Rise of the Planet of the Apes [Blu-ray] (2011) DVD Best Buy. Start title is a galaxy's price of nihilism buried below a '70s Velveeta topping, the earth of the Apes series stands nowadays as a dark marvel of pop cinema, a bunch of wildly variable films that mix to create a large inescapable kiss-off to the civilization. (That said message was ready to face up to such distractions as ever-cheapening makeup and Charlton Heston loudly pounding sand makes its achievements even a lot of spectacular, really.) Boasting a keen awareness of its predecessors' specific charms and a gem of a central CGI performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the earth of the Apes makes for a rather miraculous summer movie: a big-budget tricks extravaganza that conjointly delivers a killer backhand. type of redoing 1972's Conquest of the earth of the Apes, the film follows the events set in motion when a bereaved scientist (James Franco) tries to form a cure for Alzheimer's, leading to a supernaturally intelligent chimp named Caesar. The previous bit regarding science tampering in God's domain quickly applies. Director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) displays an admirable sense of pacing, deftly levying the escalating action scenes with little character moments from the likes of John Lithgow and Brian Cox. That said, the film belongs to Caesar, whose path from wide-eyed innocent to reluctant revolutionary generates the ironic pulp empathy that gave the first series such a kick. Watching the climactic confrontation on the Golden Gate Bridge, it's distressingly straightforward to work out that aspect to root for. Chuck Heston would little doubt grit his teeth in approval. Note: Those skeptical that this revamp may wholly retain the original's doomy backbeat would do well to stay around throughout the top credits.
