Old series is reborn with stunning effects.Hollywood legend Charlton Heston (R.I.P) first made Planet of the Apes a sensation when it first hit the big screen many years ago. The first film, which gave the series its name was by far the best although none of the follow ups were horrible. In 203, however, Mark Walberg stared in a remake of the Heston classic but failed to out-do Heston miserably. Then, in 2011, came this follow up, with visual effects created by the remarkable team that made Avatar what it was and the series was given a second chance.
This remake features James Franco as Dr. Will Rodman, a young scientist working on discovering a cure for alzheimers's disease, and testing it out on Chimpanzees. When a demonstration goes horribly wrong and a mother chimp is killed, Will brings its newborn baby home and raises it himself. Caesar, as Will's father (John Lithgow) names the ape, grows quickly and develops an incredible mind, far greater than that of a human child his age. Will discovers this is due to a sample of his drug given to Caesar's mother before his birth which was passed down to him. Caesar soon grows into a large, powerful, intelligent animal but when he attacks a neighbor while defending his master, he is sent by the law to a neglectful home for private. Things really take off from there, leading up to a spectacular battle sequence. This one solid action film you won't want to miss.
5 Stars
