Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a 2011 American science fiction drama film directed by Rupert Wyatt, starring James Franco and Andy Serkis. It is 20^th Century Fox’s reboot of the Planet of the Apes- the original series of five films (1968-1973), intended to act as an original story for a new series of films.

The film stars and tells the story of an ape rebellion on Earth, led by a genetically-altered chimpanzee named Caesar. The difference between the original Planet of Apes and this new release fiction movie is the major advance of technology. No more guys squeezed into monkey suits and talking in strange accents...thanks to computer technology that can now achieve to bring the apes to life. The combination of entirely digital chimpanzees and Academy Award nominated actors deliver a smart and entertaining movie, which in January 2012 was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The film follows Will Rodman, scientist at biotechnology company Gen-Sys who is working on a chemical compound designed to cure Alzheimer’s’ Disease, which happens to afflict his father (John Lithgow). Through chimp test Rodman discovers that his developed ALZ 112 compound not only rebuilds damaged brain tissue, but significantly increases intelligence. The drug, a modified virus, mutates the chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. After a lab accident, Rodman is forced to put-down all of his primate test subjects, and is left to rise a baby chimp, that he later names Caesar. Caesar-, who has genetically inherited super-intelligence from his mother, is raised in a house and is surrounded by humans, who treat him as one. As the chimpanzee grows, it becomes difficult for the chimp to make sense of his role in a human world, as well as withstand his animal impulses. After Caesar attacks and bites off the neighbor’s finger, authorities make Rodman to place him in a primate shelter where he is treated cruelly by the other ape and the chief guard. Eventually Caesar gains dominance over the apes, escapes the ape facility, returns to Rodman’ house and steals the canisters of ALZ 112. Chimpanzee then releases it throughout the cage area of the facility enhancing the intelligence of his fellow apes. The animals that were oppressed by humans and used as the laboratory rats for treatments, escape out of their cages and storm the city.

Rise of the planet of the apes would not be possible without the especially impressive effort of Weta Digital, who produced through motion capture, the remarkably life-like performances of apes. Overall, the movie is visually interesting and successfully depicts the actual rise of the apes. It is a sincere story that delivers one of the most life-like and honest digital characters ever constructed.