apes

Can Rise of the Planet of the Apes Birth a Catchphrase?

Photo: WETA/TM and ? 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. ?All rights reserved. ?Not for sale or duplication.
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The groundbreaking work of visual effects house Weta Digital allows audiences to emotionally engage with a lead character, a chimpanzee named Caesar, who does not actually exist.

TM and ? 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. ?All rights reserved. ?Not for sale or duplication.
Photo: WETA/TM and ? 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. ?All rights reserved. ?Not for sale or duplication.

The plucky underdog blockbuster Rise of the Planet of the Apes has already charmed critics, cashed in at the box office, and spurred talk of a sequel being described, amazingly, as “Full Metal Jacket with apes.” Is there anything it can’t do? How about generate a catchphrase?

Three years ago, Vulture saw There Will Be Blood and immediately realized — along with everyone else — that “I drink your milkshake” was destined for the pop-culture lexicon. Does ROTPOTA (or, actually, maybe just Apes from now on?) have that kind of potential? Maybe! (Oh, SPOILER ALERT!)

It’s not quite as obvious, but there is a contender. Right at the end of the movie, after Caesar has led his troops through their humanistic stomping of the Golden Gate Bridge, the rebel leader has an emotional powwow with his adopted father, genius scientist James Franco, during which genius scientist James Franco tries one last time to quell the uprising and bring Caesar home. Our hero, who had previously briefly demonstrated his acumen with the English language, nestles up close to genius scientist James Franco and whispers, in extremely manly fashion, “Caesar is home.” Pretty baller, right?

Vulture’s already seen it pop up in various Facebook status messages and tweets (for one, TabbyBadAyee’s “Fave Part In Rise Of The Planet Of Apes Was When The Ape Said ‘Ceasar Is Home’ I Was Like Woahh I Didn’t Know Apes Talk“). So can it fully make the leap into the lexicon? Hopefully! Now, to spur along its development, Vulture presents: A Brief Guide to Suggested Usage of ‘Ceasar Is Home.”

• When you actually come home, obviously. Eventually, you can swap out your own name for Caesar’s, as long as you still do the growly Caesar voice.

• When you’re all up in the club but your friends are trying to get you to head home early. One well-timed “you guys, Caesar is home” should buy you at least six more dance jams and two more Red Bull–vodkas.

• When you’re at the zoo looking at the gorillas. Drop a hella dramatic “Ceasar is home” loud enough for everyone to hear, then wait for the yuks to come rolling in.

• Right after you take your first sip of your first drink of the night, coupled with that “ahhhh” noise that universally signals satisfaction. Then, later, after you’ve had your fourteenth drink of the night and you’re about to hurl and need someone to put you in a cab, you can modify it to “I think Caesar needs to go home now,” and thereby continue to make your binge drinking seem hilarious.

• While you’re at your after-work social sports activity and the team needs a boost. “Caesar is home” might not make as much sense as “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” but did Friday Night Lights just make $54 million in its opening weekend?!

Your turn! How are you using “Caesar is home” in everyday life?

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Can Rise of the Planet of the Apes Birth a Catchphrase?