Rise of the Planet of the Apes

We actually paid cold hard cash to go see "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". In 3D. The reviews were glowing. I couldn't get into it at all. From the beginning to end, the characters looked like people in monkey suits to me. I waited and waited to be swept into it but the dialogue was so corny; the anti-gun anti-war message so crudely presented I was in disbelief. Re-checking the reviews I noticed several critics mentioned a "lack of finesse" - such an understatement.

Summing it up, Mr. Wilson, the volleyball/friend of Tom Hanks in "Castaway"  was more human and relatable to me than any of the apes in this film. Tom Hanks is such a fine actor that Mr. Wilson, nothing more than a volleyball with a magic marker face drawn on it, came alive. I actually cried when Mr. Wilson was lost at sea. So sue me....I have a workable imagination, an attribute that seems to be missing in many movie viewers today. Everything has to be so literal.

The redeeming part of the "Rise of the Planet..." was the technical stuff...the excellent sets and the magic that's used to make people into apes which I read about post-viewing trying to find some redemption for having sat through 2 hours+ of bad acting. As for the 3D, it didn't add significantly to this film for me but the 3D trailers shown for three or four upcoming action films were splendid - 3D wise. Fists fly out at the screen, you duck under the boulders rolling your way plus you have the added fun of wearing the glasses which recall the thrilling days of the 1953 versions of "House of Wax". Gasp.