Of all the big movies of Summer 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes stands head-and-shoulders above the general sea of lame comedies, exhausted franchises and mediocre super-heroes - and to say that is a complete surprise. It was interesting to observe how the indifference to the announcement of the project and the first bland trailer gave way to sudden interest at the much sharper second trailer, and the resulting film ultimately exceeds all expectations. Rupert Wyatt may not have seemed an obvious directorial choice for this project, but he controls the developing story superbly, from the seamless moving forward of time to the carefully-controlled and often imaginative use of camera. The film is packed throughout with wonderful moments, from big-scale rich visuals to small character details. James Franco makes an excellent lead, proving that with the right direction and focus he can deliver, John Lithgow is touching as his Alzheimer's-afflicted father, with solid support from the rest of the (human) cast with their limited roles. The trump card is the fact that this is Caesar's story from start to finish, and the audience is able to invest in this emotionally not only because of another stunning mo-cap performance by Andy Serkis and the mostly-seamless CGI, but also because of the skillful script that tells his story from infancy which treads a fine line between his 'human' and simian development. There are a couple of nicely-placed nods to the original film, but Rise of... has its own style and a clear contemporary take on the mythos. Stay in your seat for a rather obvious sequel-setting scene after the main closing credits, and a second film will be most welcome if it maintains the standard of this entertaining, intelligent and well-realised movie.
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