Rise of the Planet of the Apes – We Are Movie Geeks

Interview – WAMG Talks To CINDERELLA Soundtrack Composer Patrick Doyle

On Friday, March 13, Disney will release the live action version of CINDERELLA from director Kenneth Branagh.

The original animated movie opened on February 15, 1950 to universal acclaim and 65 years later, CINDERELLA has become one of studio’s most treasured titles.

Branagh has once again turned to the Scottish composer Patrick Doyle for the score. The album features original music by Doyle marking the eleventh time he has teamed with Branagh.

In 1989, the director commissioned Doyle to compose the score for HENRY V and they have subsequently collaborated on numerous pictures, including DEAD AGAIN, MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, HAMLET, AS YOU LIKE IT and THOR, and most recently JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT.

Doyle scored RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES for 20th Century Fox and BRAVE for Disney Pixar, which was awarded Best Original Composition for Film at the International Music and Sound Awards.

From the worlds of Asgard to the Highlands of Scotland, Doyle’s various scores have whisked audiences off to distant lands, past, present and future. With an enchanting score full of magic and musical color, as well as creating a new Disney song, this time the Oscar-nominated composer takes us to the fairy-tale kingdom of CINDERELLA.

WAMG: CINDERELLA is such a beautiful film and your score is just wonderful. It sounds like a fairytale.

Patrick Doyle: Thank you very much. I think it’s a gorgeous, sumptuous film. It’s a classic movie – a timeless movie. It’s enchanting and it’s funny. It’s magical and very emotional. It’s a wonderful opportunity for a composer.

WAMG: The story is very familiar as well as the music. What was your first thought when you found out Kenneth Branagh was doing a new version of CINDERELLA?

PD: It’s a classic story. Number one, knowing Ken, I knew it would be a completely different approach to the iconic animated version. I think he’s done a wonderful job transferring from animation to live action. There’s always a thought that people will compare the two. I have been through this in the past with HENRY V and I knew Ken would have new approach to the film. I think he did a tremendous job.

WAMG: Your score is very romantic and while reminding the audience of the original, it takes you into this new adaptation.

PD: I’m glad you agree. I tried to write a classical score and hopefully it will have a classic feel to it. The reaction to the film, and the score, has been fantastic and it’s a tremendous opportunity to write for a symphony orchestra. Any reason to employ a symphony orchestra in a movie is always welcomed, especially when it’s the calibre of the London Symphony Orchestra.

The movie is from the original Charles Perrault’s French interpretation of the tale entitled “Cendrillon, or the History of the Little Glass Slipper” which introduced the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and the glass slippers. We also come from a culture where we have what’s called Pantomime in Scotland, England and Wales. It’s an annual event – they’ll show Puss and Boots one year and Cinderella the other. Cinderella is a wonderful story and goes back to Greek times. It deals with diversity and it’s universal to every culture – it resonates to every culture the world.

It has a wonderful happy ending that everyone knows, but it’s the journey along the way is what’s so traumatizing. It’s cathartic in the end to watch her dream come true where she finds someone who’s a good person. It’s the best possible circumstances where people fall in love for themselves and not what they are.

WAMG: I loved Cate Blanchett’s theme – she makes quite the entrance as Lady Tremaine with the cat Lucifer in tow. Did you go with theme cues first or melody cues first for the character?

PD: (Sings the cue) I worked very hard to have a sort of chromatic theme – to roll around in the lower register of the instruments in the orchestra. I wanted to have a very distinctive theme for her.

The CINDERELLA waltz music at the ball, “La Valse de L’Amour,” was heavily plundered and mined by me throughout the score. (Sings the cue) I like to weave all these themes throughout the score. There’s waltzes and polkas, along with a plethora of dances, so there was a wonderful opportunity for me to write real classical music.

WAMG: You can hear it all through the film. With that classical theme in mind, what instruments, whether it was percussion, strings, brass, were you keen on using?

PD: It was an absolute mixture of everything. That’s the joy for a score like that – you can choose and strategize so that the sound can influence the viewer to see specific things. You can use the oboe for the mystery with the lower register, the bassoon for the entrance of the step-mother, the harp for the magical qualities. The whole symphonic voice comes into play and every instrument is utilized. The palette was wide open. I used the percussive sounds to give off wonderful colors.

My objective was to capture the magical enchantment and emotion in order to give it a timeless quality because the Disney canon is timeless. It survives generation after generation and that was in the back of my mind. I wanted to honor that great musical tradition of Disney.

The first film I saw on my own was FANTASIA. I went on my own at age 14 to Glasgow to see that film. That turned me onto music and animation – I was amazed by the marriage of the two.

In addition to the score, the soundtrack also includes end credit tracks by Lily James (“Cinderella”) and Helena Bonham Carter (“Fairy Godmother”), plus the end credit original theme song “Strong” (written by Patrick Doyle, Kenneth Branagh and Tommy Danvers) performed by Compound/Motown recording artist Sonna Rele and produced by TommyD (Kylie, Kanye West, Corinne Bailey Rae, FUN). Sonna was chosen by Kenneth Branagh to record “Strong.”

