Rise of the Planet of the Apes focuses on that respect. Animals have been used as testing subjects for many years for make up, medicines, anything. Scientific facility Gen-ses has been testing on chimps with medical serums to advance their brain repair, in other words to create cures for human diseases like Cancer or Alzheimer's. The creation and subsequent testing is headed by Will Rodman (James Franco), he develops relationships with the primates and regularly tests to see if their intelligence increases.
One of the chimps delivered to them who shows major signs of improvement in intelligence. Gen-ses uses these results to sell the serum to pharmaceutical companies. In that time, the female chimp goes a bit mad and rampages around the office and is subsequently shot.
It turns out she was pregnant and was protecting her young son. Rodman takes this young baby home and begins to nurse him as one of his own family. Caeser then shows signs of extreme intelligence and becomes part of the family.
As with any story which entails taking an animal and trying to make him human, nature always takes over. And what follows from the first half of the 'human' film brings a 'primate' second half that is sheer brilliance.
Acted incredibly well by Andy Serkis (you forget he is even part of this film his acting is so good), his portrayal of Caeser is so good I am bought to tears a few times. Humans can be such bastards and disrespect the laws of nature regularly. Humans do need to be reminded of their place in the world and its not in the centre.
One other point. Why the hell is Frieda Pinto there? Yes she is pretty but she can't act for shit. There is no need for the love interest in this story. Stop putting her in films please, she is a model not an actress. And before you ask, I am not jealous or being a bitchy girl. She is down right gorgeous and have no problem being a model. Her acting sucks.
Nothing like the Mark Walhberg version a few years back, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is intelligent, smart if a little schmaltzy. I am on the Primates side, are you joining us?
