5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
When Fox announced their intentions to make a new film in the
Planet of the Apes franchise, just about everybody had low expectations. The studio had tried and failed to bring the property back to relevance ten years prior with the disastrous Tim Burton remake, so most people wondered what the point was. Even though the original Charlton Heston classic is one of the most famous sci-fi tales, the series as a whole had not been popular in some time; viewed by many as a collection of B-movies. Overcoming the skepticism of the moviegoing public,
Rise of the Planet of the Apes went on to become one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2011. Receiving acclaim from critics (82% on Rotten Tomatoes), the reboot was also a success at the box office. Making $54.8 million its opening weekend, the film grossed $176.7 million domestically and $481.8 million worldwide on a $93 million budget. Director Rupert Wyatt surprised many with his heartfelt cautionary sci-fi tale about the dangers of playing God and trying to fix things that are out of your control. It was more of a dramatic character study as opposed to a typical action-packed spectacle we're used to seeing in summer films. Andy Serkis, who portrayed protagonist Caesar via motion capture, was universally praised for his performance and even had an Oscar campaign for playing a CGI chimp. In a turn that harkened back to the silent movie era, Serkis was able to convey Caesar's struggle and won people over. By the time the climactic battle at the Golden Gate Bridge happened, I was rooting for the apes. If
Rise of the Planet of the Apes has any major faults, it's the fact that the human characters don't have much depth. James Franco's Will Rodman is a suitable way for the audience to experience the story and become involved with the movie, but the others are mainly one-note. It's Caesar's show all the way through. Fox has a sequel -
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - set for release next July. The second installment features a brand new human cast headlined by names such as Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke, but Serkis will return as Caesar.
Rise was able to sneak under the radar and catch people off-guard.
Dawn has a prime summer date in the middle of July and will have to live up to high audience expectations now that the first film has a solid fan base. It will be interesting to see how moviegoers respond to the sequel.