By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com

‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’

Directed by Rupert Wyatt

Rated PG-13, 105 minutes

When “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was announced, a collective groan could be heard. But as it got closer to its release date, the buzz started building as critics proclaimed the film’s mixture of action and cheesiness a perfect fit. Too bad that wasn’t the truth. Not only was “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” extremely boring, it also was funny in places it shouldn’t have been, including an ending that should have stirred emotions instead of causing eyes to roll. James Franco stars as Will, a scientist who creates a chemical to make the apes smarter. But greed and animal hatred from humans come into play, and the animals become too smart and escape from the sanctuary, wreaking havoc on the city. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is awful and should be avoided like the plague. CV

‘Planet of the Apes’

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

1968, Rated G, 112 minutes

“Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” are the first words apes hear a human speak in the original — and greatest — ape movie, “Planet of the Apes.” Forget about the horrendous 2001 Tim Burton remake, the 1968 original set a bar that may never be topped. Charlton Heston (“The Omega Man,” “Soylent Green”) tears up the screen as lost astronaut George Taylor, whose crew crashes on an unknown planet. They discover they’ve traveled through time and landed in a place where intelligent, talking apes including Dr Zaius are the dominant species, and humans are enslaved. Eventually, a scientist named Zira frees Taylor and another captured human, Nova. But the humans soon learn that there is no way home — because they are already there. Not only is “Planet of the Apes” a great film, it offers one of the most unexpected and craziest endings in the history of film. CV