WAMG: Along with the score, fans have always liked that Disney made it a point of adding songs to his animated & live action films. In this CINDERELLA, there is the song that your wrote, “Strong.” How did that develop for the movie?

PD: The tune is totally based on all the themes in the film. You’ll hear the melodies and motifs, which I’m very proud of because all the score was first and then the song came in based on all the material in the score.

TommyD Is a great producer and writer and Ken worked on the lyrics and we worked very hard on it. I’m very proud to be part of that tradition to have written a Disney song. It’s really lovely.

I’ve also been the only one to write a Gaelic song for Disney with the movie BRAVE. I loved being involved in “Strong.”

WAMG: If I may ask you about BRAVE for a moment. When you first found out the movie was being made, being from Scotland, did you get choked up?

PD: Talk about being choked up! When the Pixar people invited me to San Francisco, after my initial meeting, to talk about the movie, I walked into a conference room and they had rocks, heather and little twiglets and branches and pictures beautifully displayed for me. Pictures of Scotland and the glorious Highlands – my wee eyes got choked up.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this to me,” I said. My life flashed in front of me! I was very proud to be asked to do that score.

BRAVE (L-R) Producer Katherine Sarafian, Composer Patrick Doyle and Director Mark Andrews amongst bagpipe musicians. Ph: Jonathan Prime ©2012 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

WAMG: Your music for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES goes so well with the Jerry Goldsmith’s original 1968 score. The movie was such a success, especially for fans of the APES franchise. In APES and CINDERELLA, there are a ton of sound effects to accompany the visual effects. Did you work closely with the Sound Department on both movies?

PD: It was a fantastic opportunity to work on such an iconic franchise. I remember on RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, I asked the sound department to let me hear the early recordings they took of the real apes and I used one of their cries and turned it into a noisy musical cue for the percussion parts. It also became the running string motif in the film driving all the action sequences.

When thematic sounds come from an organic source, I think it has far more resonance so hopefully it connects people to the film.

I worked very closely with the sound department on CINDERELLA. I did a facsimile of the score, as I was going along, to give them so they were able to shape their sounds around the music and to tune the effects to the key of the orchestra. I had to work very closely with them to get an inter-organic marriage.

WAMG: You wrote the score for the silent movie IT starring Clara Bow, commissioned by the Syracuse Film Festival, which received its world premiere at the Syracuse historic Landmark Theatre in October 2013. How was it to score a film after the fact?

PD: I’ve always been a great fan of the early days of cinema. When I was a kid we had only two television stations in Scotland. There was the BBC and an independent station, and that was it. They would show lots and lots of movies from the 1920’s and 1930’s through the 1940’s and 1950’s. When I look back on it, I watched silent movies that were only about thirty years old.

I’m very lucky to be in that transition period to have written in the 20^th and 21^st century. When I was approached to commission the score I leapt at the opportunity. I loved the film and I’m very aware of Clara Bow. I took great care to write a contemporary score.

I’m quite excited because there’s going to be a Scottish premiere in June and I’m working with young children from my old Shire. I’m tremendously pleased and other movie industry people are doing workshops with these kids, so I’m very proud to be working on that.

All young kids from North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire where I was educated will be there. I remember as a very young kid going on weekends where I played in the youth orchestra and to be able to go back after working on this for a number of years, is a nice feather in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, so we’re very excited about it.

Walt Disney Records will release the original motion picture soundtrack for CINDERELLA on March 10, 2015.

The score was recorded at Air Lyndhurst Studio in London, and was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Shearman and produced by Maggie Rodford. The film arrives in theaters on March 13, 2015.

CINDERELLA track list:

1. A Golden Childhood
2. The Great Secret
3. A New Family
4. Life and Laughter
5. The First Branch
6. Nice and Airy
7. Orphaned
8. The Stag
9. Rich Beyond Reason
10. Fairy Godmother
11. Pumpkins and Mice
12. You Shall Go
13. Valse Royale
14. Who Is She
15. La Valse de L’Amour
16. La Valse Champagne
17. La Polka Militaire
18. La Polka de Paris
19. A Secret Garden
20. La Polka de Minuit
21. Choose That One
22. Pumpkin Pursuit
23. The Slipper
24. Shattered Dreams
25. Searching the Kingdom
26. Ella and Kit
27. Courage and Kindness
28. Strong Performed by Sonna Rele
29. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes Performed by Lily James
30. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song) Performed by Helena Bonham Carter

The album is now available for pre-order at iTunes http://smarturl.it/cnsa1 and Amazon http://smarturl.it/cnsama1.

The digital soundtrack includes 3 bonus instrumental tracks (“Strong,” “A Dream is a Wish,” “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”).

Photos by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

Composer Patrick Doyle (L) and director Kenneth Branagh.

