Of all the characters that Andy Serkis has played to date his portrayal of the talking ape, Caesar, is probably one of the most incredibly believable roles yet. It’s incredibly difficult to take it that seriously when you see him and the other actors in their motion capture suits but when you see the final result it’s something truly amazing that you can’t help but be impressed with. The idea that apes can talk, walk, and act like humans is kind of terrifying in a way but more so because they are so simple and so pure in their own ways that seeing them act like humans is almost tragic. But thanks to the story line that was began so long ago this film has grown in leaps and bounds as it’s continued to be remade.
The original Planet of the Apes used all sorts of prostheses in an attempt to mimic how apes moved, but they didn’t go into much detail when it came to their speech patterns. They acted almost entirely human and apart from looking like apes they were essentially human-like apes come to life. The special effects of that era weren’t quite up to snuff when it came to doing much more and the makeup process to get everyone into character was horribly uncomfortable. Yet it produced a classic unlike any other that’s come since, and this is show in how the franchise has come back not once, but twice now in an attempt to get something rolling again.
The attempt to reboot Planet of the Apes with Mark Wahlberg in 2001 was pretty much a flop since the studio went back to the old formula of dressing their actors up in costumes and making them walk and talk differently. This time however the mannerisms were much more on point and the behavior of the apes was more fitting since they were far more bestial in appearance and in how they interacted with each. Still though, this was a far flung future where apes were far more human than animal, and on top of that it was on a completely different planet supposedly. Tim Burton’s attempt at the movie was such a flop that people wanted to forget about the moment it was out of theaters.
Then came the new franchise that introduced Caesar as a chimp that was altered when he was still young. He was given the ability to learn at an accelerated rate and as a result he grew smart enough to realize just how bad humans could be, and how good some of them could remain. Andy Serkis has been in every one of the movies in this current franchise and has perfected his walk, his speech patterns, and the manner in which Caesar moves about. Caesar is the leader after all, and it is his lot to stand against those that would harm his people. Serkis has proven to be so great at what he does that he can make a walking, talking ape believable enough that if you didn’t know it was CGI you’d swear that the apes were getting ready to take over.
Follow Us
