296. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Year: 2011

Summary: Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist at biotechnology company Gen-Sys, is testing viral-based drug "ALZ-112' on chimpanzees to find a cure for brain ailments such as Alzheimer's disease. The drug is given to a chimpanzee, Bright Eyes, greatly increasing her intelligence, but she is forced from her cage, goes on a rampage, and is killed. Will's boss Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo) terminates the project and orders chimp handler Robert Franklin (Tyler Labine) to euthanize the chimps. After doing as ordered, Franklin discovers that Bright Eyes had recently given birth and convinces Will to save the baby chimp's life by taking him home temporarily. Will's father Charles (John Lithgow), who is suffering Alzheimer's disease, names the chimp "Caesar." Will learns that Caesar (Andy Serkis) has inherited his mother's high intelligence and decides to raise him, working from home and observing his behavior in hopes that he can get the project restarted. Three years later, Will introduces Caesar to the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument. Meanwhile, with Charles' condition rapidly deteriorating, Will treats him with ALZ-112 and he is restored to better-than-original cognitive ability.
After five more years, as an adult chimp of seven, upon seeing a dog on a leash (like his) Caesar openly question his identity — and Will tells him of his origins. Meanwhile, Charles' dementia returns as he has become resistant to the ALZ-112. Caesar witnesses a confrontation between confused Charles and neighbor Douglas Hunsiker (David Hewlett) and attacks Hunsiker. Caesar is then placed in a primate shelter where he is treated cruelly by the other chimps and the chief guard, Dodge (Tom Felton). Caesar learns how to unlock his cage, gaining free access to the common area. With the assistance of Buck — a gorilla — he confronts the sanctuary's alpha chimp and claims that position.
Will's boss Jacobs clears development of a more powerful, gaseous version of the viral drug — now called ALZ-113 — when Will tells him it will not only heal brain disease, but will improve intelligence in anyone. Will takes the drug home to save his father, but is too late. Franklin is exposed to the new drug and becomes ill. Attempting to warn Will at his home, he sneezes blood onto Hunsiker and is later discovered dead.
Will attempts to release Caesar, but the chimp refuses to go home with him. Instead he escapes from the facility and returns to Will's house, where he takes canisters of the ALZ-113. Returning to the facility he releases the gas, enhancing the intelligence of the other apes overnight. When Dodge attempts to get Caesar back into his cage, Caesar shocks him by speaking for the first time — yelling "No!" Caesar then electrocutes the cattle prod-wielding man by spraying him with water. The apes flee the facility, release the remaining apes from Gen-Sys, and free the apes from the San Francisco zoo.
A battle ensues as the ape army fights its way past a police blockade on the Golden Gate Bridge to escape into the Redwood forest at Muir Woods. Buck sacrifices himself to save Caesar, jumping into the helicopter which Jacobs is riding and crashing it onto the bridge, but Jacobs is trapped in the helicopter; he is then killed by Koba, an elder ape who had been a test subject all his life. As the apes find their way into the forest, Will arrives and warns Caesar that the humans will hunt them down, and begs him to return home. To Will's surprise Caesar speaks, telling him "Caesar is home." In the final scene the apes climb to the tops of the Redwoods; in the distance is the city from which they escaped.
In a post-credits scene, Hunsiker — having been infected by Franklin — arrives at San Francisco International Airport for his flight to Paris. His nose begins to drip blood onto the floor. The camera then zooms into the flight-status board and a graphic traces the spread of the humanity-killing virus to France and then around the globe via airline flight routes.