Rise of the Planet of the Apes plays like a PETA wet dream. All the apes are CG (amazing effects courtesy of WETA and Gollum himself, actor Andy Serkis) and the movie is like an old-fashioned B movie with a strong moral center. The effects are spectacular and the movie itself has an odd resemblance to the documentary Planet Nim. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a prequel to the popular Apes series while also tackling such weighty moral issues such as animal experimentation, human disease, and the exploitation of animals in the name of profits.

The film is set in modern-day San Francisco and concerns a scientist named Will (played by James Franco) who is using his research to help cure his father (the great John Lithgow), who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Will saves a chimp, names him Caesar and cares for him. After a mishap, Caesar winds up in a nightmare facility run by an abusive thug played by Tom Felton, back in Draco Malfoy territory) and his iron-fisted father played by Brian Cox. Caesar leads a revolt and the movie ends with a spectacular battle sequence with some astounding special effects. The movie has a strong core of morals as the “bad people” in the movie who exploit or abuse the apes are punished, leading to an excellent, crowd-pleasing confrontation that had my audience cheering. Expertly paced, much more entertaining than Timmy Burton’s epic disaster, and well-acted by all involved, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a must-see summer blockbuster and a B-movie blast.

Grade: B+

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