Actor Richard Madden, composer Patrick Doyle and actress Lily James attend the World Premiere in Hollywood.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – The Review

One could argue the significance of the events that take place in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It’s widely considered the finest STAR WARS film made to date but an argument could be made as to whether anything actually happens in the film. Yes, there is one major revelation that goes without saying, but isn’t the film merely just a stepping-stone to the next chapter? The film essentially is one long Saturday morning serial entry that practically ends with a voice-over announcing, “stay tuned next week Jedi; same Star time… same Star channel.” That feeling of seeing only the first part in a larger story can be said for the recent entry in the APES reboot series. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES leaves a lasting impression based on the impressive special effects, rich visual landscapes, and moving character interactions (kind of like the other entry in the sci-fi series I just mentioned). However, by the end of it you get a slight feeling that you are leaving the situation in the same way we found it. Well… at least Matt Reeves, with some help from talents like Andy Serkis, take us on an emotional and symbolic journey even if it isn’t a necessarily a physical journey.

After a prologue catching those unfamiliar with RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and the flu virus that spread across the world, we zero-in on the eyes of our intimidating hero – Caesar. As we learned from the previous film, although this virus is deadly to most humans, it actually increased the intelligence and communicative skills of apes. The apes have created their own organized and efficient community nestled deep in the Redwood Forest. From there they have lived a simple life under the guidance of their leader Caesar. They even believed that the human population had all but died off until Caesar’s son and friend Ash go for a walk one day and walk into a traveling human. His fear of the walking apes immediately consumes him and results in him shooting Ash before any real exchange takes place (the similarities between this and an unfortunate confrontation that resulted in a death in Florida is not the only time this film seems inspired by current events). We soon learn that the wanderer isn’t the only human but that he is part of a much larger group of humans that are living on the California coast led by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman). They have been stockpiling weapons and supplies but are running out of electrical energy to maintain their living environment. Dreyfus sends Malcolm (Jason Clarke), his partner Ellie (Keri Russell), and the rest of their team into ape country to survey if they can use the power from the vacated dam that sits adjacent to the ape’s home. But just as some of the humans don’t trust the apes, Caesar’s second-in-command Koba expresses doubt for trusting the humans, which triggers a flame that causes tension to finally boil over into an all out war between the two sides.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES never ceases to amaze the eyes. Much like what was achieved by the previous entry, WETA creates an astonishing reality where you truly believe Caesar is a real ape that walks and talks just like any of the other actors on screen. The CGI textures and hair of the apes is on a whole new level of what we’ve witnessed on film before. Outside of just the magnificent creature design, the attention to believable sets and environments adds another level to the world building that DAWN magically creates. Of course veteran actors like Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, and Keri Russell all are fantastic, but this is an ape film and they are the ones performing the tricks that we’re here to see. It’s a testament to Andy Serkis and the rest of the motion-capture actors that you care for the apes as much as their human counterparts.

It’s no mistake that I use the word “counterpart” to describe the relationship between the humans and the apes. Similarities between the two factions abound to the point that the screenwriters frequently shine a mirror at our real-world culture to show that the moral dilemma on-screen isn’t simply a work of science fiction. It’s amazing how political DAWN gets for a Hollywood movie. At its heart the film may just be about working together and finding a common ground of understanding between inner species, and yet it unashamedly includes messages regarding the ineffectiveness of war and the danger of guns in our society. The political undertones felt very much in the same vein as a George Romero zombie film. I typically don’t mind a little social awareness with my popcorn films but at times I do feel that this story relies a little too heavily on it -especially in the first half of the film. The fact that the humans in DAWN have to go over into foreign territory because they’re running out of energy on their own territory sounds rather similar to US political motivations in the Middle East and it’s obviously not a coincidence. That being said, I would prefer this over an empty-headed brainless ape-fest; much like what some of the surviving humans in DAWN think of their “enemy.”

The story bounces back-and-forth between the two enemies: the ape culture, living in their homemade shelters in the forest, and the last group of humans attempting to survive in their multi-story former corporate high-rise (once again, not very subtle). From there the obvious conflicts arise when the two societies attempt to form a union through trust. But just as Cesar mentions quite often in the film, the idea of trust or who not to trust – possibly even in your own inner circle – is also what tears the two groups apart. The civil unrest finally comes to a head in an all out battle that is quite spectacular and carefully directed by Matt Reeves. He stages a knuckle dragging, bullet soaring war that feels chaotic and yet very much understandable for the viewer even if you were seeing the film in the darkened 3-D format; which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend since I never felt the impact of the added “dimension.” Reeves stages a large-scale set piece midway through the film that never lets the viewer lose focus on some of the players whose lives are at stake. Caesar’s son is frequently cut back to as we see the death and devastation around him reflect in his fearful and naïve eyes. We also see his counter-point in war leader Koba, who rides into battle like Attila the Hun – all passion and energy and without fear. In Reeves’ previous overlooked film, LET ME IN, he orchestrated a circus act of a camera-shot by placing the camera inside a tumbling car; forcing the viewer to watch from the same perspective the devastation build inside the car as it rolls down a snowy hill. A similar feat is performed here when Koba takes control of a tank. The camera stays mounted to the turret of the tank as it rotates around the battle giving the viewer an immersive 360 degree experience.

