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Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Evolution Becomes Revolution In The Critically-Acclaimed
Over $432 Million Worldwide Box Office Smash Arriving Globally
on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download in December

Summary: A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a battle unlike any other when RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES makes its worldwide debut on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on December 13th in North America and starting December 7th Internationally. From the Oscar-winning® visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings comes revolutionary new ground — a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

James Franco (127 Hours) stars as Will Rodman, a neuroscientist living in San Francisco trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing on chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. After a test subject’s baby, Caesar, is orphaned, Will decides to raise him at home on his own with his Alzheimer-stricken father (John Lithgow; “Dexter”). What begins simply as a continuation of his experiment quickly turns into a problem for Will, as Caesar is taken away from him and forced to live in a primate facility. As Caesar’s intelligence continues to grow, he begins to stake his claim as the leader of his new primate counterparts, which will ultimately lead to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist), this special effects blockbuster features fantastic supporting performances from Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Brian Cox (Red), Tom Felton (Harry Potter films) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) in a ground-breaking performance. The RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray is loaded with bonus material including deleted scenes, making-of featurettes commentaries and more.

Review:
This was my first time experiencing one one of the Ape movies and I absolutely loved it! I'm a big fan of James Franco and I thought that John Lithgow did a fantastic job portraying his father — and a man suffering from Alzeimer's disease.
The special effects in this film are outstanding. I read somewhere that no real apes were used in the making of the film, which really surprised me. Many times the shots looked very realistic and I could really see the emotions behind the animal characters. They all really had their own unique personalities. If anything, the film really helps make people aware of the dangers of animal testing and the price of coming up with a"miracle cure".
I really enjoyed the clips were we can see the adopted chimp, Caesar, grow and mature over time. Even though he is more apart of the human world each day, he knows he is different and is often treated as a pet when they go outside. The seclusion begins to make him lash out.
One of my favorite parts was actually the battle between the apes and humans near the end of the film. Wow, the degree of detail during these scenes was mind-blowing. I was glued to my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
Overall, I was highly impressed with this new adaption of an older franchise film. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was incredibly enjoyable with a wonderful cast and special effects that really brought the entire thing to a new light.
You can rent or purchase Rise of the Planet of the Apes from Amazon.
Review copy provided by ThinkJam and Fox Entertainment. Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

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Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes + TIME