My girlfriend and I went to see RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES on Friday. As suggested by the title, it is an origin story. It is about a researcher (James Franco) who has been working on a vaccine for Alzheimer's. Naturally, the drug is being tested on chimps, and the results show that not only does the drug repair brain damage, it IMPROVES cognitive functions. From here, it's pretty easy to see where this is headed, so I'll leave the story bits at that.

As to whether or not it was a good film, the answer is an emphatic no. It was, in fact, A GREAT FILM! The story is pretty heavy (for a summer blockbuster), and the special effects are among the best I have ever seen. They are so good, you actually develop an emotional investment in the apes, and by the 2nd half you're rooting for them! Forget the Tim Burton remake (which wasn't bad, but not great either), and see this movie!