NEW “APES” STANDS TALL

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Starring James Franco,

Andy Serkis,

Freida Pinto,

John Lithgow,

Brian Cox,

Tom Felton,

David Oyelowo

Directed by Rupert Wyatt

Written by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silva

Suggested by the novel by Pierre Boulle

Running time 103 mins.

Rated PG-13

          Could just be one of the best sci-fi movies ever. That said, I don’t think of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” as a prequel so much as a highly revolutionary “prequel.” In quotes. Certainly there could be no advantage in watching this film, followed by all the rest in order. It would be about as weird as trying to do that with the Star Wars movies.

          The only real reason to call it a prequel is to tie it in with the pre-existing franchise because marketing says that’s what works.

          However, there is a very good reason why this film can’t properly be considered a prequel, and I’ll say what it is without spoiling anything, unless you don’t know how the original “Planet of the Apes” ends: When Charlton Heston pounds the sand and cries, “You did it! Oh, you actually did it!” (or thereabouts), he’s referring to the bomb. His character laments that man was stupid enough for nuclear war, and that out of dropping the bomb evolution took a new direction with the apes taking over. But this movie has none of that.

          Upshot: A scientist (Franco) with the cure for Alzheimer’s raises a chimpanzee test-ape called Caesar who, due to exposure to the drug, exhibits uncanny intelligence with potentially catastrophic consequences.

          What makes this movie work so well is the degree of authenticity. No other cinematic manner of presenting the proper believability has ever been possible until now. Until “Avatar,” anyway.

          That said, good as it is, no, it isn’t perfect. Although some of the digipanzees do look realistic enough to fool about anybody, I suppose. If watching a chimp or gorilla walk around upright–and these things are available on YouTube–kind of makes you wince in revulsion, you’ll love this one.

          The filmmakers simply do a damn good job of making the story look possible. Sort of like “Jurassic Park.” And they do it so much that we can forgive the excesses. Fact is, I’ll bet, there just aren’t that many chimps, gorillas, and orangutans in the Bay Area or any other area that could all band together in such huge cinematic numbers.

          Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar is exceptional. As with Gollum and King Kong, Andy performs in digital getup, so we never see his face. But the eyes, the facial expressions, all the movement, and everything in the digital clothing is Andy, and it is his performance that brings out Caesar’s humanity.

          Naturally there are the requisite homage moments. A memorable line or two cleverly incorporated–a 3D puzzle of the Statue of Liberty, a TV on with Charlton Heston.

          Terrific presentation all around, and an understated performance by James Franco, who manages to make some fairly fantastic subject matter actually seem believable.

          So far, for the summer, right behind satisfying must-sees “Harry Potter” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” we have “Super 8,” “Cowboys and Aliens,” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” with “Rise” being probably just slightly the best of the latter three.