Review #1,450: 'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle' (2018)

Whenever a director needs to lend a computer-generated character a much-needed dramatic weight and dimension, Andy Serkis is all but guaranteed to be at the top of anybody's list. The actor took the breath away as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and again as the magnetic Caesar in the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy. So it makes perfect sense that his directorial debut would be motion-capture heavy, with the master himself playing one of the CGI characters. Adapting Rudyard Kipling's novel The Jungle Book has long been a passion project for Serkis, and the film, which was originally entitled Jungle Book: Origins, was scheduled for a 2016 release and set to compete against Disney's own remake of their 1967 classic. To allow more time to work on the special effects, the release date was pushed back to 2017, and then to 2018. As Warner Bros. seemingly became concerned at the idea of a potential box-office bomb, the distribution rights were eventually sold to Netflix. 

This transition to the small screen works both for and against Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. Although he has voiced his delight at Netflix acquiring his film, it's difficult to believe that Serkis wasn't disappointed that such a personal project wouldn't be seen on the big screen. On the other hand, this has allowed for a much darker tone, and thus bringing it closer to Kipling's original text, without any concern for classification. It's a 12A on Netflix, but I feel the censors may have requested some cuts for a cinema release, and probably rightfully so. This doesn't feature any song-and-dance numbers or King Louie, and the once-cuddly Baloo the sloth bear is now a scarred brute with a Cockney accent. The story is familiar enough, with an orphan boy being left to die in the jungle before being carried to safety by the wise black panther Bageera (voiced by Christian Bale). A wolf pack takes him in, and the boy grows up to be Mowgli (Rohan Chand), only the wolves are never quite convinced of his importance and the man-cub struggles to find his place. 

All is relatively happy until the fearsome, man-killing Bengal tiger Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) arrives to kill Mowgli, who he feels threatens the very jungle itself. Cumberbatch is far more terrifying than Idris Elba's incarnation, and the effects work is rather astonishing. This level of quality is not maintained however, as for every jaw-dropping close-up of Bageera's face, there is a wolf that looks bizarrely unfinished. And this unevenness runs throughout the film, not only with the special effects, but also with the tone. Serkis' attempt to deliver a different take on the story is admirable and warranted, but the darkness occasionally veers into outright horror. The climax of the film is shockingly brutal when compared to the lighter moments before, and the fate of one of Mowgli's close friends is one of the most disturbing things I've seen for a very a long time. It's undeniably jarring, and will likely scar any unsuspecting children watching for life. While Serkis may struggle to find the perfect balance, it's a bold piece of work by a thoroughly underappreciated actor that at least strives to grasp the deeper themes within the story.


Directed by: Andy Serkis
Starring: Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullan, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto
Country: UK/USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,307: 'Black Panther' (2018)

When Marvel first announced they would finally be giving their most popular African-based superhero a most overdue solo outing, audiences and critics alike clocked straight away just how important the film would be, not only in the superhero genre, but for mainstream film-making as a whole. In recent years, social media has raised huge question marks over an industry that had been, and still is, failing to honour both women and ethnic minorities in movies, with last year's Wonder Woman being the first superhero movie of note to tackle the issue head-on, delivering astonishing results in the process. Black Panther is not the first black superhero lead - see the likes of Spawn, Blade and Catwoman - but it is the first to truly celebrate African culture and specifically focus on the 'Black Experience'. The results are, again, truly astonishing.

Marvel has unleashed a game-changer, and one that is well on its way to becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. But this was never really in doubt when they announced that Ryan Coogler, the enormously talented director behind Fruitvale Station and Creed, would be behind the camera, and expectations then soared as soon as the jaw-dropping trailer hit, which was our first real look at the vibrant and fantastical fictional African country of Wakanda. With Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa aka the Black Panther introduced two years ago in Captain American: Civil War, Coogler has been spared the need for origin story mechanics and has free reign to explore this previously unseen world. The big joke is that the rest of the world think of Wakanda as a third-world country full of goats and farmers, when in fact their technological advancements put everyone else to shame. Yet they choose to keep their major discovery - a crashed meteor carrying mystical substance vibranium - a secret for generations. After a brief read of African history, you can understand why.

