Starring: Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, James Franco
Plot: After experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer’s appear to go badly wrong, Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) takes an orphaned baby chimpanzee, Caesar (Andy Serkis), home. As Caesar grows it becomes obvious that he is an ape of extraordinary intelligence. Following a violent incident with a neighbour, Caesar ends up in ape jail where he meets similar simians and the rise of the planet of the apes begins to take shape…
TM Rating: Once upon a time we couldn’t get enough of Planet of the Apes. The original film with Charlton Heston shocked audiences with a final image that made our role as kings of the universe seem suddenly on shaky ground with the notion that there are other intelligent beings out there and that they might not necessarily arrive in flying saucers. It captured the imagination of a generation, spawning three sequels and a TV series before interest fizzled out. Tim Burton tried to resurrect the apes a decade ago but for once his weird & wonderful imagination deserted him and his offering was pointless and devoid of originality.
But the idea that it might only take a genetically modified boost to give chimps a hike up the evolutionary ladder is a compelling one. This is hook with Rise of The Planet of the Apes. It’s sci-fi but in some ways it doesn’t seem overly outlandish. We already know apes are smart and can use tools as well as understand basic language. So with chemical assistance who knows? We’re ready for the apes to rise again…as long as they do it in a entertaining and intelligent manner.
This time audiences shouldn’t be disappointed with the result. The plot has all the essential melodrama to manipulate our emotions the way good escapist cinema should and there are plenty of knowing references in the script to keep aficionados of the original films happy. The human element might slow the ‘evolution” down a bit, but this is Caesar’s movie and Andy Serkis proves once again that he’s the perfect man for aping the apes. Once Caesar decides it’s time to take on the system, Rise of The Planet of The Apes shifts up a gear and we race towards a face-off between man and ape that could prove to be a defining moment in the destiny of both.
8/10 ““ An exciting and emotional cinematic experience that may have you looking at the apes in Loro Parque just a little bit differently in future.
Screening Times: 3.40pm daily from 16th to 22nd September
Tickets: €6.50 Buy Your Tickets Here
