Rise of the Planet of the Apes

OPENING: 08/05/2011

STUDIO: Twentieth Century Fox

RUN TIME: 105 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Evolution Ends. Revolution Begins.

Opening Statement
Franklin J. Schaeffner’s Planet of the Apes (1968) remains a slightly flawed yet immensely enjoyable science fiction classic, but the franchise doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation. The sequels to the original film are all hit-and-miss to some degree, and the less said about Tim Burton’s wretched 2001 reboot, the better. As such, it was hard to work up much enthusiasm for yet another attempt at bringing the property back to life, but Rupert Wyatt’s awkwardly-titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes proves to be one of summer 2011′s surprise successes.

Facts of the Case
Scientist named Will Rodman (James Franco, Your Highness), is currently developing a drug he believes may have the capability to cure Alzheimers (not coincidentally, a disease his father — played by John Lithgow — is suffering from). Will has been conducting trials on a female ape with immense success, but when the ape turns violent, she and the other test subjects are put down. Fueled by his guilt and humanity, Will manages to rescue the female’s newborn child and take it home with him.

As the young ape (named “Caesar” by Will’s Shakespeare-loving father) begins to grow, Will witnesses a remarkable series of developments. It seems the drug administered to Caesar’s mother had an effect on the child, who is now demonstrating a level of intelligence unheard of in his species. Within a few years, Caesar can understand English, is fluent in sign language, and capable of performing a wide variety of tasks which had previously been exclusive to human beings. However, after an unfortunate incident gets Caesar locked up, things take a dark and troubling turn.

The Evidence
The story we’re being told in Rise of the Planet of the Apes will feel very familiar to fans of the franchise, as Wyatt’s film is essentially a remake of Lee J. Thompson’s gritty Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. While that film ultimately fumbled its interesting ideas, turning itself into a messy unsatisfying actioner, this franchise reboot grows stronger as it propels us along, managing the not-inconsiderable feat of leaving its audience salivating for more. In other words, what we’ve been given is easily the best Planet of the Apes since… well, Planet of the Apes.

Though the trailers promoted the film as a James Franco vehicle, it quickly becomes apparent the perpetually-busy actor is merely here to set up the tale of Caesar the ape. Portrayed masterfully by motion-capture king Andy Serkis (Peter Jackson’s King Kong), Caesar is arguably one of the most effective cinematic arguments for CGI to date. When you see how masterfully the filmmakers have fused the emotion of Serkis’ performance with the persuasive physical detail of the animation, odds are you’ll agree this is one of the rare instances in which the modern computer-generated imagery proves vastly more enchanting than practical effects (after witnessing this film, the idea of going back to men in monkey suits is unthinkable).

Caesar is unquestionably the star of the film, and he manages to act circles around his human counterparts. Not that the humans are bad, mind you (in fact, Franco, Brian Cox, and John Lithgow are all rather good), but Serkis and the animators manage to achieve a level of subtle expressiveness which is wondrous to behold. Over the course of the film, Serkis depicts Caesar at stages of life from giddy child to moody teenager to embittered revolutionary, never missing a beat at any turn. In sequences which are mostly dialogue-free, we witness an origin story that deeply moves us even as it goes precisely where we expect it to.

The main plot points are predictable, but Rise of the Planet of the Apes keeps us involved by allowing these events to unfold in a natural, intelligently-written manner. It’s not exactly a movie for Mensa members, but it’s an atypically smart summer blockbuster which only slips into cheap fan service on a few brief occasions (the recycling of Charlton Heston’s famous “damn dirty apes” line is regrettably groan-worthy). However, it still manages to deliver on a more primal front, as the action sequence in the third act feels like a genuinely thrilling extension of the story rather than some obligatory noise which forces the characters to take a back seat (the increasingly robust score by Patrick Doyle certainly adds some punch too).

Closing Statement
Like all the films in this franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes has its problems. The romance between Franco and Freida Pinto feels like a forced subplot, the obnoxious character played by Tom Felton (aka Draco Malfoy) gets too much screen time, and Lithgow’s character is treated as nothing more than a plot device. Even so, this film marks the second time a Planet of the Apes movie has left me satisfied, and the first time one has left me hungry to see what comes next. Alongside Captain America: The First Avenger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes has brought a much-needed jolt to a generally lackluster summer movie season.

The Verdict
9/10

127 Hours

OPENING: 11/05/2010

STUDIO: Fox Searchlight

RUN TIME: 94 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Every second counts.