So their country is a dazzling, futuristic sight, yet the Wakandans still honour the traditions of their ancestors. With their former king T'Chaka (John Kani) dead at the hands of Daniel Bruhl's Zemo, his son T'Challa has returned to Wakanda to receive his crown. He wants his old flame and active spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) there for his big day, and his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), a science boffin who trumps the likes of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner in terms of intelligence and innovation, teases her older brother. Despite an initial reluctance, T'Challa is a willing and capable leader, both politically and physically, able to defend any challengers without the aid of the enhance powers of the Black Panther. While the lack of having to watch the protagonist wrestle with their feelings as they step up to a bigger responsibility is certainly refreshing, the lack of any real arc for T'Challa is one of the very problems with Black Panther. With a supporting cast so vast and impressive, T'Challa often gets drowned out of his own story.

Still, the supporting cast, which includes the likes of Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy Serkis and Winston Duke, certainly deliver. Wright near steals the film, and Duke, as rival tribe leader M'Baku, makes a big impression in a relatively short amount of time. But a Marvel film wouldn't be complete without a big bad, and Michael B. Jordan's Eric Killmonger is easily their most complex, imposing and sympathetic since Loki. To say more about his character would be giving away spoilers, but Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole lay out his motivation and execution with real precision, and Jordan proves to be a thoroughly menacing presence. The cast, which is one of the best assembled in recent memory, help Cooger sculpt this fascinating world of progression and tradition, and even when the film can't help but indulge in a climax of CGI fisticuffs, you'll remain immersed because you'll care about the characters. Black Panther does something no other superhero has done before it - for me at least - and resonates long after the credits roll, proving timely in exploring the question of whether to build bridges or walls.


Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Winston Duke, Andy Serkis, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,291: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017)

Say what you will about George Lucas and the way he took the Star Wars franchise dangerously close to laughing stock territory with the prequels, but he was certainly a man with a plan. The original trilogy told a satisfying story, but Lucas always knew what came before, and what would come after. As stilted as the prequels were, they never faltered in telling the story that The Phantom Menace had mapped out. When the rights to the franchise were sold to Disney in 2012, Lucas passed on his ideas of an all-new trilogy, set after the events of Return of the Jedi and bringing in characters both old and new. Although elements from these early drafts made their way into J.J. Abrams' The Force Awakens in 2015, it became clear that Disney had their own ideas, which are, as Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi would suggest, to make it up as they go along.

The Force Awakens set up plot threads and introduced shady characters to be explored in future instalments, such as just how Maz Kanata got her hands on Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and just who the hell is Snoke, the new Emperor-like big bad? Fans were foaming at the mouths dreaming up theories to tie the strands together, and The Last Jedi was the film that would answer at least some of the questions. In hiring an independent filmmaker like Rian Johnson, they have hired a man intent on delivering his own vision, and it becomes clear quite early on that the events of The Last Jedi will not bring everything into place. It takes ideas conjured by The Force Awakens and makes a point of throwing out of the window. The result is an emotional sci-fi extravaganza which has divided audiences down the middle, with one half calling for te film to be removed from canon, and the other marvelling at Johnson's balls in turning a billion-dollar franchise on its head.

I can confidently say that I am in the latter category. While The Force Awakens was a fun shout-out to the original trilogy, even following the story of A New Hope almost to a tee, The Last Jedi is determined to make you care for the previously one-dimensional characters of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), and question everything you knew about old-hand Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Skywalker is now so beloved within the annals of pop culture (both in universe and in our world) that there's almost a regal quality to Hamill's presence. When he first appears on screen, it's like seeing somebody dead brought back to life, and his reaction to Rey's passing of the lightsaber will likely catch you off guard. With the knowledge of Carrie Fisher's tragic passing a year ago, you'll likely be choking back the tears as Leia Organa first graces the screen. The Last Jedi has the power to make you feel in ways you would never think possible from the Star Wars franchise, especially when you remember those uncomfortable romantic scenes with Anakin and Padme from Attack of the Clones.

Not everything works however. At two and a half hours, it's too long, and Johnson's decision to take Finn (John Boyega) and his new Rebel pal Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) on a thirty minute detour to a casino in search of a hacker simply doesn't work. It's a sub-plot that doesn't really serve a purpose other than to give Finn something to do while Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) clashes heads with Rebel Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), and to set up a showdown with fan-favourite Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie). This meandering story aside, The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back, and by a comfortable margin. Many fan complaints about The Force Awakens were due to Abrams' film lacking originality, and although it provided one genuine shock with the death of a major character, it played things very comfortably. So I find the backlash aimed at Johnson's film quite dumbfounding, and personally, having my expectations subverted made for a far more engrossing experience. But with fan presence in every corner of social media, it's clear that you'll never please all the people all the time, but you can please about 50% of us.


