Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Blu-ray Review

Rating: 4.8 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

James Franco headlines the reboot of the immensely popular Planet of the Apes franchise, a prequel which boasts cutting-edge CGI effects and a gripping story set in modern-day San Francisco, where scientists are conducting genetic research on apes. The evolved primates, including Caesar (Andy Serkis), develop advanced intelligence and revolt against being used as lab rats, unleashing a war for dominion over Earth. Buy Now $22.99

Listen to Audio Review

Starring:

James Franco, Tom Felton, Brian Cox, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Tyler Labine, David Hewlett, Leah Gibson

Director:

Rupert Wyatt

Blu-ray Release Date:

December 13, 2011

Subtitles:

English, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.6 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

• Subwoofer - 4.5 Stars
• Dialog - 4.5 Stars
• Surround Effects - 4.5 Stars
• Dynamic Range - 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Digital, French: 5.1 Dolby Digital

This Blu-ray isn't monkey-ing around with it's clean DTS-HD track. Right off the bat the entire room is filled with sounds of the jungle, complete with chirping birds, rustling tree leaves, and hooting chimps. Even during the quiet scenes ambient sounds of computers, footsteps, and even ape breaths are keeping your eardrums busy. There aren't many action scenes that call for heavy subwoofer usage, but when its needed it packs a punch. Helicopter blades whirl around the room, stampeding apes pan the sound stage, and deep roars of huge gorillas are intimidating. There were only a few times I had to rewind to hear dialog clearly, but overall this audio presentation rises to the top.

Video  4.8 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

• Color Accuracy  - 5.0 Stars
• Shadow detail - 4.5 Stars
• Clarity - 4.5 Stars
• Skin tones - 5.0 Stars
• Compression - 5.0 Stars

Codec: AVC MPEG-4, Resolution: 1080P, Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

The vivid colors and warm saturation levels give this movie a great look. Weather it's in a modern looking laboratory or a lush green forest, there is always something interesting to look at. The clarity is good enough to see fine pinstripes on fancy suits, small droplets of red blood, wrinkles on faces, and tiny baby ape hairs. However, at times I did notice that the clarity on the apes were better than their human co-stars. Sometimes a few details are lost in the shadows but not enough to be an issue.

Bonus Features 5.0 Stars (out of 5)

• 12 Interesting Deleted Scenes (HD 12:00)
• Mythology of the Apes (HD 7:11)
• Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis (HD 7:48)
• Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene (HD 1:34)
• A New Generation of Apes (HD 9:41)
• Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries (HD 8:43)
• Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (HD 8:43)
• Ape Facts - Includes information about chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. (HD 22:37)
• Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
• Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
• Character Concept Art Gallery
• Three Theatrical Trailers

Movie - 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

When I first heard they were making another Planet of the Apes movie, I thought it was a horrible idea. Boy was I wrong. Along with Star Trek and Batman, this film is one of best examples of how to reboot an iconic franchise. It never seemed corny, had a fresh take on the origin, it didn't make fun of the source material, and seemed like it was set in the real world. What really surprised me the most was how real all the apes looked even though they were mostly CGI. Their faces were so expressive you knew what they were feeling every moment. Andy Serkis, who played Ceaser, wore a motion capture suit and his facial expressions were captured by camera. The result was astounding, and made you care for the apes. Some internet fans are even lobbying for him to be nominated for an Oscar for his performance, and I agree.

This film works on several levels. It has a great script (with a few plot holes), great acting, decent action sequences, and a few added twists that set up possible sequels. Don't watch this film expecting wall to wall action, it's more like a sci-fi drama that turns into an action movie. It starts off slowly and builds to the rise of the apes. Make sure you watch the credits, there's an interesting scene that expands the lore of the movie's intent.