Opening Statement
Without enough water to wait for rescue, without a pick to crack the boulder, without an anchor, I have only one possible course of action.

I speak slowly out loud. “You’re gonna have to cut your arm off!” Hearing the words makes my instincts and emotions revolt. My vocal cords tense, and my voice changes octaves.

“But I don’t wanna cut my arm off!”

“Aron, you’re gonna have to cut my arm off.” I realize I’m arguing with myself and yield to a half-hearted chuckle. This is crazy!

— Aron Ralston, Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Facts Of The Case
On Saturday morning, April 26, 2003, an experienced outdoorsman named Aron Ralston (James Franco, Pineapple Express) ventures out into the Horseshoe Canyon District of Moab, Utah. When he reaches Blue John Canyon, he chances upon two female hikers, gets acquainted, and shows them a cool place to go swimming inside the canyon. Before separating, Aron agrees to meet the girls at a party later that night, as he wants to check out other parts of the canyon before nightfall.

One narrow section of Blue John proves to be a disastrous wrong turn, as Aron accidentally dislodges an 800 lb. boulder; it ends up crushing Aron’s right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. Aron knows he’s in trouble: he’s completely stuck, nobody knows where he is, and his food and water supply is scant. The fact that he doesn’t have the proper tools to enable him to raise the boulder makes it all the more difficult. Over the course of five days, with his chances of survival being slim to none, we see Aron’s spirit slowly being replaced by delirium.

The Evidence
One of the most anticipated films of the year, 127 Hours is the latest collaboration from director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, who both won Oscars two years ago with Slumdog Millionaire. Like its predecessor, here’s another painful, powerful drama; every second of the story told with energy and adrenaline. It’s one of those rare gems made with exceptional skill in every frame, building in intensity from the word go and not stopping to breathe until the final moments. When the lights go up, it will be difficult to shake off the effect. Yes, my friends, 127 Hours is quite the nerve-wracking experience. It’s also a masterpiece.

Those of you who’ve seen Slumdog will recognize Boyle’s fingerprints all over the place. The opening sequence utilizes split-screens to amazing effect, as we follow Aron leaving for the weekend on a fairly routine visit to Utah’s canyons. The title doesn’t appear until right at the moment Aron finds himself trapped. For the remainder of the film, Boyle and Beaufoy inject dozens of visual tricks, including a unique approach to flashbacks, never allowing the camera to stay still more than a couple of seconds. Of course, making an entire film about a man stuck in a narrow canyon is no easy task, but Boyle and his creative team pull it off beautifully, avoiding any hint at dullness along the way.

The film has many other virtues, as well. Utah’s canyons have been filmed many times before—mostly by the one and only John Ford—but the cinematography team of Enrique Chediak and Anthony Dod Mantle, both Boyle collaborators, give us some truly breathtaking shots. The most notable is perhaps early on when the camera zooms out from Ralston stuck in Blue John to the vast valley surrounding him; it gives the audience a vivid sense of how truly isolated he is, his cries for help barely emanating from the canyon. However, Chediak and Mantle also show some eye-popping internal shots of inanimate objects, such as Ralston’s water jug and the video camera he uses to document the situation. In addition, the sharp editing by Jon Harris (Kick-Ass) and the entire make-up department deserve Academy Award nominations; the latter, in particular, shouldn’t be overlooked for any reason.

What really makes 127 Hours a must-see, however, is the lead performance by James Franco. Many of you will only know him best from the Spider-Man movies as Harry Osborn, but he’s also a director and painter, and he even published a book of poetry awhile ago. Admittedly, I was completely unprepared for Franco’s work here, playing a man battling his own sanity while also figuring out to escape. He’s charming and funny, yes, but he also acknowledges every one of his faults, as does Ralston in his book. One second Franco can be amusing, but the next he’s devastating; he exemplifies this unpredictable nature with rich doses of humor and an incessant drive to simply survive. The moment which screamed Oscar for me was when, one morning, he actually pretends he’s being interviewed on a morning news program. The first few minutes have an exceedingly playful tone, but then reality comes back, completely destroying the fantasy and, ultimately, initiative.

Those who are still afraid to see 127 Hours based on Aron’s escape methods should really get over it. Yes, there were reports of audience members fainting during a screening at the Toronto Film Festival and, yes, several individuals exhibited strong (and audible) reactions when I saw it in DC. If you remember Alive, the 1993 film about a rugby team who resort to cannibalizing their dead teammates in order to survive in the Andes mountains, it was potent but never graphic in its grisly, gory details. Don’t expect the same amount of mercy while watching 127 Hours; Boyle doesn’t sugar-coat anything here, remaining as faithful as possible to what actually happened to Ralston (and rightly so). Queasiness is expected, but don’t expect to walk out of the theater depressed or disgusted; if anything, 127 Hours will make you feel glad to be alive, as Ralston’s story is as inspirational as The Sound Of Music and The Shawshank Redemption.