Directed by: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Laura Dern, Andy Serkis, Kelly Marie Tran
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,226: 'War for the Planet of the Apes' (2017)

Matt Reeves' War for the Planet of the Apes, the reboot of the classic series that also work as prequels of sorts, isn't the first ape-led movie this summer to draw inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam classic Apocalypse Now. While Kong: Skull Island attempted to re-create some of the visuals from Coppola's masterpiece, especially the helicopters whizzing past the sunset moment that adorned the posters, it shared little of its psychological tone and gravitas. In War for the Planet of the Apes, the only obvious references are the words 'Ape-pocalypse Now' scrawled by humans in a dingy sewer, and Woody Harrelson's bald, painted and psychotic antagonist The Colonel. Yet War also shares much of its weary, exhausted tone, and the psychological effects of battle are a key theme running throughout, as is the desire for revenge driven by an unquenchable hatred.

For anyone hoping to enjoy an action-packed blockbuster full of explosions and thrills will likely be disappointed, or at least take aback by how serious Reeves and co-writer Matt Bomback approach the subject matter. After the blistering finale of the previous film, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which offered the delightful sight of an ape riding a horse wielding two machine-guns, it would seem more fitting to switch the two titles around, and there is little war in this trilogy-closer, but there is certainly a dawn of something big. Beginning 2 years later, Caesar (Andy Serkis), who can now speak as eloquently as any human, is still haunted by his former ally Koba (Toby Kebbell), whose feelings of pure hatred towards his human abusers could not be quelled by Caesar's teachings of tolerance. Leading a huge tribe hiding out in the woods, they are attacked by the military but manage to defeat the small band of soldiers. After this pulse-racing opener, Reeves takes his foot off the pedal to focus on Caesar's inward struggle and personal journey.

Caesar's hand in forced when some of his immediate family are murdered by a renegade militant group headed by the genocidal Colonel, who isn't given a name, or much personality until his motivation is eventually explained. Although he sets out on his quest for revenge across the snowy mountains alone, he is soon joined by his loyal companions Maurice (Karin Konoval), Luca (Michael Adamthwaite) and Rocket (Terry Notary, who also did the motion-capture for Kong), who continue to trust the judgement of the leader they have followed from the very beginning. They soon pick up a couple of new faces, the mute young human Nova (Amiah Miller), and former zoo resident and chimpanzee Bad Ape (Steve Zahn). The latter offers the series a levity so badly lacking in the previous instalments, and Zahn wonderfully captures the character's adorable mixture of naivety and weariness, as well as delivering the film's few funny moments. It soon transpires that the clan Caesar had left behind and believed to be on their way to safety have been rounded up by the Colonel and locked away in a concentration camp of sorts, so it becomes a race against time to prevent the extermination of his species.

Dawn represented the very pinnacle of special effects, with the CGI rendered characters interacting seamlessly with their human counterparts, as well as the drizzly forest surrounding them. War somehow eclipses this, taking such care with its special effects that you can truly see the humanity in Caesar's eyes. Even the Colonel acknowledges this by marvelling at how almost human Caesar appears, yet this does not sway his disdain. But this shouldn't take anything away from Serkis' performance. As well as nailing the physicality of the primate's movements, he also delivers a performance of remarkable intensity, yet also one of warmth. Caesar's pacifist attitude has constantly been met with aggression, and his tolerance has taken a battering over the course of Rise and Dawn. He is an ape at the end of his tether, willing to risk certain death to see one man burn, but he also recognises the good side of humanity in the form of the harmless Nova, who has witnessed the barbarity of her species first hand. It's incredibly heavy stuff for a big-budget picture, but although some of the symbolism may be clumsily-handled in parts, this is refreshingly mature stuff. It left me with both the sensation of satisfaction after a fitting closure to the story, and the desire to see the franchise push on even further.


