Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Occasionally violent origin story has animal cruelty.
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Why Age 13+?
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 29 parent reviews
Based on 104 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is visually impressive and emotionally engaging while also containing significant themes about animal treatment and consequences of scientific experiments. However, it features quite a bit of violence and dark scenes that could be disturbing for younger audiences, with mixed feelings among viewers on its overall impact within the franchise.
- emotional depth
- visually impressive
- heavy violence
- themes of abuse
- mixed reviews
- family friendly
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, Will (James Franco) is a pharmaceutical scientist who has discovered a breakthrough drug that could cure Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. But when his ace lab chimp, who's shown extreme intelligence from the experimental drug, starts attacking humans during an important meeting, the company boss (David Oyelowo) orders all of the lab animals put down and demands that Will start researching again. When a hidden newborn chimp is found, Will reluctantly takes him home. Will's father (John Lithgow), who suffers from Alzheimer's, is instantly taken with the baby chimp, and soon Will realizes that "Caesar" the chimp has a higher IQ because of his in-utero exposure to the miracle drug. For eight years, Will gives his father smuggled doses of the drug, and they live with Caesar, who's now a precocious adolescent (and played, in a motion-capture performance, by Andy Serkis). After Caesar defends his family and bites a neighbor, Will is forced to surrender him to a primate shelter. Faced with his own kind for the first time, Caesar climbs the social ladder and eventually leads a climactic bid for freedom.
Is It Any Good?
This is an entertaining, well-acted origin story. Though some of the plot elements of Rise of the Planet of the Apes are similar to the fourth Planet of the Apes film, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, this reimagining doesn't feature time travel or the widespread domestication of apes. The story is simple and, in our highly medicated culture, surprisingly easy to conceive: Medical experiments that alter animal development aren't a fantasy, they're reality. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is equal parts family drama and sci-fi-lite action, and the poignant, complicated relationship between Will, his ailing-then-improved father, and their beloved Caesar is a bona fide tearjerker in a couple of scenes. This is owed completely to the three actors: Franco, Lithgow, and Serkis, who's a master of nuanced motion-capture performances.
The trio of main actors, with help from Oyelowo, who's perfectly smarmy as the profit-driven CEO, and Freida Pinto, who's a sympathetic veterinarian, propel the film above the forgettable dross of formulaic remakes. And since they're known to chew up scenery, special mention must be made of Brian Cox and Tom Felton, who are fabulous as an ambivalent primate-shelter owner and his sneering, sadistic son, respectively. Despite all of the fine performances, there are a few missteps (like when the greedy businessman assumes that the apes will offer him mercy), but that really doesn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the film. The best part is that, unlike so many "first in a planned series" installments, this one feels complete at the end, with the final image and end credits alluding to how the apes finally rise to inherit the earth.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of remaking classic older films like Planet of the Apes. What are some series that have outdone their predecessors? Which originals should never have been reimagined? Is Rise of the Planet of the Apes a good addition to the series?
How does the violence in this movie compare to that of other action sci-fi movies you've seen? Does the fact that it involves animals give it more or less impact?
Animals are usually depicted as our friends, but what do the apes want here: to rule the world, or just to be free from cages? How does the filmmaker portray Caesar and Will's relationship? Is Caesar a pet, a child, or something in between?
For those familiar with the Planet of the Apes series, how does this compare to the original storyline? Do the changes make sense, considering technological developments since the 1970s? Do you think there should be more?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 5, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : December 13, 2011
- Cast : Andrew Serkis , Freida Pinto , James Franco , Tom Felton
- Director : Rupert Wyatt
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense and frightening sequences of action and violence
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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