Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Caesar is home.

Who said August doesn’t produce excellent movies?

It’s a myth that August is a dumping ground for studios, littering the release schedule with poor films. However, in recent years we’ve had The Bourne Ultimatum, Inglorious Basterds, District 9 and Scott Pilgrim Vs the World and now we can add Rise of the Planet of the Apes to that as well.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (let’s just call it Rise of the Apes), tells the story of James Franco’s Will Rodman, a scientist developing a cure for Alzheimers by testing it on chimps/apes. He claims he’s found the solution but due to an accident at the facility, his research is sent back to the drawing board and the test apes are put down. However a young chimp comes into Franco’s care, he takes him home and raises him (it?) like a human child while also giving his Alzheimers suffering father (John Lithgow) the serum which halts the disease in its tracks. The young chimp, now called Caesar, develops an extraordinary intelligence and rapport with his human custodians but by intervening in a fracas between Lithgow and a next door neighbour, Caesar is sent to an ape retreat and from there engineers an escape for freedom.

What’s makes Rise of the Apes so interesting (and more so in a summer season that’s erred on action more than character) is the degree of importance given to its CG simian characters. Director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) tells the story from Caesar’s point of view and it’s fascinating to see Andy Serkis’ motion captured Caesar develop into a leader of apes, struggling initially but becoming a figure that leads by example and not intimidation. The apes are genuine characters: funny, dangerous, sad or angry, they emote, react to things and each of the main simians has an identity. They feel as if they exist in the environment, interacting with each and the film’s at its most inresting when they’re on screen. The CG is remarkable, if not wholly photo-realistic (but its getting there) and there aren’t many moments where you’d think “this looks stupid”, a thought that could come into your head quite often if you don’t believe in what’s happening on screen.

It’s the human characters that suffer in comparison; Franco is game for the scientist that can’t see beyond his own choices and sets the world on course for global meltdown, but there is a bit bland. Lithgow fares better in a small role as the Franco’s father who struggles wih Alzheimers, giving the audience a reason to care in the human drama. The rest of the cast fare worst through simple, almost paper thin characterisation that makes the human characters too easy to dislike. David Oyelowo’s business man is motivated by greed and success, Tom Felton’s character is your standard bully and Frieda Pinto has a role that’s very forgettable.

It’s the apes who are the stars and the most captivating aspect of Rise of the Apes . More importantly, Rise of the Apes makes clear the difference between doing what is necessary and violence for violence’s sake.  The apes want their freedom back and once the end titles come up on screen, it’s difficult not to be happy at the end result.

Poster of the week – “all hail Caesar”

Top five motion captured performances

With Rise of the Planet of the Apes opening in UK cinemas this week, I thought I’d take a look at five of the best motion-captured performances that have come our way since the technology’s inception. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments below.

5. Dr Manhattan

He’s blue, he glows and he’s naked. He also happens to be the most powerful being in the universe. A combination of motion capture and CG head replacement (the body belonging to fitness model and actor Greg Plitt), Billy Crudup’s detached performance was enhanced by the visual effects and not sullied by it.

4. Gollum

Perhaps the first real evidence that motion capture could be executed and executed well. The final effect incorporated the performance of Serkis with animators  inserting/adjusting footage where necessary. It’s a remarkable feat in visual effects that they created a character that emoted and had a personality of its own.

3. King Kong

A massive leap in motion capture from visual effects production house Weta and Peter Jackson, perhaps even more impressive than their attempts with Gollum. After the 1933 stop motion effects and 1975’s animatronics + man-in-a-suit, Kong found a look that suited him for a modern audience. Like Gollum, Serkis was the actor powering the CG creation, giving a performance full of rage but also solemn in other moments. Serkis’ and Weta’s work sold audiences on the romance between Kong and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts).

2. Davy Jones

Quite possibly my favourite performance on the list (and they are all very, very good in that respect) but Bill Nighy’s captain of the dammed nudges it by being despicably evil and having a scott-ush accent. So good you could have mistaken it for makeup, Davy Jones was as close to photorealism a squid-faced, crustacean-pawed character could be.

1. Neytiri

A fantastic showcase for what motion capture can do when it’s utilised well, believably turning a 5ft 7in Zoe Zaldana into a 9ft + tall blue humanoid with a tail. An emotional and physical performance, Saldana’s Neytiri didn’t receive any love from award organisations but it opened doors, if not fully then partially, for the acceptance of a motion-captured performance in the minds of audiences around the world.

Poster Round-up – The Dark Knight Rises, Captain America, Conan, Dream House and more

Lots and lots of posters, let’s get to it…