SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

"The first ape to lead was named Caesar. The first word spoken was "No.""

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES comes out this Friday. A perfect opportunity to rewatch a few classic films and catch up on a film that I missed. I love franchises. I love to binge watch franchises too (made all the more satisfying when done in preparation for the imminent theatrical release of the latest chapter in the franchise). My favorite franchises being the Godzilla series, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (The Avengers films), Predator, Alien, Star Wars, Star Trek, Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), Halloween, Gamera, and so on. One franchise I felt a little disillusioned with however was The Planet Of The Apes...

I remember 13 years ago heading out to the theaters to see the big budget remake of The Planet of the Apes starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by a favorite director named Tim Burton. I was excited for the film. The trailers made the movie look awesome! And it would be the first opportunity in my lifetime to see a Planet of the Apes film in a theater. By the end of the film much was left to be desired. There was something missing, a soul and a heart maybe. Much of the Hollywood blockbusters at that time seemed to suffer from the same problem. And the big films I had looked forward to, Godzilla (1998), Halloween H20, Terminator 3, all seemed to disappoint me so very much. Tim Burton's Planet Of The Apes was another disappointment added to the list.

The film soured my tastes for the franchise for quite a while. When I was younger, in single digits, I saw the 1933 King Kong, a film I fell in love with instantly, a love affair which has lasted the rest of my life. That film solidified in me a fascination and love for apes and gorillas. A few years later, still in single digits, I was introduced to a film titled ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES. I liked it but I felt sad at the end. Cornelius and Zira and an infant gorilla are brutally murdered and then it ends! What the hell, man?! You make me love these characters and then you kill them?! That was my introduction to the series and the epic beginning to the rise of Caesar.

Fast-forward to my 18th year of life and the release of the 6th Planet of the Apes film, Tim Burton's. Fast-forward ten more years to the release of The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I still hadn't recovered from the last one and let this movie pass on without thought. Boy was I wrong. Reviews came in and the people loved it! So yesterday, for the first time, I sat down and finally watched it.

If you are familiar with the series you'll no doubt know that the first ape to rise up and start the revolution was named Caesar. Escape from the Planet of the Apes, the Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and the Battle for the Planet of the Apes chronicle his rise and the changing of the planet. It all hinges on time travel. Evolved apes from the future travel back in time to our era, give birth to an evolved ape that grows up to lead the revolution. This ape's name is Caesar. The time line skews into a tangent. Caesar learns of the history of his future world from recordings made by his parents. He tries to change the "what would be" into a better world, a better future.

Now if you know anything about time travel then you know that the first timeline had to occur in a different way, along a different path. A prime timeline if you will, one unaffected by time-travel. Like the new Star Trek plotting along a different course due to time travelers changing the timeline, there was originally a timeline quite different from this new one. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES explores the original timeline and does it magnificently!

The acting is superb, especially by Andy Serkis, the actor portraying Caesar. The special effects are astonishing in recreating real life apes. You feel for the apes and especially for Caesar. The acting gives the film something lacking in the previous film, a heart and soul. The plot of the film shines equally as bright as the acting. The film sets up the Icarus space flight. It sets up the evolution of the apes and the catalyst in which ultimately results in the global downfall of mankind and rise of the apes. It focuses primarily on the character creation of Caesar and his leading of the other apes. The fantasy/science fiction aspect of the original is virtually gone, replaced with something far more believable and with far greater gravitas. But yet it doesn't disregard the previous films allowing ample room for the others to exist in this continuum.

The movie, simply put, is incredible. It is the best possible origin story for the franchise. Even if you don't like the previous films you'll like this one. Even if you haven't seen any other Planet of the Ape film this one is the perfect starting point. I can't praise this movie enough! Storytelling at it's best! I cannot wait to see DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES! Reviews are already in and they are positive.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
A must see!