Without getting into it too much for fear of heading into spoiler territory, the last ¼ of the film sets up a narrative that could very well have been the start to the next entry in the series. It makes sense in the context of DAWN’s story to have it included here, but I do also feel that the screenwriters (Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver) could have taken their time to develop Koba’s goal and slowly bring in what some of the other Apes desire. A launching point for the next blockbuster entry is achieved, but not without feeling that some of the story-arcs are rushed.

Michael Giacchino’s score mixes in modern ambient sounds with occasional bells and other percussion rhythms. There are even moments where Giacchino pays homage to Jerry Goldsmith’s original score like in the scene when Koba and a few of his followers sneak into San Francisco to see what the humans are up to. It’s moments like these that fans going back to the original 1968 APES film will no doubt cherish. The rebooted series has been extremely successful in maintaining many of the themes from the earlier films while still feeling more than just fan service. Much like what the original films symbolized, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES shows the consequences of miscommunication. It shows us how dangerous acting on fear can be without listening. It shows how we sometimes choose to have an enemy because we feel we have to. Most importantly, as we learn through the eyes of Caesar’s son, DAWN shows us that it isn’t until we are taught hate that we choose to embrace violence. As we see earlier in the film written on a cave wall by the orangutan Maurice – “Ape does not kill ape.” This same sentiment can be said for man’s desire to kill those weaker than him just because we can.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a sequel that carries a lot of baggage and raises questions that you may not expect from your typical Hollywood film. Our day to day reality, where gun violence has become increasingly prevalent; xenophobia has forced citizens to hate their next door neighbors; and our reliance on foreign power (oil) has reached an all time high; these are all subjects explored in a summer tent-pole film. Really, it’s quite shocking. That audacity to venture into what may be seen as controversial territory should be commended. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES may get swept up a little too much in its own politics and message, but not without developing some characters you truly care about and want to explore in future installments.

4 out of 5

DAWN OF THE PLANETS OF THE APES opens in theaters everywhere on July 11.

20th Century Fox Brings Their A Game In New DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Posters

(via IGN)

Gorillas. Chimpanzees. Orangutans.

Caesar rallies the troops for war in these super cool posters for DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

For ape fans like myself, these are bad-ass!

Director Matt Reeves’ movie hits theaters July 11, 2014, in 3D.

Apes… together… strong! The awesome trailers and latest TV spots really grab you.

A decade has passed since apes and man have come face-to-face. Now the two societies face a difficult choice between working together to co-exist or battle to become the dominant species.

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

The film’s screenplay is by Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and based on characters created by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver.

Check out my interview HERE with the husband and wife screenwriting team when RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, which grossed nearly half a billion dollars worldwide, was released. I’m hoping they’ve hidden more “Easter Eggs” as they did with the fabulous 2011 film.

A third Apes movie is planned for a July 29, 2016 release.

The film stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Enrique Murciano, Kirk Acevedo, Karin Konoval, and Judy Greer.

Connect with Dawn of Apes Online-
Visit the Dawn of Apes WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/DawnApesSite
Like Dawn of Apes on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/ApesFacebook
Follow Dawn of Apes TWITTER: http://bit.ly/ApesTwitter
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For APE collectors, NECA is offering a new merchandise program based on the beloved franchise, which is set to include new products based on the upcoming film DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES as well as the classic movies. Available summer 2014, the program will include a wide assortment of collectible products designed to excite audiences of all ages such as action figures, giftware, apparel, accessories and more.

Order here: http://necaonline.com/?s=Planet+of+the+Apes

Top Ten Tuesday: Best of 2011

Another year has come and gone and with it passes another year of movies, good and bad, but today we focus on the best films to have hit theaters in 2011. Of course, the very phrase “best of…” is subject to widely varying opinions, which is why we choose to do things a little differently. While we do consider these the best films, that’s merely how they’re seen in our eyes. You may, heck… we even encourage you to disagree. For what it’s worth, here’s our Top Ten list of the Best Films of 2011.

How it works: We five Movie Geeks each have compiled our own lists of the top ten films of 2011. From these lists, we’ve tabulated votes based on a point system, resulting in our Movie Geeks Top Ten Films of 2011. Each of the individual geeks’ lists can be found at the end of our compiled list. *Our lists are based on the selection of films released theatrically in Saint Louis during the 2011 calendar year. (*This is why you will not see SHAME represented on our list.)

Continue reading Top Ten Tuesday: Best of 2011

Win A Copy Of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Download Combo Pack

A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a battle unlike any other when RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES makes its worldwide debut on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on December 13^th. From the Oscar-winning® visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings comes revolutionary new ground – a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

WAMG has ONE special copy of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – DVD/Blu-ray/Digital Download Combo Pack to giveaway – just in time for Christmas!

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.

