Rise of the Planet of the Apes

In 2011, Rupert Wyatt rebooted a classic franchise with a story that starts small: a cure for Alzheimer's. Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) develops ALZ-112, a gene therapy that regenerates brain cells. When a test chimpanzee named Bright Eyes goes berserk during a board presentation, the project gets axed. But Will discovers she had a baby, and he takes the infant home. That baby is Caesar.

Raised in Will's house, Caesar inherits his mother's enhanced intelligence. He learns sign language, solves puzzles, and forms a bond with Will and his father Charles (John Lithgow). But after a violent run-in with a neighbor, Caesar is sent to a primate sanctuary run by John Landon (Brian Cox) and his cruel son Dodge (Tom Felton). There, Caesar experiences the brutality of captivity. He steals a canister of ALZ-113, a more potent airborne version of the virus, and uses it to boost the intelligence of the other apes. The sanctuary becomes a staging ground for rebellion.

Shot in Vancouver and San Francisco on a $93 million budget, the film earned over $481 million worldwide. Weta Digital's motion-capture work, led by Joe Letteri, brought Caesar to life through Andy Serkis's performance. Critics called it a smart, emotional blockbuster that balanced spectacle with a genuine story about family and freedom.[edit]

Will Rodman works at Gen-Sys, a biotech company in San Francisco. He has spent years developing ALZ-112, a virus-based therapy that stimulates brain cell growth. The drug works wonders on chimpanzees, making them far smarter than normal. But during a crucial presentation to investors, a test chimp named Bright Eyes goes on a rampage. The board shuts down the project, and Bright Eyes is shot dead. In the chaos, Will discovers that Bright Eyes had a newborn baby. He takes the chimp home rather than see it euthanized.

Will's father Charles suffers from Alzheimer's. Desperate, Will secretly treats Charles with ALZ-112. The results are dramatic: Charles regains his memory and cognitive abilities. Meanwhile, the baby chimp, named Caesar, grows up in Will's house. He learns sign language from Will's girlfriend Caroline (Freida Pinto), a primatologist. Caesar shows remarkable intelligence, understanding human speech and even drawing. For years, they live as a family.

But Caesar's nature can't be contained forever. One day, he attacks a neighbor who threatens Charles. The court orders Caesar to be placed in a primate sanctuary. Will tries to keep Caesar at home, but the law forces him away. At the sanctuary, run by John Landon and his abusive son Dodge, Caesar faces a harsh reality. He is caged, mocked, and beaten. The other apes are ordinary, unintelligent creatures. Caesar feels alone.

He begins to plan. He steals a canister of ALZ-113, a stronger airborne version of the drug, from Will's lab. Using it, he enhances the intelligence of the sanctuary apes: the gorilla Buck, the orangutan Maurice, and the aggressive chimp Rocket. They learn to communicate and coordinate. Caesar teaches them to fight, to use tools, and to trust each other. When Dodge tries to break Caesar's spirit with a cattle prod, Caesar finally speaks: "No!" It's his first word, and it marks his transformation from pet to leader.

The apes break out of the sanctuary. They free other apes from a nearby zoo and a research lab, growing their army. The police and Gen-Sys security pursue them onto the Golden Gate Bridge. Caesar leads the apes in a coordinated assault, using trucks as barricades and helicopters as weapons. The battle is fierce. Buck sacrifices himself to bring down a helicopter. Caesar confronts Dodge and throws him off the bridge. Will finds Caesar and begs him to come home, but Caesar refuses. "Caesar is home," he says, and leads the apes into the redwood forest of Muir Woods.[edit]