Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Veni, Vidi, Vici. Now two Caesars can say this. A prequel thirty years later where the senselessly grafted on (and absolutely unnecessary) action finale in “what didn’t fit into Jackson’s King Kong" style which unfortunately reduces the emotional ride mediated by soulful ape gazes to a regular, although very well-made, popcorn movie. But it also has a “heart", which is pretty rare for blockbusters in recent years. (08/11/2011)

Resonant. Revolting. It's hard to guess where Rupert Wyatt came from, but we can only be glad that he got to possibly the most surprising hit of recent years. Nobody wanted to see this ape's birth, the derision over an unnecessary remake was endless, and suddenly only a few people are speaking up. James Franco surprises with his acting versatility, Tom Felton confirms his villainous face, and Caesar, accompanied by Patrick Doyle's amazing music, conquers not only the highest branches of the trees but also the hearts of the audience. Despite a few surprising (but not disturbing) logical stumbling blocks, I have to admit that in this campaign, he wanted to continue at all costs, and almost everyone eagerly supports the enraged primates again. (10/25/2011)

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 :) (08/15/2011)

Generally, I tend to avoid American blockbusters knowing that they target a different age category of audience and usually work with genres that I couldn't care less about. If they ever catch my attention, they are mostly light comedy affairs. Serious-minded blockbusters usually reek of pathos and ostentatious arrogance. The novel "Planet of the Apes" operated on a simple principle and set a simple goal: to warn about a nuclear war that would bring humanity to ruin and have the void occupied by an animal species. The original film from the 60s was impressive and effective - mainly because it faithfully stuck to the source material. At the time, it was actually a blockbuster too, but its choice of topic, simplicity, precision, and broad communication made it exceptionally strong. Its younger sibling sells something else and uses different tools. It can be argued that the original Planet of the Apes influenced a generation of viewers, sparked a social discussion, and changed the view on the Cold War. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a predictable morality tale about the arrogance of humans in contrast to the nobility of the silent face. Many scenes are played solely for the effect, the characters are black and white, and the film is clichéd and literal, blatantly playing on emotions. From the first minutes, I didn't find it likable, but I would give it two stars for its craftsmanship without hesitation. However, that wouldn't take into account the last action-packed third, where there is a revolution and heroic clever monkeys demolish a helicopter in flight or a moving car with an armed crew. It got dark in front of my eyes and my mood dropped at the speed of a skydiver lacking a parachute. The film has enough enthusiastic admirers, so I don't need to exert myself and will limit myself to an overall impression of 10% for the technical execution. (10/07/2015)

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. (07/29/2011)