Directed by: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval, Amiah Miller, Terry Notary
Country: USA/Canada/New Zealand

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,196: 'The Prestige' (2006)

Easily taking the crown of best magician-based movie of 2006 - swamping the distinctly wonder-less and barely remembered The Illusionist - Christopher Nolan's The Prestige is a cinematic sleight-of-hand; an enigma of a movie that is both a puzzle-box of misdirection and an engrossing tale of two warring magicians. When I first saw Nolan's fifth feature (and his second working with his brother and occasional writing partner Jonathan), its 'big reveal' seemed obvious to me early on in the third act, so when the grand revelations came at the climax, I was left feeling somewhat underwhelmed. In the years since, The Prestige has emerged as a firm favourite amongst Nolanites, so I was eager to re-visit it without the added pressure of trying to navigate through the film's many smokes and mirrors. Without this on my back, I could only sit back and admire a true craftsman at work, even though the narrative pushes the boundaries of credibility.

In 1890s London, two apprentice magicians from two vastly different backgrounds work for Milton (real-life magician Ricky Jay), assisting in a nightly trick involving a glamorous assistant and a tank of water. Hugh Jackman is Robert Angier, a handsome, charismatic American from a privileged background. Christian Bale plays Alfred Borden, a rough Cockney and magic purist. While Angier knows how to get an audience excited and keep them entertained, Borden is a sullen stage presence, choosing to challenge his audience rather than dazzle them. The real brains behind it all is Cutter (Michael Caine), the craftsman and adviser who builds all the apparatus and devices required for the increasingly elaborate tricks. After a Milton performance goes fatally wrong, Angier and Borden begin a personal and professional rivalry that will play out over the years. They sabotage each other's shows, steal secrets, and try to perfect the ultimate magic trick: The Transported Man.

Cutter explains the three-step theory on what makes a great illusion. There's the pledge (the set-up), the turn (the moment that grabs the audience's attention), and the prestige (the pay-off, when whatever has been disappeared is brought back again). It's what separates a jaw-dropping, head-scratching moment from a cheap card trick, and is precisely what separates the The Prestige from The Illusionist. Nolan truly understands the mechanics behind the prestige, after all, he toyed with our expectations and our perception of time with Memento. He wraps The Prestige up in a cloak of mystery, employing time-jumps and subtle camera tricks to keep the audience constantly engaged in trying to piece everything together. Nearly everything is key to unlocking the film's secrets, even the seemingly routine sub-plots involving Borden's wife (played by Rebecca Hall) and glamorous new assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson struggling with an English accent).

The inclusion of David Bowie's Nikola Tesla and Angier's quest to convince the engineer and physicist to build him a machine required to pull off the ultimate trick may be a step too far for some viewers. Tesla's involvement stretches science into the supernatural, and clashes with the grounded world built up until this point. But Bowie is terrific, and the frequent presence of Thomas Edison's goons offers some historical context, as well as an allegory for the obsessive rivalry between the two central characters. Jackman is very good at switching between hero and anti-hero, his hands increasingly dirtied trying to outmanoeuvre his rival, and while Bale can add Borden to his list of grating accents, he wins our sympathies despite the coldest of demeanours. Caine, Nolan's go-to exposition tool, also provides reliable support as the fatherly voice of reason, However, the real stars are the brothers Nolan, who arguably lay all their cards on the table in the opening scenes, for anybody paying close attention. But pay attention or not, you'll be swept up either way.


Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo
Country: USA/UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #807: 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' (2014)

Very few expected 2011's reboot of a franchise - so clinically killed off by Tim Burton and his failure to grasp the idea of narrative sense - to be any good at all. Yet Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes was not only excellent as a thrilling action movie, but also carefully laid-out and thoughtful in it's scientific approach to the disease that ultimately led to apes conquering Earth and replacing humans as the planet's alpha species. Such a surprising success naturally leads to sequels, and when a director so acclaimed in his delivery of the first instalment fails to re-sign on, disaster is expected. But the apes have done it again, and not only does Dawn stay faithful to it's predecessor's code of story over cheap thrills, but it surpasses it in quality, gradually evolving into a serious study of war.

