Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

This origins story is a cracker thanks to its completely rethought modern San Francisco setting and stunning performance-capture effects that bring the apes to life in a convincing, emotionally engaging way. Rupert Wyatt proves a skilled action director with thrilling set pieces and sly references to the originals.

The critic praises the expertly crafted film as the best spectacle movie of the season and one of the few to use digital technology for nuanced dramatic effect. He singles out the interspecies pathos, the motion-capture performance of Caesar, and the pop epiphany of the apes' freedom.

The critic praises the film as a thrilling, fast, tense, and emotionally engaging ride that fuses the classic Apes saga with bio-genetic horror, highlighted by Andy Serkis's soulful motion-capture performance as Caesar.

The critic views it as a smart, visually strong prequel that effectively remakes elements of Project Nim and Project X into an engaging Apes origin story with strong visual storytelling.

The reboot offers a thrilling story centered on Caesar's intelligence and rebellion, elevated by breathtaking action and mind-blowing effects from the Avatar team. It is occasionally undercut by clunky dialogue and hammy human performances, though these are minor compared to the strengths.

The taut origin story blends special effects with engaging characters to deliver an emotionally satisfying tale of Caesar's development and the building ape rebellion. While effects are not always seamless and some elements feel like setup for sequels, the tension and motivated violence make it rewarding.

The film is a smart and highly entertaining popcorn thriller that is suspenseful and involving, though it lacks the scabrous quality and bold satire of the 1968 original. The standout element is the convincingly rendered character of Caesar, brought to life through motion-capture by Andy Serkis with mannerisms that are neither fully simian nor human.

The film is a worthy, exciting and emotional addition to the Planet of the Apes series that pleasingly dovetails with the originals while delivering a strong action finale on the Golden Gate Bridge. The human subplot is overly ambitious and takes focus from Caesar's evolution.

The critic calls it a solid reboot of the franchise with strong action, special effects, and the most credible ape performances yet, though the human characters are dull and venal.

The critic calls the film good, canny-dumb fun and a solid summer diversion that uses bleeding-edge tech for old-fashioned entertainment while insisting on the emotional truth of its story. She singles out the self-aware asides and the shift into a cautionary tale about man's domination of nature.

The critic finds the film an impressive if predictably downbeat prequel that advances motion-capture technology to create photoreal CG simians with detailed personalities. He singles out Andy Serkis's nuanced performance as Caesar for its emotional range while noting the stock characters and generic story components.

The critic finds the film a welcome relief from bloated summer blockbusters, delivering a coherent story and dazzling effects in under two hours. Human characters and subplots are underdeveloped and unconvincing, but the apes and performance-capture work shine.

The film stands out from typical reboots by focusing on the ape perspective and contemporary fears of scientific hubris, with strong visual effects and assured direction in its action sequences. Character development lags behind the effects, and the battle scenes lean too heavily toward justifying the apes' violence.

The critic finds the film visually inexpressive and formulaic, complaining that it lacks emotional nuance, poignancy, and chemistry while capitulating to Hollywood conventions and PETA-friendly messaging instead of deeper provocation.

The critic hails it as a near-perfect blockbuster origins story with epic and emotive proportions, praising the compelling motion-capture performance of Caesar, resonant themes of commerce versus ethics and animal testing, and thrilling escalating action sequences under Rupert Wyatt's direction. It is called a fitting prequel full of visual and cerebral treats.

The critic praises the film as smart, exciting, and thought-provoking, unlike Tim Burton's remake, highlighting the motion-capture performance of Andy Serkis as Caesar and its blend of sci-fi, action, and emotional elements.

The critic calls the film one of the summer's most exciting movies and a remarkable debut for director Rupert Wyatt. They single out Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance as Caesar and the technical achievements of Weta for praise.

The critic calls it a great summer movie that is spectacular in its realization and resonant in its themes, praising the emotional depth of Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance as Caesar and the surprising, satisfying narrative direction that subverts expectations while exploring human and simian impulses. They note a minor quibble with some signing scenes but highlight the gripping coming-of-age drama and action climax.

The critic calls it a brisk, effective B-movie that honors the originals while taking the series in interesting new directions, praising its grounding in real-world issues like gene therapy and animal testing plus the cathartic final act. Some variable CG work and underdeveloped human characters are noted as drawbacks.