Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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 :) (15.08.2011)

Along with X-Men, this is the second blockbuster this year that pushes the envelope in spectacular ways (WETA studio has once again pushed the boundaries of the impossible) while not being afraid to be clever. There may be some reservations regarding it, but we will see after the second screening. Very soon. [PS: When I heard the word "No!" my heart stopped for a few seconds.] (21.08.2011)

A film at the right time. Instead of Godzilla-style destructive action, Rise of the Planet of the Apes offers up a game of who is the master and who rules whose territory and relativising a number of genre rules. The apes overshadow all of the live actors, who don’t even aspire to become heroes through their actions. Rodman’s liberalism isn’t far from the attitude of “do what you want; I can’t do anything anyway”. The character who undergoes complicated internal development, who literally evolves (as shown in the breathtaking scene with a tree), is Caesar, who is predestined by his name and intelligence to do great things. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone act so convincingly with their eyes. In the scenes when it raises questions, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is more impressive than when it attempts to answer them. While the secondary romantic storyline had already aged in its presentation and impact on the plot when the film was released in cinemas, man’s manipulation of nature as it is presented here will remain topical, if there is any nature left in twenty years. That’s not to mention a number of other possible interpretations that arise after looking over the current news of the world (why should the “right” to a more fulfilling life belong only to selected individuals). With its briskly presented attractions for both the eye and the mind (or for both at once, in the best case), Rise can be enjoyed as a summer blockbuster without guilt, regardless of the numerous meanings that it contains. For example, in evoking the impression of movement, Wyatt achieves the intensity of The Bourne Ultimatum in the scenes of Caesar’s continuously filmed actions. The British invasion of Hollywood is thus progressing as successfully as our “advanced” civilisation’s journey to self-destruction. 85% (17.08.2011)

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. (29.07.2011)

I really didn't want to watch this movie at all. I don't like it when classics are being rebooted nowadays, which happens very often. It would have to be really something special to catch my interest. And here, it really looked like it, because this movie had quite a high rating above my expectations, so I gave it a try. The film is very well shot, the effects are perfect, but I can't help it, it's all just so silly. The story... The fact that things that could be done simply are complicated in the film, I could overlook. But the fact that years go by as if nothing, the army, armed with bullets as powerful as air bombs, can't shoot down even one monkey, and what's more, they don't even shoot through a bus really touch me. It all ends with a very spicy scene in the middle of a sequoia forest. At that moment, I thought that an American would have sent a nuclear warhead into the sequoias and would have been done with it all. (16.01.2012)