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Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

Released Aug 5, 2011

1h 45m

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

270 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's (John Lithgow) Alzheimer's disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar, an infant chimp who was exposed in-utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth.

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Critics Consensus

Led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

It's a surprisingly provocative film that really stretches the definition of summer blockbuster.

Rated: B+

Sep 8, 2017

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David Thomson

The New Republic

Caesar [the main ape] is the reason to see this daft, breathless picture.

Jun 24, 2013

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Somewhat shockingly, the modern interpretation of mankind's downfall is actually pretty darn good.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 27, 2012

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

Rise of the Planet of the Apes has everything a modern summer-movie blockbuster should be, blending smarts with spectacles.

Rated: 4/5

May 10, 2024

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Germain Lussier

io9.com

One of the many reasons this film is so incredible is how much it packs into its modest 105-minute run time.

Apr 27, 2024

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... a terrific character piece, a gripping prison break thriller with a wicked high-concept twist and the smartest action movie of 2011.

Oct 27, 2023

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Audience Member

This movie is a thrilling, interesting film about apes that use sign language that may be one of my new favorite movies of all time

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/10/25

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Paul S

This movie was amazing! The story was incredible and compelling, and the visuals and animations for the apes were spectacular! I definitely recommend this for sci-fi fans!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/05/25

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Obi-wan K

THEY FINALLY KNOW HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE 🙏

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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JD L

Visually, this movie is incredible. It’s probably the weakest of the trilogy but at the same time the most important one.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

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Audience Member

Now THIS... is a reboot. -------------------------------------- EXCITING - CREATIVE - PROVOCATIVE - COOL -------------------------------------- I'm a huge fan of preqeuels, so this one definitely got me. The concept pulls you in, but the characters are what you stay for. Suddenly, you'll find yourself caring so much about and even identifying with a CGI ape... but that's what film is about, right? The premise presents some thought-provoking questions about humanity, which is the whole purpose. The original series had plenty of these moments, and Rise folds in all of the same questions. A film becomes powerful when it makes you start thinking. Though not without its own flaws, Rise is a great establishment of the rebooted series, laying the groundwork for Dawn, which is where they always should have gone with the story...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

Full Review

Hayden C

I liked this film and while I have not seen the other movies I think it was good. I love slow burns and I loved watching as slowly you see all the developments happen with Caesar as he soon becomes more dangerous. The one critique I have is how is that helicopter not on fire and how is the business guy still alive after the explosion. Otherwise I loved it and I loved the orangutan Maurice.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

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Rupert Wyatt

Director

James Franco

Will Rodman

Freida Pinto

Caroline Aranha

John Lithgow

Charles Rodman

Brian Cox

John Landon

Tom Felton

Dodge Landon

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Synopsis

Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's (John Lithgow) Alzheimer's disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar, an infant chimp who was exposed in-utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth.

Director: Rupert Wyatt
Producer: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Screenwriter: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Chernin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Intense/Frightening Sequences)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 5, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $176.7M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby, DTS

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