Rise of the Planet of the Apes now showing at Liberty

2011 American science fiction film Rise of the Planet of the Apes directed by Rupert Wyatt is now being screened at Liberty Lite (adjoining Liberty cinema). The CEL release stars James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis. It is a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series that will act as a foundation with an original story for a new film series. Its premise is similar to the fourth film in the original series, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), but it is not a direct remake in that it does not fit into that series’ continuity.

Will Rodman (James Franco) is a San Francisco scientist who has been trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing a genetically engineered retrovirus on chimpanzees. The virus mutates the chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. One of his test subjects, a female chimpanzee, goes on a rampage because she believes her baby, to whom she secretly gave birth, is threatened. She is killed after disrupting a board meeting. Will’s boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) orders subordinate Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine) to put all the test chimpanzees down, but he cannot bring himself to kill the chimpanzee’s baby, and instead gives him to Will, who names him Caesar (Andy Serkis) and raises him in his house. Caesar has inherited his mother’s high intelligence, and learns quickly.