2. FILL OUT YOUR REAL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.

3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: In the original PLANET OF THE APES film, Col. George Taylor (Charlton Heston) arrives back on Earth some two thousand years after he and the other astronauts left. Tell us the name of the SHIP and what YEAR they land on Earth.

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

CONTEST WILL END ON MONDAY, December 19th 11:59pm CST.

James Franco (127 Hours) stars as Will Rodman, a neuroscientist living in San Francisco trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing on chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. After a test subject’s baby, Caesar, is orphaned, Will decides to raise him at home on his own with his Alzheimer-stricken father (John Lithgow; “Dexter”). What begins simply as a continuation of his experiment quickly turns into a problem for Will, as Caesar is taken away from him and forced to live in a primate facility. As Caesar’s intelligence continues to grow, he begins to stake his claim as the leader of his new primate counterparts, which will ultimately lead to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist), this special effects blockbuster features fantastic supporting performances from Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Brian Cox (Red), Tom Felton (Harry Potter films) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) in a ground-breaking performance. The RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray is loaded with bonus material including deleted scenes, making-of featurettes commentaries and more.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Official Site: http://www.apeswillrise.com/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apeswillrise
On Twitter: #apeswillrise

**Exact product configurations will vary by individual territories**

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray + Digital Copy (North America)

Feature Film
Deleted Scenes
- Alpha Gets Shot
- Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
- Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
- Caesar Plays with Bicycle
- Caesar Questions His Identity
- Caesar Bites Off Neighbors Finger
- Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
- Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
- Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
- Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
- Caesar Pushes Helicopter
- Koba with Shotgun
- Pre-vis for The Future
- Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
- Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
- Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
- A New Generation of Apes
- Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
- Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Ape Facts
  - Chimpanzee
  - Gorilla
  - Orangutan
  - Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
  - Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
  - CharacterConceptArtGallery
  - Three Theatrical Trailers

August 5 – 7 Box Office: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Rules With $54 Million

The weekend actuals for August 5 – 7 are in. 20th Century Fox’s RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was #1 at the box office with $54 million.

Source: ERC Box Office

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – The Review

I’ll say it right up front… RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is one of the best films of 2011. This origin story is a reality-based cautionary tale, an interesting science-fiction-fact mixture and the perfect prequel from director Rupert Wyatt. It’s a great movie.

The story begins with Caesar’s mother being captured in the wild and brought to present day San Francisco. She becomes part of the Gen-Sys animal experiments before commencement of human trials for a promising and potentially lucrative new drug called ALZ-112. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a focused scientist working within a large pharmaceutical corporation, Gen-Sys, conducting genetic research to develop a benign virus that restores damaged human brain tissue. He is committed to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s, a disease that afflicts his father, Charles (John Lithgow) and it’s that connection between his research and Charles’ illness brings the two together, albeit under difficult heart-rending circumstances. Will moves into his father’s house, which was once his childhood home, to take care of him.

When Will’s simian test subjects suddenly display aggressive behavior, Caesar’s mother is killed after she goes on the attack. The company deems the research a failure and Will is forced by his boss Jacobs (David Oyelowo) to shut down his program. During all the confusion of the study’s sudden termination, Will and fellow scientist Franklin (Tyler Labine) realize the bizarre actions stemmed from the female trying to protect her newborn infant chimpanzee. Instead of euthanizing the male chimp, Will smuggles him out of the lab. Once home, Charles names the chimp Caesar and leads Will to Caroline (Freida Pinto), a primatologist who’s lovingly dedicated to apes and becomes Caesar’s vet.

Due to exposure in the womb to the ALZ-112, young Caesar displays intelligence and behaviors unusual for an ape of any age. Inspired by his observation of Caesar’s unexpected gifts, Will secretly grabs enough samples of ALZ-112 from Gen-Sys, and against his better judgment privately continues his research at home, using his father and Caesar as test subjects. Over the years, with the help of the drug, the chimp exhibits incredible cognitive skills and intellect – Will and Caesar communicate through sign language. At the same time, Charles’ symptoms of Alzheimer’s miraculously go into remission and the family makes frequent field trips to the Redwoods where Caesar is free to roam throughout the forest. Will’s bending the rules of laboratory trials seems to have worked beyond his hopes, but after a while Charles’s symptoms return with a vengeance and Caesar naturally becomes defensive when seeing his grandfather attacked.

Will takes Caesar to live among other apes within the confines of the San Bruno Primate Sanctuary. But unknown to Will, the “sanctuary” is more like a shoddily run prison – a dumping ground for unwanted or abandoned apes. It is run by Landon (Brian Cox) and his sadistic son, Dodge, (Tom Felton). In the meantime, Will works on freeing Caesar from this hell hole and an updated version on the drug, ALZ-113, to counteract the reversal of his father’s disease. Fellow scientist Franklin is accidentally exposed and he is unaware that the new medicine has mutated into a deadly virus to humans but not the apes. It’s this crucial plot point that sets up the downfall of mankind. (In Taylor’s own words: “Wiped out by a plague – some natural catastrophe.”)

