Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not meant to be a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes movies (or the 2001 remake); it is a reboot, and the ending that occurs shortly after the credits start rolling assumes that more movies are to come. A brilliant young scientist, Will (James Franco), has concocted a serum named “ALZ-112,” with the “ALZ” prefix referring to its [supposed] ability to cure Alzheimer’s, which is a cause that is important to him because his father (John Lithgow) suffers from it. After an experiment that goes awry, Will sneaks home the infant son of a deceased ape. Will grows to love and care for the “little” guy, Caesar, who displays unusually high intelligence. But when Caesar is sent to a shelter overcrowded with apes, he commences his plans to help his fellow primates escape the prison. Much of the first act is spent on establishing the world, further theory that this is a hopeful relaunch of the franchise ....
It's time for this petite aspie movie snob to get critical. (Let's face it: it's always time for that).