Ten years after the events of the first film, most of humanity has been wiped out by ALZ-113 virus. The escaped apes from the first movie, namely chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis), bonobo Koba (Toby Kebbell, replacing Christopher Gordon), and orangutan Maurice (Karin Konoval), are living peacefully in the woods believing the human race to be extinct. They communicate using sign language, though a few of them have learnt some words, and exist peacefully as a multi-ethical community. Caesar has two sons by Cornelia (Judy Greer) - Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) and a newborn - and is the alpha with the facially and emotionally scarred Koba as his second-in-command.

Unbeknownst to the apes, a small group of humans still dwell in the city, running out of the power supply that is keeping them alive. Led by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and Malcolm (Jason Clarke), the pack is living together in a huge building amongst the decaying city outside. A small expedition into the woods leads to trigger-happy member Carver (Oz's Kirk Acevedo) shooting an ape in the head in fear. Caesar and his extended army confront them, but Caesar's sympathetic view of humans leads to him allowing them to return to the city, demanding they leave in human speech. Malcolm is astonished at the ape's intelligence and charisma, and returns with his girlfriend (Keri Russell) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to treat with him.

The cinematography and set design are astonishing, The movie doesn't just give us a plastic apocalyptic world full of CGI-laden establishing shots, but a world that feels real and lived-in. And interacting in this world are some of the greatest special effects in the history of cinema. WETA have outdone themselves here, not only managing to blend motion-capture in an exterior environment seamlessly, but also allowing the actors behind the effects to act. A lot has been written about Serkis's portrayal of Caesar, and it is the actor's best performance to date, but Kebbell too manages to bring emotion and devastation to Koba's face, bringing an astonishing complexity to what could have been a stock antagonist. When the two interact, it feels real. You tend not to gasp at the effects because it simply feels like there aren't any.

When the inevitable smack-down ensues, it's after some spellbinding drama. There's no cut-and-dry good and bad guys, just the inevitable roll towards blood-shed. There's blame on both sides in equal measure, and it comments heavily on both species' natural inclination to go to war. They live peacefully apart, but once they discover each other things start to fall apart out of desire, greed and most of all, fear. The action is utterly thrilling, and although it offers such treats as the sight of an ape firing two machine gun's whilst riding a horse, it's mainly because we are so engrossed in the character's stories. Serkis and Kebbell deserve Oscar recognition, but probably won't get it. Tim Burton's ghastly 2001 effort has been near-enough wiped from memory, and this new franchise will surely go from strength to strength.


Directed by: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #259: 'The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn' (2011)

Young and confident investigative journalist Tintin (Jamie Bell) purchases a model boat of the Unicorn, a three-masted sailing ship, from a market, only to be approached by the sinister looking Ivanovich Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who offers him triple the amount he paid for it. He refuses and, along with his trusty dog Snowy, takes the ship home, only to unwittingly coming across a cryptic note that was preserved with the model that mentions a secret involving the mysterious ship and a family line called the Haddocks. Tintin is kidnapped and taken aboard the ship of Sakharine where he finds the drunken Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), locked in a room with only whisky for company. The two must combine their wits and unravel the mystery of the messages which may lead to them to secret treasure.

The original comic books by Belgian artist Herge, and eventual cartoon series that came from it, have a huge dedicated and passionate fan base that were both eagerly awaiting and dreading Steven Spielberg's re-imagining. Not being a fan myself, I would imagine the fans would be happy with this effort, as although the look of Tintin is certainly very different, the old-school feel of the original works is certainly there. The film combines three old Tintin stories - The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure. This is possibly the film's biggest flaw, as although it certainly looks amazing, and the film has a definite nostalgia-tainted, labour-of-love feel, the story just isn't up to scratch.

The performance-capture animation is without doubt the most close-to-life I've ever come across. It captures every facial movement and the subtle expressions that allow the actors performance to come through the CGI. Jamie Bell injects a likeability into a hero that might have come across as an annoying know-it-all. But the film really belongs to Serkis. Now a veteran of the whole motion-capture malarkey, his Captain Haddock allows him to show what he can do as an actor. He gets all the best lines and is involved in the more memorable scenes, notably when he's had a drink or two.

Thank God for the performances then as the plot has a lot to answer for. Combining the blockbuster minds of Spielberg, Peter Jackson, and long-time Spielberg collaborator Kathleen Kennedy, it's quite shocking that this is the best they can come up with. These are the people responsible for some of the best works in the mega-bucks department - E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - which all combined great storytelling, genuine passion, film-making know-how, and some old fashioned cinematic magic. Where Tintin certainly has the passion, the story just seems wafer-thin and very un-movie like, so to speak.

