Movies 2 Watch: Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

This prequel to the classic Planet of the Apes successfully reboots the franchise, convincingly explaining how these primates could have in fact ascended to seize control of Earth from man. It begins as an intimate and personal tale that expands methodically into nothing less than the beginning of the end of the world as we know it, with another civilization on the horizon. And I couldn't take my eyes off it.

The movie, which is set in modern day San Francisco, has a cast that includes James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films).

The story is told largely from the point of view of a chimpanzee named Caesar, played by Andy Serkis. It's also chockfull of inside gags for Apes fans, from character names to lines of dialogue to an actual passing reference to Heston's space voyage which started it all in 1968.

Ending on a tease for a potential sequel, it would seem that Fox is banking on this franchise becoming a regular fixture on the blockbuster calendar.

Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox, Dune Entertainment
Director(s): Rupert Wyatt
Starring:
James Franco , Freida Pinto , John Lithgow , Andy Serkis , Brian Cox