Before talking about anything at all, it is compulsory to acknowledge the kind of impossible work Andy Serkis has done for this motion picture. If you were to take 5 top performances of all time presented on the big screens, the esteemed thespian's and his crew's backbreaking efforts to recreate apes' body languages, verbal communications plus mental states from head to toe will definitely be on that list! What a way to plant a landmark of accomplishment in the history of cinema! This isn't a joke at the slightest. One could only try to imagine how excruciatingly painful it must have been for the actors to pull this off! Without this team, Caesar and his apes would have appeared fake and the film's fulcrum would have toppled.
The storytelling experience here is immense as it is mostly visual! You're here to follow the journey of Caesar, a genetically modified chimpanzee who forms an identity for himself, leading to a search for the two things he realizes lacking in life - freedom and belonging. In a way, this is another dimension in the library of A.I. transformation-like stories. You see him in the beginning as a cute baby ape who has inherited the ALZ-112 viral based drug from his deceased mum. Due to the fact, he has naturally increased intelligence if directly compared to others of his kind. He's still 'dumb' though during the stage of infancy and childhood, hinted slightly through the way he parroted Will's gesture for silence. Most importantly, he's a kid too. And as any kid, he is playful. He wants to go outside. Redwoods forest feeds him an early taste of freedom and expands his world. He witnesses how others, apart from his family members, discern him. Through the powerful scene of encounter with the neighbour and equal existential place as a 'pet', he is reminded time and time again that he doesn't belong where he is currently. As he learns about his past, fate pushes him into a larger conflict - being locked up in a facility shelter. The sun he sees isn't real anymore as he knows. He's bullied. He's homesick. He's different. He's trapped. He's hurt. Angry. Sad. Confused. Disappointed. Afraid. Out of this brewery of thick and low-point of emotions, rises a new Caesar! Leveraging on the psychological and physical growth in hand, Caesar proceeds to find his own way to achieve acceptance and independence. He gains command and refuses to be commanded once again. He gathers his 'people' in the shelter, Gen-Sys and zoo. Enough apes have been converted to the type he is via the spread of ALZ-113. His colony shall be expanded further on through breeding. And the resolution is Redwoods. Their new home. The feature starts with apes losing their dwelling and ends with them earning one. Caesar's psychological need, moral need and desire are solved. This is one damned good character arc!
Remember, Caesar doesn't hate humans. He evaluates and differentiates the good & the bad. This is because he's raised by a wonderful man, Will (James Franco), even though the main opponent here is him, since his research is the culprit that rolled the ball from start. Since other apes aren't fortunate enough like Caesar, coupled with the fact that they are treated atrociously in the artificial habitats, their perception towards the two-legged beings are negative, negative and negative only. Will has a solid background as to why he is keen on finding a cure for Alzheimer's, because his father, portrayed with excellence by John Lithgow, is a victim of the said disease. His relationship with Caesar is adorable when you see him become the father! It breaks one's heart to see Will is forced to leave Caesar back with the authorities. Poor Caesar draws his home window in the cell. You want him and Will to be reunited badly! And as for Will, he struggles to keep both his father and son.
Be it when Caesar rebels Dodge (Tom Felton) with a "No!", Koba (Christopher Gordon) faces off Jacobs at the bridge, Caesar bites off the neighbor's finger or Dodge punishes Caesar with the hose of water, emotions are vented out to a culmination. Apes caught in boxes shrieking, Will feeding Caesar milk, Bright Eyes gone berserk, Dodge's electrocuted death, zoo chimpanzees detecting the presence of Caesar in baby cart, horse riding battle, massive escape from care center, Buck the gorilla wrecking down helicopter, apes gathering at the overhead waiting to attack Jacobs, shelter apes' authentic facial reactions toward speaking Caesar and the explosive climax will swing in your memories forever.
Main issues with this motion picture are related to the plot and logic territories:
If you look closely, there's an increase in number of apes upon facility breakout. Is the kiss at the bridge necessary? Caesar hinting at the couple should date could have been omitted as it doesn't make sense. Also, there need not be a father-son tie between Dodge and the owner. The overall quality of the product is minutely brought down by the essence the Hollywood tropes.
Andrew Lesnie's cinematography is executed with precise measurements! Caesar's face dropping at the right cut on the camera once fainted, substantial growth increase during the Redwoods tree climb and pivots around the house while Will vlogs his cognitive development are fine examples. Also, supplicating gesture framed within the letterbox margin, massive leaves fluttering and flyover soaked in clouds at the Golden Gate Bridge are astounding shots! No comments on the visual effects part as we all know how great it is! The physical grafting team has designed Caesar and his mates with utmost meticulousness. Having said this, Bright Eyes' Lucas Tower portion and shelter closing at the facility center appear like unfinished computer graphics rendition. Silence and background voices of children playing elevate our understanding of how terrible Caesar is feeling being away from home. However, the dissolving effect used to show the jungle during introduction looks amateurish. Patrick Doyle's heavy music is an important party responsible for the strong emotional quotient.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an adamantine proof that science fictions can be cute, disturbing, touching, powerful and convincing; all at once!
"Caesar is home."