Rise of the Review Scores of the Planet of the Apes
Look, let’s face it. I don’t think any of us were really expecting a lot out of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The series, which started off with a perfectly fine sci-fi film, suffered from a few too many sequels, and Tim Burton’s bizarre (obviously) 2001 remake certainly wasn’t a critical success, even if it did make a bunch of money. And yet, here we are, ten years later, with a prequel/reboot to the series released in theaters. But here’s the really shocking thing: it’s apparently pretty good. Roger Ebert gave it three stars, and review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes places it at a very healthy 80%. Don’t believe the action-packed trailer that makes it look like there’s some ape war, though — it’s a thriller, not an action movie. Damn you marketers all to hell!
Michael Sacco is a freelance editor and writer, currently working as senior editor at WoW Insider, part of the Joystiq network.