Because he’s not the physically strongest ape in the facility, Caesar quickly realizes that in order to survive he must assert his intellectual dominance over the fearsome alpha-male ape Rocket “Bright Eyes” and a beastly brooding angry gorilla named Buck. It’s the psychologically damaged and former circus orangutan named Maurice whom Caesar discovers he can communicate with through sign language. Caesar soon prevails over the other apes, and establishes a new social order. At a throwback moment to the 4th installment, CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972), Caesar stands up and retaliates against the human handlers.

In a daring break out reminiscent of THE GREAT ESCAPE, Caesar leads his fellow captives out of the prison and into an epic confrontation at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. All that he’s ever wanted was to go home to the Redwoods that he and Will visited so often when he was a youngster. It’s a wrenching and fateful reunion between Will and Caesar – and a revolution that will forever change the planet and hopefully to more films.

WETA Digital stunning work makes you feel like you’re watching real apes. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, a four-time Oscar winner, accomplishes ground-breaking work. By using performance capture as a fully integrated part of the live action, for the first time WETA brings emotion and physicality to the actors roles.

In addition to presenting emotionally-engaging photo-realistic apes, the film’s setting is instantly recognizable and clearly related to the 1968 classic. APES fans will take special delight when hearing the names of the characters – human and apes alike. Bright Eyes, Landon, Dodge, Cornelia (Cornelius), and Maurice are all a part of the makeup that is the APE universe. Even the original director (“Franklin” J. Schaffner), producer (Arthur P. “Jacobs”) and supporting actor “Buck” Kartalian (Taylor’s warden Julius) are afforded characters in 20th Century Fox’s reboot. There are Easter eggs for the audience to discover throughout. The film shows the lift off of the spaceship ICARUS – the craft of the 1968 film that took Charlton Heston’s “Col. Taylor” along with Dodge, Landon and Stewart through the time rift. The filmmakers even included a glimpse at a news paper which reads, “Icarus Lost In Space.” Fans will surely cheer on all the winks and nods to original.

Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa screenplay stays true to the timeline and “what happened prior to Heston arrival back on Earth of 3978” premise. Their keen story shows how man’s experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy. Iconic lines such as “It’s a MAD HOUSE…A MAD HOUSE” and “Take your paws off me you damn dirty ape!” are thrown in for good measure. I appreciate how the writers really did their Ape homework. (Read WAMG’s interview with Silver & Jaffa HERE.)

The Will-Charles-Caesar dynamic is tearfully sweet and its Franco’s emotional display of losing both father and child, that is gripping as well as painful to watch. Patrick Doyle’s score truly pulls you into these moments – it even has strains of Jerry Goldsmith’s 1968 music. The editing by Oscar winner Conrad Buff and Mark Goldblatt keep the tension and action-filled pacing at a zenith in the climactic finale as it unfolds on, above, along and beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

All hail the extraordinary Andy Serkis! The legendary role of Caesar would’ve never been convincing without his realistic portrayal of the Ape that would be King. Serkis infuses Caesar with nuance, emotion, soul, wisdom and heart into the chimpanzee APES fans have grown to know since Pierre Boulle wrote his 1963 novel. It’s another historic performance by Serkis who gave acclaimed performances as Gollum in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, and as Kong in KING KONG.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES never feels CGI-driven and Wyatt makes sure the action and suspense goes hand in hand with the powerful emotional story. The 800 lb gorilla sitting in the room…does Caesar eventually speak? That, you’ll have to discover for yourself.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in the U.S. on August 5, 2011.

The film is rated PG-13 for intense and frightening sequences of action and violence.

WAMG’s Conversation with Screenwriters Amanda Silver & Rick Jaffa Of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

I’m such an avid fan of the PLANET OF THE APES films – even the TV Show and Animated Series. To me it’s the greatest franchise in movie history. Having seen RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the film is truly a welcomed addition to the series and one of the best films of 2011!

You can imagine how thrilled I was to receive an email with an invitation to speak with screenwriters of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa. I had the great pleasure of talking to these two writers, producers (and married couple) and found to my giddy delight that we share a common love of animals and all things APES!

The following is our conversation on the film, CGI apes, animal rights and spaceships.

Michelle: In many ways RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is like the 1972 CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Both Caesar’s have been raised from infants by humans and then grow up to ultimately take over the world. Speaking as an animal lover, how the animals are treated in both films just breaks the heart.

How much were you influenced by the 4th installment of the series?

Rick Jaffa: In reality we weren’t influenced in any way. The story came together and we realized that was our next movie.

Amanda Silver: Rick had clipped out stories over the years on how hard it is on chimps being raised in captivity or by humans. It’s not a natural environment for them.

Rick: They eventually become wild, aggressive animals.

Amanda: We realized it was a perfect way to make a reboot and had to figure out how to sell it to Fox. It was our egress into a PLANET OF THE APES story.

