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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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

271 Reviews

77%

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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

Full Review

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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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

There’s a lot more to this film than can be described in a single paragraph, which is one of the reasons the film works so well.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 6, 2025

Full Review

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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Juan D

Great first movie, Cesar was a great main character

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1.75 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Violence, and Intense/Frightening Sequences!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $176,700,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

David G.

I wrote a couple paragraphs but the app restricted me from posting it for some reason so here’s a brief summary. This movie is very fun! The two lead performances are great and the story is super cool! I only had a couple really small problems with it that could easily be overlooked. Overall a fun movie that got me excited for the rest of the trilogy!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

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Dennis T

Movie does a great job setting up the other movies with showing how the Apes took over and how the virus came to be

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

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Jesse G

The weakest in the trilogy but still a great start

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

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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53%

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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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