Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a 2011 American science fiction action thriller film[1][4][6] directed by Rupert Wyatt and starring Andy Serkis, James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, and David Oyelowo. Written by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, it is 20th Century Fox's reboot of the Planet of the Apes series, intended to act as an origin story for a new series of films.[7] Its premise is similar to the fourth film in the original series, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), but it is not a direct remake of that film. In the film, a substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee named Caesar, who administers the same treatment to an animal shelter full of other great apes. This leads to an uprising against humanity after Caesar and other super-intelligent apes suffer abuse at the hands of the shelter's staff. A new society for free apes of all kind (some normal apes escape from a zoo during the pandemonium) is founded in the forests northwest of San Francisco as a result.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was released on August 5, 2011, to critical and commercial success. The film was positively reviewed for its direction, special effects, and Serkis's performance and nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for five Saturn Awards including Best Director for Wyatt and Best Writing for Jaffa and Silver, winning Best Science Fiction Film, Best Supporting Actor for Serkis and Best Special Effects. Serkis's performance as Caesar was widely acclaimed, earning him many nominations from associations which do not usually recognize performance capture as traditional acting.

A sequel to the film, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, was released on July 11, 2014 and a third film, War for the Planet of the Apes, was released on July 14, 2017. A fourth film is currently in development.

DETAILED PLOT

In present-day San Francisco, pharmaceutical chemist William Rodman is testing the viral-based drug ALZ-112 on chimpanzees at the biotech company Gen-Sys to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. ALZ-112 is given to a chimpanzee named Bright Eyes, greatly increasing her intelligence. However, during Will's presentation for the drug, Bright Eyes is forced from her cage, goes on a rampage, and is shot to death. Will's boss Steven Jacobs terminates the project and has the chimpanzees euthanized. However, Will's assistant Robert Franklin reveals that the reason for Bright Eyes' rampage was that she had recently given birth to an infant chimpanzee. Will reluctantly takes in the chimpanzee, eventually giving him the name "Caesar". Discovering that Caesar has inherited his mother's intelligence through being exposed to ALZ-112 before birth, Will decides to raise him. Three years pass, and Caesar becomes highly intelligent and can play games, draw pictures, and communicate with Will through sign language. Will introduces Caesar to the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument so he can roam. Meanwhile, Will treats his dementia-suffering father Charles with ALZ-112, which seems to restore his cognitive ability.

Five years later, Caesar, now a young adolescent, questions if he is a pet and learns of his origins from Will. Meanwhile, Charles' condition returns as his immune system becomes resistant to ALZ-112. Caesar injures an aggressive neighbor, Douglas Hunsiker, while defending a confused Charles. As a result, animal control arrives and takes him away to a primate shelter. Because of his increased intelligence and his different appearance from the other apes, Caesar is tormented by the alpha chimpanzee, Rocket, and the chief guard, Dodge Landon. However, Caesar also befriends Maurice, a former circus orangutan who also knows sign language. Caesar learns how to unlock his cage, gaining free access to the common area. With the assistance of Buck, a gorilla, he confronts Rocket and claims the position of the alpha chimpanzee. Meanwhile, Jacobs clears the development of a more powerful, gaseous version of the drug – ALZ-113 – when Will tells him it can also improve intelligence. Will takes the drug home for his father, but Charles declines further treatment and dies overnight.

After attempting to test the drug on a scarred bonobo test subject called Koba, Franklin becomes exposed to ALZ-113 and becomes ill. Attempting to warn Will at his home, he sneezes blood onto Hunsiker and is later discovered dead. Will attempts to reclaim Caesar, but Caesar instead decides to stay and steals the ALZ-113 canisters from Will's house and enhances the intelligence of the other apes in the sanctuary. When Dodge attempts to get him back into his cage, Caesar speaks for the first time, shouting "No!" and fights with Dodge while freeing the apes, which inadvertently leads to Dodge's death. The apes flee the facility, releasing Koba and the remaining apes from Gen-Sys, and freeing more apes from the San Francisco Zoo.

A battle ensues as the ape "army" fights their way past a police blockade on the Golden Gate Bridge in an attempt to escape into the redwood forest. To rescue Caesar, Buck jumps into a police helicopter in which Jacobs is riding, wrecking the helicopter, at the cost of his life. Koba then pushes Jacobs into the Golden Gate strait to his death. As the apes find their way into the forest, Will catches up to them in a stolen police car and warns Caesar that the humans will hunt them down, begging him to return home. In response, Caesar hugs him and says, "Caesar is home". Will, realizing that this is their last goodbye, respects Caesar's wishes. The apes embrace their new lifestyle in the forest as news and police helicopters fly over San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Hunsiker, now infected with ALZ-113, arrives at San Francisco International Airport for his flight to Paris. He eventually spreads the virus around the globe via international flight routes, leading to a deadly pandemic.