Closing Statement
An unforgettable story of a passionate man who finds hope and reason while knocking on death’s door, 127 Hours should be the sleeper hit of the holiday season. Expect multiple Oscar nods to be racked up, especially for Franco’s emotionally shattering portrayal of Ralston. And don’t forget those tissues, either!

The Verdict
10/10

Pineapple Express

Opening Date: 08/06/2008

STUDIO: Columbia Pictures

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
Put this in your pipe and smoke it.

Opening Statement
Following up on the success of Knocked Up and Superbad, the Apatow troupe returns with yet another script that was once on the back burner. Originally written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the Judd Apatow touch of box office gold has placed Pineapple Express on the fast track to the silver screen.

Facts of the Case
Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) has reached the point where one becomes comfortable with life. He has a high school girlfriend, a job as a file server, and is high pretty much all the time. Saul Silver (James Franco) is Dale’s pot dealer and has taken it upon himself to cross the threshold of turning Dale from customer to friend. Along the way the two become entangled in a tale of murder, trafficking, drug cartels, and all out action.

The Evidence
There will be many outcries that Pineapple Express sets a new bar in the stoner comedy genre. But really, how high was that bar anyway? What’s more impressive is how the film provides one of the most memorable comedy duos in years. Dale Denton and Saul Silver have placed themselves in the company of other legendary stoners such as Cheech and Chong and even Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Zeta Acosta.

The plot to Pineapple Express is an afterthought. Dale witnesses a murder, during a routine service call and flees the scene in a panic, leaving behind a roach of Pineapple Express. Of course, this marijuana being proclaimed by Saul as “dopest dope you’ll ever smoke,” drug lord Ted Jones (Gary Cole) figures out who it belongs to and sends crooked officer Carol Brazier (Rosie Perez) and henchmen Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan) and Matheson (Craig Robinson) to retrieve our pothead heroes.

But plot aside, this movie is not about being on the run. It’s about friendship. It’s about loyalty. And like most Apatow ventures, it’s about male camaraderie. Whereas The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad are films about maturing and the divorcement of “being one of the guys,” Pineapple Express takes the opposite view, where male friendship is the centerpiece to a happy life.

Anyone familiar with James Franco’s work on Freaks and Geeks will not be surprised that Saul steals the film, as evidenced by the scene where Saul tells Dale how special and important their friendship is. Normally, the dynamic between a dealer and buyer is strictly business, and once the transaction is complete the relationship ends there. So when Saul decides he wants to become friends with Dale, this becomes an huge emotional investment.

Another scene stealer is Red (Danny McBride). Similar to the male relationships in Superbad, Red sees Dale as a threat to his own friendship with Saul. He also sees Dale as a threat in general, as Budlofksy and Matheson threaten his life multiple times. It’s easy to tell that screenwriters Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen adore this character, by the absurd lengths gone to maintain Red’s on screen presence.

And of course, there is Dale at the center of it all. This role is “by the numbers” Seth Rogen, still at the top of his game. Audiences who have seen him before know what to expect and that’s not a fault. Rogen’s laid back demeanor, humor, and everyday Joe persona has yet to overstay its welcome, and his chemistry with Franco evokes that of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau from The Odd Couple — if the two were on weed 24/7.

As with most stoner movies, Pineapple Express enjoys going off on tangents. In fact, the movie takes a divergent turn into action flick territory in the third act, which is all the more strange when the film returns to buddy comedy mode. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the this act almost functions as a parody of a drug crime film.  

Rebuttal Witnesses
If Pineapple Express lacks anything, it’s empathy towards its characters. Though Dale and Saul are extremely likable, their relationship is absent of the severity that has been displayed in previous Apatow films. The emotional weight between Dale and Saul is never in serious jeopardy and there are no surprises. On the other hand, this is a tale about two potheads.

Closing Statement
Pineapple Express is pure comedy and though it does not transcend its comedic stoner roots, it’s not required to. Rogen and Franco are a terrific duo to watch, whether the audience is blazed or not. And while the film is similar to past Apatow endeavors such as Anchorman and Walk Hard, don’t let these comparisons fool you. This is the best of the bunch and you will not find a funnier film this summer… and probably the rest of the year. 

9/10