This was a very good movie. However the acting, the human
acting, was not a significant contribution to the film. It was not bad, but not
memorable. Even Gary Oldman, who had marquee billing, did not do much for his
role. The quality elements of the movie are the script, the direction, the special
effects and the CG.
The story is rich with different levels. The themes are
universal and go beyond just sci-fi. There is the father/son story; alpha ape dilemma;
humans versus apes’ dynamic. Survival of the fittest is the goal, but who is
the fittest? Essentially the story is about prejudice and tolerance (or intolerance).
This movie is the second installment of “Rise of the Planet
of the Apes”. Caesar is still the alpha male leading his troop who live well in
an arboreal condo, al fresco. The human population has been decimated by a simian
flu, concocted in human labs. The apes are ascending and the humans putting back
the pieces of their broken world. This sets the tension of the movie and makes
it watchable. Do not assume who wins.
The special effects are incredible. They mastered the graphic
challenges of fur, skin and the occasional tear drop, but the real achievement
is how the apes interact with the human actors; their timing is seamless. With
the range of emotion’s Caesar displays his acting is on par with the human
actors, sans the ego. I would not be surprised if this film is nominated for an
Oscar for special effects.
The movie is not all kumbaya, there are some serious battles.
The CG battles are massive and impressive. It is very disconcerting to see a gorilla
riding a horse.
I think a sequel has a good bet, given this film’s box
office. Anyway, monkeys do work for peanuts.
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