Well, I not going to monkey around, I am going to say flat out - this is a movie to go ape over. Sorry for the puns. I was in my early twenties when the first Planet of the Apes was released. I liked the original and all the sequels. I loved this movie for several reasons. James Franco is excellent as the doctor researching for a vaccine to prevent or to reverse the effects of Alzheimer's. This is a personal quest for him as well as professional - his father, Charles, is rapidly declining. The vaccine Will is working on is promising until one of the chimps goes berserk. The scientists do not realize it is not from the vaccine but to protect her newborn. Will takes the newborn home and raises him. The little chimp, named Caesar, is a wonder. He is learning sing language and is able to perform complex intellect tasks. Years go by and when protecting Charles from an angry neighbor, Caesar is removed to a primate. He is mistreated and is angry with Will for abandoning him. Two big events happen, Caesar and the other primates escape from the center and take off to live in a nearby redwood forest. The second event occurs when one of the human researchers, Franklin, is accidentally exposed to the vaccine. The vaccine has a different effect on humans, it doesn't make them smarter just sick, very sick and highly contagious. There are several reasons to see this movie. The CGI is fantastic, the chimps are chimps but as the movie continues, Caesar shows subtle human emotions. Although they are subtle, you can almost read his mind. Franco is excellent and so is John Lithgow who brilliantly plays his father. The story moves along at a good pace, it bogs down a little bit at the science center, but it is minor slow down.
This is a must see for science fiction fans and/or fans of the Planet of the Apes series. It is quiet clear that there will be a sequel and I can hardly wait.
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