Going Ape

Ape shall never harm ape, according to the Lawgiver. Fortunately, this injunction doesn't keep apes from making a helluva good summer movie.

Rise Of the Planet Of the Apes is flat-out terrific, in every way: utterly believable FX, bravura acting from Andy Serkis and the other mo-cap performers, restrained direction and best of all, a sharp script with solid emotional arcs that the actors can really sink their teeth into (sorry). A few sly nods in the direction of the original in reprisals of signature lines and situations (my personal favorite: the orang-utan's named Maurice)ice the cake just enough without being cloying. A few small annoyances such as the lazy trope of the sadistic handler are unfortunate, but not enough to ruin the film by any means.

"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's," as the saying goes -- in this case, fulsome praise. I said up top that Rise Of the Planet Of the Apes is a helluva good summer movie. I was wrong; it's a helluva good movie, period.