FILM

USA 2011  105 mins Dir: Rupert Wyatt Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freda Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox

Consider the unexpected similarities between this 'Planet of the Apes' prequel and 'Project Nim'. Both have a baby chimp taken from his mother, isolated from other members of his species, raised in a family home, taught to use sign language and then dumped in a grim primate shelter overseen by cruel guards wielding electric prods after he turns out – surprise! – not to be a little hairy human after all. Uncanny, huh?

The apes were the worst thing about the original 1968 'Planet of the Apes' movie, being actors in unconvincing rubber masks; here, it's the humans who are two-dimensional and the extraordinary apes who dominate, thanks to advances in digital technology and another extraordinary 'performance capture' turn by Andy Serkis. Taking its cue from 1972's 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' (don't bother – it's rubbish), this origin story adapts the mad scientist template to have boffin James Franco developing an Alzheimer's cure for an Evil Corporation, which he tests on little Caesar (Serkis) and tries out illegally on his dear old befuddled dad, John Lithgow. Freda ('Slumdog Millionaire') Pinto gets the thankless hottie girlfriend role.

Despite appeasing the nerds with a couple of references to the first film, Brit director Rupert Wyatt clearly understands that the boring, two-dimensional humans aren't the real story here, concentrating instead on the impressive apes. Serkis's expressive performance quite brilliantly evinces Caesar's developing intelligence, his sense of betrayal, and his cunning in uniting fellow imprisoned apes for the big rebellion, without compromising the chimp's simian nature. If this sounds rather cerebral, be reassured that the climax atop a fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge is the best action sequence of the summer. (Robin Askew)

website www.apeswillrise.com/

Opens Thursday 11 Aug

Copyright Robin Askew 2011