Okay, I admit I'll wallow in a bit of low-brow movie viewing every so often. For various reasons I'll watch 8 Million Ways to Die, The Terminator, or a Dirty Harry movie. And now it looks like I'm about to get roped into seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
While traversing the internet, the trailer for the movie sprang up. Immediately I was put off, seeing that it is a James Franco vehicle. His performances that I've witnessed thus far leave much to be desired. Then Brian Cox popped up, and a tiny ray of hope appeared for the movie's chances. He didn't do much in the trailer but show there were some good actors hanging around the set.
What struck me towards the end of the trailer was the great job done on the apes. Caesar, the "main" chimp, showed a remarkable ability to convey intelligence and malevolence. Figuring there had to be an actor behind all that CGI, my research found that Caesar is played by Andy Serkis of Gollum fame, from the Lord of the Rings. In all honesty, Serkis was much better than Franco in the trailer. Between Serkis, Cox, and John Lithgow, playing Franco's father in the movie, there should be something salvageable (I hope).
My guess at this point is it will be a so-so movie that will do well at the summer box office.
