‘Planet of the Apes’ Shines

“He’s a smart one, isn’t he?”

Charles Rodman (John Lithgow) gapes at the baby chimp in a high chair that is sucking on a milk bottle with no help. He fails to guess that this cuddly creature will lead a future ape revolution against humans. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” released in theaters last Friday, brilliantly chronicles this terrifying revolution while heightening awareness of the destructive power of primates.

Will Rodman (James Franco), who lives in San Francisco, has developed ALZ-112, a type of gene therapy that he hopes will cure Alzheimer’s disease. Although Will achieves success testing the drug on chimpanzees, he must abandon the effort when a tragedy occurs involving a female chimp named Bright Eyes.

Her baby accompanies Will home, where Will nurtures him for eight years. This chimp, dubbed “Caesar,” develops extreme intelligence inherited from Bright Eyes because of her treatment with ALZ-112.  But when Caesar shows increasing aggression, he is caged with his own kind, and he incites the other apes to rebel against their human perpetrators.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film’s originality stems first from the apes themselves, which are played by human actors. Through the use of motion performance technology, visual effects supervisors Dan Lemmon and Oscar winner Joe Letteri of Avatar fame have converted actors into primates so realistic that it seems the filmmakers pulled them straight from the jungle.

Yet, the animals display believable feelings that make them appear almost human. Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar, masters a sweeping set of emotions, from tranquility at Will’s home to terrifying hostility as he spearheads an ape rampage through the San Francisco streets. The very dynamics between the creatures is compelling – for instance, during a poignant moment in the cell block, a circus orangutan gestures to Caesar using sign language, “Humans no like smart ape.” Even in scenes without people, communication between the apes remains gripping.

As for the main human character, Franco portrays a convincing scientist, demonstrating Will’s acute tenderness toward Caesar while displaying relatable disappointment, but not anger, when his chimp turns from him. Tom Felton, who plays Dodge Landon – the malicious guard of the caged apes – brings back his characteristic Draco Malfoy villainy from the Harry Potter films, spraying Caesar with a powerful hose and electrocuting the animals.

Still, the character of Caroline Aranha – Will’s girlfriend – falls somewhat flat. Although she does serve as a veterinarian for Caesar and challenges Will’s motives for keeping Caesar at his house, she exerts little influence on the plot other than to satisfy Will’s romantic needs. In all reality, the film could go on without her presence – it’s as if Wyatt was trying too hard to fit in the standard Hollywood love story among the screaming apes.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, nevertheless, spotlights the primates’ destructive uprising with masterful shots that harness emotion and irony between the film’s key players. Lesnie, who won an Oscar in 2002 for the first Lord of the Rings film, not only captures every leap and bound of the apes with amazing camera nimbleness but he also reveals the emotional link between Will and Caesar, and Caesar and the other primates. The movie’s score – a resounding orchestra intensified by pounding drums – calls to our wild side and channels the animals’ passion and responding fear of the human characters.

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” accomplishes a daunting feat. It depicts a primate revolution over humanity while still evoking sympathy for the captive apes and for the humans fleeing from their wrath. In the end, this film brings about an understanding and respect for primates, but not without striking a little fear for the future of mankind.

The film is rated PG-13 for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language. Running time is one hour and 50 minutes.