The Underground -- Rise of the Planet of the Apes is no monkey business

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes is no monkey business Posted: 06 Aug 2011 02:42 PM PDT For those hardcore fans of the Planet of the Apes movies waiting with bated breath for the new flick – the wait is now over. I’ve not been a fan of the original ‘70’s movies, the cartoon series, the television show or the 2001 bomb by Tim Burton, but I think this new franchise may have won me over. Rise of the Planet of the Apes isn’t at all like the previous films for various reasons. Watch the trailer at filmtimes.net First of all, Rise is a prequel or origin story on how the “planet” came to be in the first place. The story begins in modern day San Francisco, not post New York. Gone are the ape suits worn by Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter. In their place, CGI effects. However, one must still we willing to suspend belief to enjoy this sometimes-silly film. James Franco (127 Hours, Spiderman, and one time host of the Oscars) plays Will Rodman, a scientist working on a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. His passion for his work is fueled by his father, Charles’ (John Lithgow) battle with the disease. The studies of a special formula given to chimpanzees at the Gen-sys Lab begin to show signs of a promising breakthrough. The formula makes the chimps smarter and might help reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s in humans. But there is a flaw. It also makes them more aggressive. After an “unfortunate event” happens at the labs, a hidden baby chimp is found. He is the motherless son of Bright Eyes, one of the test chimps. Not wanting the infant to be destroyed, Will “takes his work home with him” and tell Charles not to get attached to the new houseguest. Charles names the ape, Caesar. It becomes obvious that Caesar has inherited his mother’s new intelligence from the drug. After a misunderstanding and another “unfortunate event” with a neighbor, Caesar is foreceably taken from Will’s home to a primate house ruled by evil zookeepers. While Will is tries his best to get Caesar out of that environment, Caesar makes his own plans to escape and possibly rule of the world. The acting is much better than one would expect. Franco plays an effective workaholic who has no life outside of work and caring for his ailing father. Lithgow does an amazing job portraying someone with Alzheimer’s and is so different from his comic role in NBC’s Third Rock From The Sun comedy that you might forget that he can really act. Caesar is part CGI and part played by actor Andy Serkis showing both animal responses and human emotions. Harry Potter fans will recognize Draco Malfoy’s Tom Felton, (minus the white hair) as a zookeeper with an attitude. Rise isn’t without its flaws though. Despite the continual feeling of dread throughout the film, it seems to take forever before the “rise” actually takes place. The trailers make it seem that the movie will be non-stop action, and that just isn’t the case. But when the action does strike, it is worth it. There are a few eye-rolling moments involving sign language and subtitles, but those are easily forgotten. The movie has violent moments, but isn’t gratuitous or gory. The story pulls you in two directions, rooting for both man and beast and given the story’s eventual ending, it isn’t as depressing as you would think. It’s an effective warning against the practice of playing God and taking to heart that some things are outside of our control. Just like the verse, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough,” (Galatians 5:9 NIV), it only takes a little mistake to make huge regrets. Rise of the Planet of the Apes Stars: James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and Andy Serkis Director: Rupert Wyatt Rating: PG-13 Watch the trailer Originally posted  here. http://filmtimes.net/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/

Keeping the Faith: Keep Your Shirt On; God Will Speak Posted: 06 Aug 2011 07:59 AM PDT Last week my son asked me a profound theological question: “Why did God make stinging bugs?” Stumped, I told him to talk directly to God about it. Pausing for just a moment to consider my inadequate answer, he countered, “You know I can’t talk to God; I’m not even dead yet!” In my son’s literal but complex eight-year-old mind, prayer does not qualify as “talking to God.” Thus, his many and variegated questions about the mysteries of the universe, the meaning of life, and the purpose of wasps and biting flies, will have to wait. Truth be told, my son’s conclusion about “talking to God,” and more pertinent, God talking to us, is the conclusion most of us have. God doesn’t really talk to people, does he? And those mystical types who routinely say things like, “God spoke to me” or “I heard God say,” are we to take them seriously, or should they be scheduled for a mental health examination? I remember a bizarre story from two decades ago about a Texas pastor who crashed his car while attempting to elude police. It was a bizarre story, first, because all 20 of the pastor’s parishioners were with him in his vehicle – 15 adults and five children – in a single Pontiac. Second, and stranger by the details, the congregants were all naked. It seems the devil had cursed their clothing, God had told them, so the voodooed garments were cast off per divine instruction. And finally, the police were chasing the naked and mobile congregation because they had attempted to forcibly procure a parked RV, an RV that God said now belonged to them. God gets blamed for a whole lot of the kookiness in this world, and stories like this one make me appreciate my son’s conclusion. If this is how God speaks, I’ll be happy to wait till I’m dead for such divine instruction. And let’s be honest; sometimes the stories are more tragic than comical. Some of history’s greatest atrocities have been committed because someone “heard God speak” to them. Absurdity aside, I still believe God speaks. Now, I don’t believe God’s instructions ever include harming others, stealing their property, or committing violence. Such voices are patently inconsistent with the way and person of Christ And no, I don’t think God’s voice arrives in our inboxes as an unalterable blueprint for life. Further, it’s not likely that many of us will find God standing at the foot of our bed some early morning with a heavenly telegram in his hand. Besides, if God did speak that clearly (and maybe he does), most of us would miss it anyway (maybe we have), for it seems God prefers communicating through quiet and stillness rather than through the pyrotechnics of signs, wonders, and naked-RV-stealing-hijinks. “God didn’t speak through the whirlwind, the earthquake, or the fire,” the prophet of old tells us. Instead, God spoke “in a still, small voice.” It’s summed up by Dan Rather’s magnificent interview of Mother Teresa more than twenty years ago. Paraphrasing, he famously asked her, “What do you say to God when you pray?” She offered him a simple answer, “I don’t say anything. I just listen.” Rather then asked the obvious follow-up question: “Well, what does God say?” Mother Teresa gave Rather that crooked little smile of hers, and said, “God doesn’t say anything either. He just listens.” Does such a wordless “conversation” sound as bizarre as a Pontiac filled with naked Pentecostals? Hardly. In a relationship of love and trust, being together is enough, and more is understood in the silence than when using all the words in the world. A great deal of religion, I fear, is built upon the desire for divine fireworks, megaphoned and crystal clear answers, God showing himself in flamboyant and undeniable style. Yet, God only requires the quiet and silent heart to quietly and silently speak. In other words, keep your shirt on. Getting quiet will do more to sharpen one’s perception of God than all the religious gymnastics in the world. Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and author. His books include “Leaving Religion, Following Jesus” and “The Jesus Tribe.” Visit his website at www.ronniemcbrayer.net.

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