New DVD Review-Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I saw Rise on DVD, but almost everyone else I know had already seen it in theaters, and had told me how great it was. Naturally, my expectations were very high, and when that happens, usually I end up being disappointed. However, Rise of the Planet of the Apes did not disappoint, the film is very exciting and puts some very interesting twists in the mythology that keep you on your toes despite knowing how it should end. The plot follows a young scientist (James Franco) who brings home a chimpanzee (Andy Serkis) and uses him as a test subject for an Alzheimer's medication. This medicine increases brain function, and the chimpanzee, Caeser, becomes smarter than most humans. From here I do not want to spoil much, suffice to say the apes decide their not going to take it anymore and rise up. Great performances from Andy Serkis in motion capture and John Lithgow as Franco's father. The effects are very good, especially the faces and reactions of the apes. Very few parts look like they are computer generated even though such a good portion of the film is CGI. Now that I have seen all the big summer films of 2011, I can say this and Harry Potter 7 Part 2 are the two best by far, and when I first heard they were making another Planet of the Apes film, I would have never guessed it could have been this good. I give Rise of the Planet of the Apes 8 Ninja Stars out of 10. 

-Maximus