science fiction genre

English 101O
Dr. Willis
October 6, 2014
Rise of the Future for the Science Fiction Genre
“Get your stinking paws off of me, you damn dirty ape,” yelled Dodge concerned about if Ceasar was going to hurt him or abide by him like most animals. After being whipped across the body by the stun gun many times, Ceasar yelled angrily back at Dodge, “No!” What is this? This can not be, apes can not speak! While Dodge was trying to gather all of his thoughts together to figure out what had just happened, Ceasar knocked Dodge flat out on the ground. He then opened all the cages to let the other apes escape. They all ran from their cages, climbing up the one huge tree in the middle of the room they have to get to the windows, bursting through them to finally be free of that monstrous place. Ceasar leads them to the lab to let more apes go before further test are given on them, like they are lab rats. All these intelligent apes were running about lose, looking to take revenge on the scientists who had hurt them. Then they all headed towards The Redwood Forest to live amongst huge trees where they could jump from tree to tree as freely as they please. Even though they had to hurt a lot of people and fight their way through, they did not let a single thing stop them from being happy. All they wanted was to be normal apes again. Could apes really evolve into such creatures? Could a drug help apes gain this much knowledge to become more powerful than humans? This is why Rise of the Planet of the Apes is such a good science fiction film. Science fiction films are unlike any other genre I have ever seen before. They give us some type of insight on how the future could develop and evolve, hope of a better world. Science fiction films are based on scientific processes that have not been proven yet. Rise of the Planet of the Apes has many examples that classifies it as a science fiction film. As seen in the movie, the science process is how the animals develop human qualities after taking the medicine. The development of the medicine itself is one fiction example in this film. But there are many examples explaining how it fits into the main category, the science fiction genre. Maybe the world will be more developed in the future if we learn how to create the things that science fiction films show us now, and hopefully people will appreciate science fiction films a little better than they do now.
Scientists who study primates, both living and extinct, are known as primatologists. Primatology studies how monkeys and humans share certain qualities: DNA, body structure, and social behavior. Because humans and monkeys share these similar traits, scientists sometimes use chimpanzees as “guinea pigs” for many medical purposes to find out if a medicine is safe enough to release to the public. Rise of the Planet of the Apes uses scientific knowledge in order to create a cure for Alzheimer’s. After testing the drug on Caesar's mother, Ceasar becomes the science part in this science fiction film. He develops human like qualities and can start communicating with humans. Any animal, whether they are domestic or wild, can be dangerous. They can all be trained but can not be controlled. The science process of this film shows how dangerous animals really are. With the science progressing as the years go on, who knows what could be possibly developed.
The thrilling part of science fiction is the fiction story causing it to catch more attention of the viewers, considering this is the part that makes the science process not true but possible, it gives us hope on what to look forward to. The main fiction example in Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the drug to cure Alzheimer’s. Of course we do not have this cure yet, but it definitely could possibly happen one day. This drug also is what makes the apes very intelligent, to be able to develop human qualities and understand how to strategize. It creates a vision of what could be in store for the future, how possible it could be to make animals very intelligent. This same drug also started to develop inside of Ceasars mother’s DNA and was transferred down to Ceasar. This tells us that it could forever stop the Alzheimer’s disease from affecting the future generations. The producer’s also took the time to show how the newly advanced drug had an affect on the human body through inhaling it instead of being injected with the serum. This science fiction film goes into every detail of what could possibly happen if we indeed did develop this drug.
There are multiple science examples in this film as well as fiction examples, but what about the combined categories, what are the science fiction examples? One good example of science fiction in this film is when Ceasar learns how to use sign language and other ways of communication. Some monkey’s already have the ability to learn sign language, but the drug caused Ceasar to develop this quality earlier than most. So not only is it possible, but it also has a drug involved that has not been created yet, which is a good key factors in a science fiction film. Also, the development of the drug itself is science fiction. Of course we know that its is possible to create new drugs all the time, but the cure for Alzheimer’s has not been invented yet. Another great example could be how quick the medicine helped Charles. Right now, medicine takes a few days up to around a week with multiple doses before it starts to heal your immune system, but this drug managed to cure Charles with just one shot and it worked overnight. Maybe in the future all these science fiction films will not be fiction, just do not do test on animals to make them smart and could possibly take over the word.
Science fiction films tease you about what the future has in store but leaves the question, could this really happen? Although chimpanzees are very smart, strong, and territorial, it is not a likely possibility that they can take over the world or evolve into these amazing intelligent creatures. The science and technology of today has become so advanced that we have found cures for many diseases, but not all have been cured. The testing for the cures on animals are highly controlled though. Drug companies today are suppose to follow protocol in the sense that if someone were to been exposed to the drug, then that person would be monitored. He would not just go home undetected. This science fiction film does its part of “predicting” the future of technology and also keeping the viewer on edge with excitement. It also gives many examples scientific procedures being done. Rise of the Planet of the Apes has everything a good science fiction film needs. I hope the world is ready for what the future has in store for them.