Che 'Ape'

Rise of the Planet of the Apes looks good.  I can't wait for this one.  I hope I'm not disappointed. Anything would be an improvement over Tim Burton's drab Planet of the Apes in 2001.  The idea of a monkey revolution is such a great concept.  I'm super excited to see Andy Serkis' motion capture work as Caesar. However, this is one of those films that can either go really good...or really bad.  The film has had several rewrites and release dates, which may not be a good sign.  With regard to the film's star, I don't know how James Franco finds the time. Somewhere in between going to school, doing soaps, television guest appearances, and hosting award shows, he finds the time for a film career.  Surely James Franco is a cylon. 

In the meantime, catch a glimpse of the new film 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' with a brief narration by the film's motion-capture star, Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar the chimp. In the extended scene, Caesar has a violent confrontation with a neighbor played by David Hewlett (of 'Stargate Atlantis'). David's character bullies Caesar’s surrogate grandfather, Charles Rodman (John Lithgow). The overall plot of the film is about "science gone wrong" when Will Rodman (James Franco) experiments with primate intelligence, thus causing a monkey revolution. Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Freida Pinto co-star.

Needless to say, Andy Serkis' motion-capture performance as Caesar is technologically stunning. Most impressive is the subtle display of Caesar’s emotions through his eyes and facial expressions. Director Rupert Wyatt used Peter Jackson's studio, WETA Digital to create the amazing special effects. Based in New Zealand, WETA Digital is best known for their work on Peter Jackson's epic, 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, in which Serkis played another motion-capture character, Gollum.

Andy Serkis (motion captured as Ceasar) in Rise of the Planet of the Apes