Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The monkeys’ gazes gradually become more expressive and sincere than the gazes of the human actors, and the initial protagonist, a scientist played by James Franco, and his companions become nothing but a bunch of extras. In other words, it’s rather more "Rise of the Planet of WETA". It has the charm of fantasy worlds, a fast pace, a deluge of visual and screenwriting ideas, perfect action, loads of emotions, a subtle ecological message, and especially the omnipresent positive feel-good vibes without the need for darkness and violence, though the film talks about serious things. It is not possible that it took just a little over 100 minutes. For me, this was a feast, a perfect viewing experience and the most enjoyable blockbuster since the mid-1990s (Jurassic Park, Twister). And here I thought that the problem was just me being unable to go back there. (29/07/2011)

The film objectively has enough flaws (logical missteps, sometimes strange editing, a few unnecessarily cheesy scenes). But it deserves great respect for its childish enthusiasm and completely anachronic use of tricks. I haven't enjoyed the liveliness and soul of trick sequences this much in a long time... as if Rise of the Planet of the Apes was actually going back to the 1960s, when every trick was a little joyful miracle. Personally, this film reminded me of why I love science fiction so much (that uplifting feeling of magical escape from the everydayness) and surprised me very pleasantly by resigning on the theme of direct civilizational conflict. In short, we follow the spontaneous demise of the old community and the resulting birth of a new community, which has, much more than the features of the classic apocalyptic sci-fi elements, features of a romantic story of a lone monster and its naive creator. At the same time, the film establishes the opportunity to tell the whole series again (including a reference to the unfortunate flight of Icarus), which makes me happy after watching this intimate, emotional and outwardly pleasurable spectacle. (29/07/2011)

I can't help but find this movie as a whole so paradoxically human. I was mesmerized by the beautiful shots and the perfect music. Watching the apes defy the humans and fight for freedom was an incredible experience for me. That monkey power took over the whole theater. Caesar's legendary line "Caesar is home" made me want to stand up and clap... I am also happy about the casting of the beautiful Freida Pinto. Ladies and gentlemen, you couldn't have done it better. The full 5 stars. (16/08/2011)

A film at the right time. Instead of Godzilla-style destructive action, Rise of the Planet of the Apes offers up a game of who is the master and who rules whose territory and relativising a number of genre rules. The apes overshadow all of the live actors, who don’t even aspire to become heroes through their actions. Rodman’s liberalism isn’t far from the attitude of “do what you want; I can’t do anything anyway”. The character who undergoes complicated internal development, who literally evolves (as shown in the breathtaking scene with a tree), is Caesar, who is predestined by his name and intelligence to do great things. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone act so convincingly with their eyes. In the scenes when it raises questions, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is more impressive than when it attempts to answer them. While the secondary romantic storyline had already aged in its presentation and impact on the plot when the film was released in cinemas, man’s manipulation of nature as it is presented here will remain topical, if there is any nature left in twenty years. That’s not to mention a number of other possible interpretations that arise after looking over the current news of the world (why should the “right” to a more fulfilling life belong only to selected individuals). With its briskly presented attractions for both the eye and the mind (or for both at once, in the best case), Rise can be enjoyed as a summer blockbuster without guilt, regardless of the numerous meanings that it contains. For example, in evoking the impression of movement, Wyatt achieves the intensity of The Bourne Ultimatum in the scenes of Caesar’s continuously filmed actions. The British invasion of Hollywood is thus progressing as successfully as our “advanced” civilisation’s journey to self-destruction. 85% (17/08/2011)

Leaving aside Green Hornet, which came out in winter, this is the first blockbuster of the year that managed to not only meet my expectations, but to surpass them, too. If you really wanted to dig into it, you’ll find loads of inconsistencies in logic, but this film is so entertaining, genuine and emotional that I will not get into that. The old classic can be glad to have such a good young sibling, It has nothing to be ashamed of. I loved the references and I would love to take little Caesar home :) (15/08/2011)