Rick: The story laid out for us pretty quickly. All the articles we had read about cloning and genetic engineering besides people raising chimps. I suggested a reimagining of the story to Fox executive, Peter Kang, five years ago and he loved the idea. It was a way to reinvent the franchise and once Fox got onboard in 2006 it developed fairly quickly.

Amanda: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is an origin story. A way for the audience to see what happened prior to Col. Taylor arriving on Earth in the year 3978. We wrote a pivotal scene that ties the two together. The whole movie hinges on that scene.

Rick: (laughs) We can’t tell you now, but it’ll be huge for the die-hards. We wanted to create a story that will ultimately stand on its own to create a new fan base. But yes, we did start with CONQUEST. Once we decided on RISE, we watched the first five films from beginning to end.

We have a son who is 16 and a son who is 20 and they like the original (1968) but that’s about it. We brought our 9 year old nephew to the screening and he loved it. So we’re hoping to bring youngsters in. They’ll be many Easter Eggs throughout for the fans like yourself.

Michelle: What do you think of the CGI apes used in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES as opposed to using real monkeys or even going with the masks and makeup route?

Amanda: Well it’s all about animal rights. Man’s hubris for testing on animals – they’re sentient beings! So using real animals goes against our theme. In 2006, when we came up with the idea, the technology wasn’t in place yet. By the time the story was ready the technology had caught up.

Rick: Jump a few years ahead to Jim Cameron and AVATAR and WETA Digital – the CGI apes really look fantastic! So no makeup or masks were thought of or, as far as we know, discussed.

Amanda: The film is present day reality. What would happen today if intelligent apes got loose. What could happen to lead Taylor to an Earth that was run by Apes.

Rick: Tom Rothman (20th Century Fox) and the rest of the people over at Fox were very supportive of using CGI. We all hoped at the early stages that people would buy the CGI apes.

Amanda: This was WETA’s first time using performance capture as a fully integrated part of the live action performance. It’s groundbreaking what they did. We were very lucky with the end results.

Michelle: I’m a huge APES fan, I love that the movie is filled with character names from the earlier films like Caesar, Landon, Dodge, Cornelia, Rocket who is called Bright Eyes. Some brilliant nods to the actors and filmmakers of the original like Buck the gorilla who in the original is Taylor’s jailer Julius (played by actor Buck Kartalian), an orangutan named Maurice (after Maurice Evans’ Dr Zaius in the 1968 version), producer Arthur P. Jacobs and director Franklin Schaffner.

With so many great winks in the prequel to connect the die-hards, can you tell me what sort of clever clues we’ll see from your script toward future films?

Amanda: You should see Rick’s face. (laughs) He has a huge grin on it that you discovered Buck’s name.

Rick: Out of the many reporters we’ve spoken to, you’re the first reporter to say that. Great! (laughs) It’s exactly that kind of thing we put in for people to find. Some hints are very strong – Easter eggs if you will. Some people at the screening did miss them, but there are many hints to the future and to the next film. I don’t want to give anything away other than many will be sitting there in the theater and will let out a laugh – even elbowing the person beside them “Hey, did you catch that?” when they see the references to the previous films.

Michelle: Any pressure to live up to the legacy of the APES franchise?

Rick: Huge amount of pressure, of course. We tried to create a story to honor the original and to respect the legacy.

Amanda: We wanted to respect the fans. It’s built around the APES mythology and the fans are so passionate.

Rick: But after a while you have to put that pressure in a box, close the door and get on with it. We knew we were in good hands once the director, Rupert (Wyatt), was hired.

Michelle: And that leads to my next question. I really liked THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE.

Amanda: (laughs) Oh thanks!

Michelle: Holy moly, were there a lot of jumpy moments. I saw it in Boise Idaho at an early test screening and we were mainly asked on what our reaction was to the ending. It was so suspenseful. Can we expect the same kind of combination suspense/human story in RISE OF THE APES and how well did director Rupert Wyatt interpret your script and your message.

Amanda: Well with CRADLE, it’s a different tension, but it’s there in both films. In APES it’s all about what’s going to happen to Caesar and (James) Franco and (John) Lithgow. How it’s resolved.

Rick: In CRADLE, you knew where the “devil” was the whole time. We lead the audience right along with all sorts of hints right up to very end, but with a human story. There’s a certain palette on APES. (Freida) Pinto’s character warns at the beginning of how strong be. She says, “he may be cute now, but he’ll grow up.” It’s a good setup that Caesar’s going to get out of the lab.

Amanda: RISE OF THE APES – it’s very suspenseful and filled with action. The audience we saw it with was really into the movie. Hopefully it will keep you on your toes, keep the audience guessing.

Michelle: Sounds like you both were pleased with (Rupert) Wyatt as director and the end result.

Amanda: Very much so. Wyatt is very collaborative in this type of medium. He really lived up to our expectations and beyond. Rupert has instilled the overall idea in all of us that we are bringing realistic-looking chimps into the mix. So, we started at ground zero. It’s a fresh new approach to the Planet of the Apes film series. We’re presenting primates as we know them. We’re giving them an additional level of intelligence and subtle human tendencies.

