Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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)

Veni, Vidi, Vici. Now two Caesars can say this. A prequel thirty years later where the senselessly grafted on (and absolutely unnecessary) action finale in “what didn’t fit into Jackson’s King Kong" style which unfortunately reduces the emotional ride mediated by soulful ape gazes to a regular, although very well-made, popcorn movie. But it also has a “heart", which is pretty rare for blockbusters in recent years. (11/08/2011)

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)

Resonant. Revolting. It's hard to guess where Rupert Wyatt came from, but we can only be glad that he got to possibly the most surprising hit of recent years. Nobody wanted to see this ape's birth, the derision over an unnecessary remake was endless, and suddenly only a few people are speaking up. James Franco surprises with his acting versatility, Tom Felton confirms his villainous face, and Caesar, accompanied by Patrick Doyle's amazing music, conquers not only the highest branches of the trees but also the hearts of the audience. Despite a few surprising (but not disturbing) logical stumbling blocks, I have to admit that in this campaign, he wanted to continue at all costs, and almost everyone eagerly supports the enraged primates again. (25/10/2011)

The most underrated movie of this summer turned out to be his best ever movie. Caesar’s story is an amazing demonstration of honest filmmaking that has the necessary ingredients to make it a classic. Burton can go fly a kite. The special effects have been taken to a level higher again, the monkeys are sometimes more emotional that the humans. Poor old Franco is sidelined about half way through and never returns to the fore. Of the human actors, the most intriguing are the chameleon John Lithgow and David “Rodney McKay" Hewlett who was landed with the least rewarding role in the movie, poor guy. This monkey rebellion grabs you with its screenplay, which has some surprises in store, and also superb action sequences. (25/08/2011)