A while back I did a lot of reading on Charlton Heston and was not only enlightened to his carachter off-screen but to a lot of epic films he'd starred in that I hadn't seen. He voiced that when he first read the script to the first Planet of the Apes he was all for it but he couldn't see more than one sequel coming out of it. In fact, he was drug through the third and fourth sequels.
It turned out the film has fared so well with the public that Hollywood continues to make sequals. We're all familiar with how there are very few sequels that meet or even beat their ancestor film. Toy Story is about the only one I can name at the moment. Give me another five minutes and I might be able to tell you another or two.
I've never seen a Planet of the Apes film, believe it or not. I've had glimpses of it on hotel TV's and trailers, but never watched it. Not that I wouldn't watch it, but for me, science fiction raises alot of moral questions, many of which a traditional person like myself doesn't agree with. Again, I'd watch a science fiction movie just for fun, but I'll never come out of it believing and I will come out of it with a lecture's worth of questions, debates, and philosophies. I'm a critic by nature. I can't dine out at a resturaunt without rating the food. I wont always voice my opinion but my mind is working as I tonque every morsel. I do the same thing with movies. If I don't agree with something a person is saying, or something I'm seeing, I'll usually continue to watch it through and give it a fair and unbaised review.
So how is a gal who's NEVER seen a Planet of the Apes film going to do that about a 2011 feature she hasn't yet seen? Simple. Hollywood from Chartlon Heston's point of view, will 90% of the time ONLY make films that they know will be a success. To do this, they throw in things that will capture the hearts of viewers of all ages. They throw in leather jackets and outdated sunglasses to capture dad's attention. They put teen moments in for teens, adult humor for adults, and the cutsy little fluffy Pixar animals for kids. Throw it all into one movie, never mind what it's about: say, we don't even know what to call it, so let's call it HOP! Yeah, that's a good one HOP! About a little bunny rabbit with thug clothes on! And success!
Okay, so I'm not even sure Hop was a success, but guess what. Everywhere I go I see Hop in a child's DVD case. People buy DVD films like candy. If you can get 80% of the US population to buy the $21.00 DVD when it first comes out wether they went to the community Cinnema or no, that's succes I'd say.
So about POA, or ROA (Rise of the Apes 2011), even though I haven't seen more than the trailer I give it good ratings. Yes, it's running off the reputation of the others and so will every other Apes movie. But let's let it stand alone for a moment. The digital graphics are getting better and better in each film. I hope the graphic artists are getting paid more too! The plot stuck a chord with me, even though I am not an evolutionist. The cure for Alzheimers. The fact the virus could cause an animal brain to rise to the same or a similar level of intelligence of a human. Both believable. Human nature - cutting corners, bending rules, greed and personal gain...the end result - havoc on innocent humans, and innocent test animals, and the animals get quite out of hand.
It is amazing to note that the Apes show more compassion on their enemy, the human, than the humans are willing to show toward them. In my general observation- I haven't seen the movie- it would seem that there are alot of strong healthy messages conveyed. The best one above compassion, responsibility, ethics, and such, being - should human's in their scientific research, play God? Simply NO!
In my opinion this should apply to cloning as life is instigated without a living sperm resulting in a mutation- and I say mutation because the resulting creature is weaker and has problems reproducing. If it can, its genetics are weakened and show up in the offspring. Mans way will never surpass God's way.
I feel that the Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a better film than any of the first. Not because Charlton Heston isn't in it- in fact, I commend the producer for putting all the tributes to the first films in this one. - And Heston is one of my favorite actors, by far the most favorite. But I feel it is better because it doesn't take place on some far away planet- or even in a time warp on earth, but it is terribly more plausible. Human's playing around with a cure, being irresponsible with their test subjects, and the result. Chaos.
This is one Ape movie I might actually go out of my way to watch. If I may say so, Heston would be proud.
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