Rick: After you finish a script you’re always worried what the director will do with it or how they’ll change it. With Rupert, he totally got it. We’d be on the set, hearing the words we wrote and we were watching a scene happen. We thought, “We’re gonna look so smart!” (laughs) Rupert is the type of director that’s in tune with the writers.

Michelle: Any references to Charlton Heston’s “George Taylor” or spaceships to lead us into the next movie?

Rick: (pauses) Yes! And Yes! (laughs)

Amanda: Oh go ahead and tell her.

Rick: Okay…

Amanda: No wait, don’t. (laughs) Don’t blink. Don’t go to the bathroom.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in the U.S. on August 5, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Fashion Statements

With RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opening on Friday, August 5th, this week’s Top 10 Tuesday is not one dedicated to the ape characters or iconic lines, but the various POTA fashion statements. We’re almost sure that’s what Pierre Boulle was envisioning when writing his 1963 novel. “What would the humans and simians be wearing when my book is made into a film?” Yep, this week is all about the apes franchise costumes and red-carpet “who are you wearing?”

Our honorable mention goes out to the Simpsons’ razzle-dazzle, Broadway version of PLANET OF THE APES and the showstopping number, “Dr. Zaius.”

So on with the 10…

10. Spacesuits

The original and the 2001 remake had both astronauts dressed in the typical white suits that would make designer Tom Ford proud.

9. Helmets

What self respecting gorilla doesn’t leave the house without sporting a helmet? A must have for any gorilla in the wild searching for humans.

8. Bikinis

Nova and Daena in these pretty, prehistoric bathing suits. Very trendy for the “never trust anyone under 30” set.

7. Hair Do’s

Both apes wearing bobbed do’s and smartly dressed from the “women of power” collection. Somewhere Donna Karan is smiling.

6. Hipsters and Sideburns

Very “Tommy Hilfiger” for every season, the chimpanzees come off looking effortless in these sturdy styles that are perfect for young and old alike.

5. Elder Statesmen

Nothing makes an orangutan more dapper than a long vest coat. Goes right along with Calvin Klein’s unwavering vision of minimal designs and wearable urban styles.

4. The Real Kings of the Jungle

It’s all about the hair. Looking ever so quaffed, the gorillas are known to go heavy on the hair spray with just a light touch of mousse.

3. Mutants

Talk about needing a makeover. The high necked collars are a big plus for all apocalyptic mutants.

2. Man – or Ape – About Town

Dressed in the executive line from Brooks Brothers, all Cornelius needs are the preppy, Argyle socks to come into focus.

1. Rag Clothing

Always classic. Always vintage. When you’re being held in captivity, the only way to go are with these rags – smartly worn by Charlton Heston’s “Taylor” in PLANET OF THE APES. So reminiscent of the quintessential American designer Ralph Lauren.

So that’s it – any fashion faux pas we missed? Let us know below, but be nice.

Hey wait…we’re not finished!

Check out this real apes and Rise of the Apes Mashup…with a kickass song from Wolfmother!

Starring James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and Andy Serkis, director Rupert Wyatt’s, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES opens in the U.S. on August 5, 2011 and in the U.K. August 11, 2011.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Official Site: http://www.apeswillrise.com/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apeswillrise
On Twitter: @apeswillrise #apeswillrise

Official YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/apeswillrise and iPhone / iPad App: http://www.apeswillrise.com/app/

Must Watch – RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Comic Con Teaser

Check out this new RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES teaser that premiered at Comic Con 2011 in San Diego, CA. This one’ll give you goosebumps!

Here I thought it was only sharks that took out helicopters. By far the best stuff we’ve seen so far from the film. To watch other clips, click HERE and HERE.

Synopsis:

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES combines fantastic storytelling with the next leap in Visual Effects for an emotional and action-packed motion picture experience unlike any other. Man’s arrogance sets off a chain of events that leads to intelligence in apes and a challenge to our place as the dominant species on the planet. In Caesar, WETA – the Oscar-winning visual effects team behind Avatar – have created a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Official Site: http://www.apeswillrise.com/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/apeswillrise
On Twitter: @apeswillrise #apeswillrise

Official YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/apeswillrise

iPhone / iPad App: http://www.apeswillrise.com/app/

“Like” the UK Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/apeswillriseUK
Follow the official UK Twitter: @ApesWillRiseUK #apeswillrise

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OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.

2. FILL OUT YOUR REAL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.

3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: In the original PLANET OF THE APES film, Col. George Taylor (Charlton Heston) arrives back on Earth some two thousand years after he and the other astronauts left. Tell us the name of the SHIP and what YEAR they land on Earth.

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.

CONTEST WILL END ON MONDAY, December 19th 11:59pm CST.

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Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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10. Spacesuits

9. Helmets

8. Bikinis

7. Hair Do’s

6. Hipsters and Sideburns

5. Elder Statesmen

4. The Real Kings of the Jungle

3. Mutants

2. Man – or Ape – About Town

1. Rag Clothing

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