Rise of the Planet of the Apes

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes

PG-13

2011

1h 45m

Sci-Fi

Action

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

269 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Will Rodman, a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's Alzheimer's disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar, an infant chimp who was exposed in utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth.

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Critics Consensus

Led by Rupert Wyatt's stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 8, 2017

B+

It's a surprisingly provocative film that really stretches the definition of summer blockbuster.

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David Thomson

The New Republic

Jun 24, 2013

Caesar [the main ape] is the reason to see this daft, breathless picture.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Jan 27, 2012

3/4

Somewhat shockingly, the modern interpretation of mankind's downfall is actually pretty darn good.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 28, 2025

4/5

The story of Caesar is what draws you in to this prequel and it's Serkis that sells it entirely and masterfully.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jul 6, 2025

4/4

There’s a lot more to this film than can be described in a single paragraph, which is one of the reasons the film works so well.

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Casey Chong

Casey's Movie Mania

May 10, 2024

4/5

Rise of the Planet of the Apes has everything a modern summer-movie blockbuster should be, blending smarts with spectacles.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 14, 2026

Rise of the Planet of the Apes = a *4* star Movie!

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Damiam V. H

@RT29572143 Sep 6, 2026

What an amazing movie, watched it again with my family and we're still blown away by the amazing performance of the actors who spent months preparing for these roles. It's truly a masterpiece. Busy watching the second part to the story and I know it's going just as brilliant as the first one!

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Tyler S

@tylerking24 Aug 12, 2026

I honestly felt the same after this movie as I did after watching Captain America: The First Avenger. This is such a good origin story, and I really look forward to see where this heads!

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Wyatt C

@timewizard12 Aug 2, 2026

I felt like Caesar was a villain with his victory. The apes seemed like the true villains. One humans poor actions drove them over. While I do wish that there could have been another logical way for them to decide to kill so many humans I felt like the story showed more of a lack of intelligence. It felt like one humans misguided acts was the result of the whole decision to start an empire. That is what the movies plot made me feel like. I do know that he had no intentions of killing normal humans, but the apes don’t display enough emotional intelligence. Like they would have killed anyone as long as Caesar did not tell them not to. The story connects well as far as making you worry at the start, and at first it seemed like I needed to figure out where this invitation was leading. 6.5 out of ten. It is never a trilogy on the levels of the Godfather, Star Wars, or any other iconic movie trilogy. A complete fail to be earnest. .

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diogo13 T

@Tua_mera Jul 12, 2026

A fantastic and extremely intelligent reinvention of the classic saga. The film shines by centering the narrative on Caesar, featuring a groundbreaking performance by Andy Serkis and stunning visual effects that imbue the character with immense soul. The screenplay builds tension gradually and realistically, culminating in a memorable, action-packed third act on the Golden Gate Bridge.

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Christian

Jul 12, 2026

this was great and I'm excited to watch the next

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Rupert Wyatt

Director

James Franco

Will Rodman

Freida Pinto

Caroline Aranha

John Lithgow

Charles Rodman

Brian Cox

John Landon

Tom Felton

Dodge Landon

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Synopsis

Will Rodman, a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's Alzheimer's disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar, an infant chimp who was exposed in utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth.

Director: Rupert Wyatt
Producer: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Chernin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Intense/Frightening Sequences)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 5, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $176.7M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby, DTS

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