RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: Here's Kenneth Turan with a review.</s>KENNETH TURAN: It all starts with an earnest scientist named Will, played by James Franco, who's been working for years on a drug that would cure Alzheimer's. When his latest serum makes a startling improvement in a chimpanzee's cognitive skills, Will can barely contain his excitement.</s>JAMES FRANCO: (as Will Rodman) We gave him a gene therapy that allows the brain to create its own cells in order to repair itself. We call it a cure to Alzheimer's.</s>KENNETH TURAN: He also gets his hands on enough of the serum to keep injecting the chimp. The results are remarkable at first, but we all know, this is playing with fire. Neighbors complain, and Will is forced to leave Caesar in a primate sanctuary.</s>JAMES FRANCO: Unidentified Man: Oh, we're used to that. He'll be a little skittish at first, but we'll integrate him. Look, you'll probably miss him more than he'll miss you. You'll be surprised how quick they adapt.</s>KENNETH TURAN: Caesar's facial expressions are essential to following this chimpanzee's complex mental states. This is one sophisticated animal and one sophisticated summer blockbuster, as well.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: The movie is "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Kenneth Turan reviews movies for MORNING EDITION and the Los Angeles Times.
It's the state-of-the-art computer technology that makes Rise of the Planet of the Apes worth watching.