23 February 2013 12:00 PM, PST | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
In a season that saw big, expected hits like "Cowboys & Aliens" and "Green Lantern" fumble hard, 20th Century Fox's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was the surprise summer hit of 2011. Released in early August, many weren't expecting a lot from the film (especially critics) given its motley crew cast and its lead, James Franco, who seemed like he was performing in the wrong movie. It didn't matter. The MVPs of the film were the extraordinarily realistic (and suprisingly emotional) CGI apes, the motion capture work of Andy Serkis as lead ape Caesar, and director Rupert Wyatt, who quickly saw his name shoot up to the most-wanted list. The film took in close to $500 million worldwide and so obviously, a sequel was green lit. But franchise cynicism aside, the sequel, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" sounds better and better with each passing day. Sure, there were bumps »
- Edward Davis
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