Understandably, they wanted to keep the adaptation close to Herge's original vision, but I just felt like I was watching an extended episode of the cartoon series that happened to have some very expensive animation. There is one notable set-piece, which involves Tintin, Haddock and Snowy fighting Sakharine at high speed for the last clue that may lead them to the Unicorn treasure, that would have been near-impossible if filmed in live-action. This scene, if anything, promotes the use of motion capture to take film-making to new levels, but it also happens to be amazingly choreographed and executed. But apart from that scene, the film never give me the shiver down the spine or got my pulse racing like the aforementioned films certainly did.

There is a lot to like about the film, however. The most annoying thing about the original cartoons were the Thompson and Thomson twins (here played by newly-appointed Spielberg bum-chums Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), and here they are given little more than extended cameo roles, and it's clear that they're best enjoyed in small doses. Craig is fun as the villain, although his character is rather one-dimensional and thinly-written. It's also fun to spot the little winks and homages to the originals, that includes a truly brilliant introduction to Tintin. Hopefully when the inevitable sequel comes along, Spielberg can take the passion from this and put it into a better story. But this is satisfying enough for the time being.


Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Toby Jones
Country: USA/New Zealand

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #214: 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011)

Back in 2001, everything was in place to re-launch a much-loved, yet dated franchise, that was first kicked off way back in 1968 with Planet of the Apes. The mythology was already laid out, and was ripe to be adjusted, experimented with, and ultimately improved upon. The re-make had an interesting (if overrated) director in Tim Burton, who had made a bona fide classic with Edward Scissorhands (1990) and the fantastic and lovingly-rendered Ed Wood (1994). In came up-and-coming A-lister Mark Wahlberg who had impressed in Boogie Nights (1997) and Three Kings (1999), and great support in Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter. Then the film came out. And it was shit. And worst of all it didn't make sense. It took ten years to recover, and thankfully another attempt has been made to kick this franchise up the arse. Only this time it seems like they've put some thought into it.

Dr. Rodman (James Franco) is on the verge of discovering the cure for Alzheimer's disease. He tests his drugs on apes, and when one the apes shows remarkable advances in intelligence, he believes he has it. But when pitching his product to investors, the ape escapes and goes on a rampage, only to be shot dead. It turns out she was only protecting her newly-born child, who Rodman takes home to care for. His Alzheimers-suffering father Charles (John Lithgow) is taken by the chimp and they name it Caesar. But as Caesar grows physically, he does so mentally too. He starts to notice that he is more a pet than family to Rodman, and when Caesar attacks a neighbour, he is taken into care by the sadistic John Landon (Brian Cox) and his son Dodge (Tom Felton). While there, Caesar rebels against the cruelty, and educates his fellow chimp-mates.

While Franco may be top billed, the film is stolen by Andy Serkis as Caesar. Of course, the special effects are a marvel and are often flawless. But the character breaks through the effects, and at Caesar's core there is something ultimately human and real. He is the film's heart, if you will, and the film would fall flat on it's face if Caesar was not successfully drawn. Serkis seems to be the go-to guy when a director wants the movements for an entirely CG-character (Gollum, King Kong), and it's clear why. He made Gollum possibly the most memorable character in the last twenty years, and here he shines in the quieter moments, as he broods in his cell, contemplating and absorbing his surroundings. His eyes speak louder than words. It's a triumph of effects and acting.

While there is plenty to enjoy about the film - it is as exciting, action-packed, and as intelligent as you would hope a blockbuster would be - there are some negatives. It's unclear as to why Brian Cox was cast in a relatively thin role that any actor could play, and Freida Pinto, one of the stars of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), is wasted and is nothing more than eye-candy. Tom Felton, clearly cast for his twat-like qualities, highlighted in his role as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, is given a rather cartoon bad guy to play, and the script never really allows the character rise above cliche.

But these are rather minor quibbles in what is a thoroughly enjoyable film, that equals it's CG-fuelled visuals with brains and genuine heart. A great start to what is hopefully an interesting franchise, and more than enough to diminish those terrible memories of Tim Burton's terrible 2001 re-make.


Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Brian Cox, Tom Felton
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie