Of all the characters to grace the silver screen this summer it's hard to believe that one of the most interesting and emotionally involved is actually an ape. That's right, a motion captured Andy Serkis' Caesar is the star of the show in what looks to be the rebirth of the Planet of the Apes saga.
Swiftly distancing itself from Tim Burton's failed attempt at a reboot of the Apes story, Rise takes us to the beginning with scientists looking to find a cure for Alzheimer's, consequently leading us to a lab full of primates picked for testing. In pursuit of this ground-breaking scientific achievement is Will Rodman (James Franco), a man who has a special interest in his project as his father (John Lithgow) has the disease and is deteriorating fast. The main subject of the tests, an ape named 'Bright Eyes'. soon enough though, in trying to protect her baby Bright Eyes turns aggressive and is killed, only for the project to be closed down.
Will then finds out that one ape is remaining, the baby that Bright Eyes was trying to protect. Reluctantly he takes the ape home and it soon becomes apparent that this is no ordinary primate. Will and his father eventually come to terms with the fact that they have a hugely intelligent mammal living with them and Caesar grows in intelligence with each day (shown superbly in 'through the ages' sequence).
As Caesar reaches an older age he continues to showcase amazing abilities for an ape but after an altercation between Will's father and a neighbour in which Caesar intervenes, our furry friend finds himself sent to a primate facility to live amongst his own kind. Unfortunately for Caesar he is treated poorly but with time he gains the following of the other apes and manages to forge an escape, along with unleashing the brain enhancing drug developed by Will on his fellow apes.
On their escape the apes cause havoc on the streets of San Francisco and their presence is felt severely with attacks on the police forces and ultimate chaos. With a finale to behold between the humans and apes on the Golden Gate Bridge the adrenaline cranks to a new level and we are witness to the rise of a new enemy to humanity.
With an interesting new take on the Planet of the Apes story, we have a feasible origin story in the form of Rise and characters that you can really relate to. Franco's Will is a likeable individual and instantly audiences will have a connection with him, feeling compassion and sorrow for someone who has the difficult task of coping with a father with Alzheimers. John Lithgow is also impressive as the suffering father but Freida Pinto's love interest for Will is totally unnecessary and could have easily been written out.
Lest we forget the main reason this film works so well, Andy Serkis' Caesar. Finally we have a character with massive emotional value and remarkably he's not even human. The work that Weta Digital have done to create such an astoundingly realistic ape on the screen is beyond belief but this is second to the emotion and feeling that Serkis brings to the main protagonist, seeing is believing for what is one of the best character performances of the year.
Film rating (out of 5 stars): 4
The lowdown: Rise manages to reboot a classic franchise in one great big swoop and kicks Tim Burton's effort firmly into touch. Great emotion, action and plot and the year's best character make this a must see.
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