Set in the present day, before apes have taken over the world, James Franco stars as Will Rodman, a genetic scientist on the brink of developing a new drug that could cure Alzheimer’s—a disease his father (John Lithgow) is currently afflicted with. However, when the trial of the drug on a test chimp results in an unforeseen accident, the lab is quickly shut down and the remaining chimpanzees are to be euthanized. Unbeknownst to everyone, one infant chimp escapes death. Fascinated, Will decides to take the chimp home and raise it as his own.
The ethics of raising a chimp with humans never enters Will’s mind, but the subjugation of his animal instincts are offset with his broadening intelligence. Even so, this is a conflict that clearly simmers within baby Caesar (Andy Serkis) as he struggles to balance his animal instincts with the expectations of living in a human world. After an attack on a neighbor, Caesar is forced to go to an animal shelter managed by John Landon (Brian Cox), where the apes are treated cruelly by the chief guard, Landon’s son Dodge (Tom Felton). While there, Caesar uses his intelligence to communicate with his fellow simian prisoners and plot escape, revenge and ultimately the takeover of the world.
James Franco may be the “star” of the film, but it’s Serkis who really shines here. His performance is so good, that it will only add fuel to the debate over whether motion capture should be given the same respect as traditional acting. It’s truly amazing what Serkis is able to convey without ever saying a word. However, while the actor may be responsible for breathing life into the ape, the depth of his performance wouldn’t have been possible without the work of WETA, who’s unbelievably photorealistic CGI plays a key role in selling the illusion.
After 2001’s abysmal attempt at a reboot, I had left the “Apes” franchise for dead. However, while Rise of the Planet of the Apes has some flaws (there’s some mishandling of important events), this reboot was strong enough to leave me wanting a sequel.
Rendered at 2.35:1, this 1080p transfer is simply stunning. Detail is particularly outstanding, with with effects and live-action sequences displaying real punch and amazing clarity. The movie’s nuanced color palette is spot on, with flesh tones appearing normal throughout, comparing and contrasting well. Edge enhancement isn’t a problem, nor is compression artifacting, and there are no instances of aliasing or banding to mention.
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound mix does a fine job as well. The track moves from quiet dialogue to an action sequence without missing a beat. All elements of the mix—dialogue, effects, atmospherics, musical score all come across exceptionally well. Fidelity is dynamic throughout, with high and low ends putting in some serious work.
English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mixes are included, as are English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Aside from a DVD and Digital Copy, the following special features are included:
- Audio Commentaries: The disc features two audio commentaries, the first by director Rupert Wyatt, discusses the technical aspects of the making of the film, and the second with writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who—as you’d expect—talk a lot about the characters, themes, and links with the previous films.
- Deleted Scenes (1080p, 12:00): None of the twelve deleted scenes here feature finished animation, but that means we get to see Andy Serkis running around in his motion-capture suit.
- Mythology of the Apes (1080p, 7:11): The filmmakers and stars talk about their respect for the original series and how this new reimagining draws inspiration from the previous films.
- The Genius of Andy Serkis (1080p, 7:48): A celebration of Andy Serkis, who has almost single-handedly changed motion-capture technology.
- A New Generation of Apes (1080p, 9:41): The film’s creators discuss the technical innovations required to bring Caesar’s journey to the screen.
- Scene Breakdown (1080p, 1:34): While watching the scene, you can use the buttons on your remote to toggle through early animation, performance capture, and final scene reference views.
- Character Concept Art Gallery (1080p): A user-directed gallery with concept images of seven of the apes featured in the film.
- Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries (1080p, 8:43): A featurette showing how the Golden Gate Bridge finale was shot.
- Composing the Score with Patrick Doyle (1080p, 8:07): Doyle talks about the process of scoring the film, including using the natural cadence of chimp vocalizations in the main motif.
- The Great Apes (1080p, 22:37): A three-part informational piece on chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans.
- Theatrical Trailers (1080p, 6:29)
- Sneak Peaks (1080p, 10:11): Promo trailers for Machine Gun Preacher, Immortals, Another Earth, There Be Dragons, and the FX Network.
- BD-Live Exclusive – Ape School (720p, 2:00): The film’s stunt coordinator explains the process of training the motion-capture actors to behave like apes.
