DVD: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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This Blu-ray DVD had sat gathering dust here for a few months and I wasn’t sure whether this latest ‘re-imagining’, inspired by the original films from the 60s was really going to be worth it.

How wrong I was! – this was definitely worth the wait and right up there on my list of fave films ever. I’ve mentioned before that the ones that get my attention are those where there’s a credible storyline and where they don’t rely too heavily on the special effects for the sake of them – this film ticked all the boxes and was a fine balance between good acting, a believable story and cutting edge visuals. I won’t reveal the details of the story here as I think it’ll spoil your enjoyment.

Andy Serkis plays Caesar – he’s the ‘go-to’ guy these days for any cgi/creature animation (he played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films), and quite where he ended and Caesar began, was impossible to tell – the most lifelike monkey I’ve ever seen, and although he only utters a few words in the whole of the film, they’re all worth listening out for – I guarantee they’ll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!!

So, even if you’re not a fan of scifi/monkeys/the original Planet of the Apes films, I recommend you give Rise of the Planet of the Apes a go. It’s a well paced, watchable, touching and an ultimately thought-provoking film.

..and do watch the credits at the end, because it sets the scene for a possible sequel.