your spellchecker dictionary) intrigued me.

I remember, too, mostly having watched them on TV on Sunday afternoons, way back chen. Only i never liked them.

Anyway, sorry to burst your bubble, but this isn't the first prequel. That "honor" goes to Escape From the Planet of the Apes way back in 1971.

Here's a tip about a film that is under the radar but gets highest reviews and a deep, positive emotional response from audiences around the world.

And it's a ... DOCUMENTARY.

"Senna."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6rvBiYBL-w&feature=fvst

Been in very limited release.

Coming to Las Vegas Sept. 2, at Regal Cinemas Village Square Stadium 18.

This is a movie well worth seeing.

Even if you never followed Formula 1: still worth seeing.

The Ape movies always left me bored, too much makeup on too many well known actors. It was never believable for me.

Quote: Wizard

The movie covers a lot of ground, but very briefly a biotech company in San Francisco is working on a cure to Alzheimer's disease. As the movie starts they are testing it on chimps. The scientists are encouraged to find it makes them significantly smarter. It is a long story why, but one of the smart apes is raised in the home of one of the scientists. One thing leads to another and eventually that chimp gives the drug to other apes and they all revolt.

I think the idea came from real science and resulting ethical questions. Did someone here post it and that's where I first saw it? I quickly searched for a link and came up with that; scanning it quickly it doesnt seem to mention something I saw in that first different article, which asked a question similar to " what if the hybrid animal you are conducting experiments on was able to learn and speak a certain amount of human language?"

I'll have to see the movie now. Having it as a drug they take is lame but I guess it might be an allowable plot device so the movie can move along.

Quote: odiousgambit

I'll have to see the movie now. Having it as a drug they take is lame but I guess it might be an allowable plot device so the movie can move along.

How else would you propagate a large population of smart animals quickly enough to have a revolution?

Quote: rxwine

How else would you propagate a large population of smart animals quickly enough to have a revolution?

By engineering a virus to provide gene therapy. Virus goes into the target cell, modifies the genes and dies, supposedly. Only your macguffin instead is contagious.

The latter doesn't make sense if you read what I wrote, which also makes it perfect for a movie :P

Quote: Nareed

Anyway, sorry to burst your bubble, but this isn't the first prequel. That "honor" goes to Escape From the Planet of the Apes way back in 1971.

you've got me looking this up. "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" seems to be a prequel, "escape" a sequel to that [but also a sequel to "planet of the apes" I think?]

Quote: odiousgambit

you've got me looking this up. "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" seems to be a prequel, "escape" a sequel to that [but also a sequel to "planet of the apes" I think?]

"That's why discussions of time travel give me nose-bleeds." Geordi LaForge as quoted by Data in "Imzadi" :P