HD Highlights: August 12

Sky Movies Premiere: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Sky 20, 8.30, 5.1) The rise and rise of Weta Digital is behind the success of this movie’s phenomenally realistic visual effects. For the first time in the history of the 40-year-old sci-fi franchise, apes weren’t played by actors in costumes but were created through groundbreaking motion capture techniques that make King Kong’s look like monkey business. A pity the movie’s screenplay wasn’t as sophisticated but in all other aspects, this is a franchise reboot to beat your chest about. James Franco, John Lithgow and Andy Serkis star; director Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) also will helm Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. (2011) ✭✭✭✩

Sky Movies Premiere: Beautiful Boy (Sky 20, 4.55, 5.1) In this thoughtful and moving drama about a disturbing modern phenomenon, Michael Sheen and Maria Bello play the victims of a teenage mass murderer: his parents. Rather than sensationalise his crime or their predicament, Beautiful Boy gently but tellingly depicts their grief, guilt and shock in the aftermath of the campus massacre amid a marriage already on the brink. Peppered with astute observations and graced with fine performances, Beautiful Boy turns a cliche – every parent’s worst nightmare – into haunting and heart-rending home truths. (2010) ✭✭✭✭

❑ Girl vs Boy (TV2, 5.00) Hailey locks herself away from the world; Tim puts his body on the line to stop Kjesten spreading rumours; Maxine and Jake fall out over the truth about who he really is. ✭✭✭

❑ The Zoo (TV One, 7.00) There’s a cheeky new kid on the block; red panda Maya has lost her appetite; and the orangutans try their hand at painting. ✭✭✭✭

❑ The Big Bang Theory (TV2, 7.00, 5.1, R) With Leonard, Howard and Raj away camping in the desert, an injured Penny has only Sheldon to rely on. ✭✭✭✭

❑ Modern Family (TV3, 7.00, 5.1, R) The Pritchetts get behind Manny’s interest in fencing, but Jay’s fatherly pride stirs up unpleasant memories for Mitchell. ✭✭✭✭

❑ Sunday Theatre: Audi NZ Season – Rage (TV One, 8.30, R) A beautiful young Maori policewoman goes undercover and falls in love with a charismatic student protestor in the middle of the turbulent 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand. Tom Scott co-wrote this drama with police superintendent brother-in-law Grant O’Fee to show both perspectives: of protesters and the police. ✭✭✭✭

Movie: Panic at Rock Island (TV2, 10.30, R) A flesh-eating virus rocks a music festival on an island in the Sydney harbour. Said Stuff blogger Chris Philpott of the original broadcast: “Despite fairly high production standards and a fairly talented cast that included Grant Bowler, a vastly underutilised Anna Hutchison and Underbelly’s Vince Colosimo, Panic at Rock Island managed to fall into the same traps as most of the films it derived from: a family-centred morality tale, plot points that dealt with governmental abuse of power, and a number of mind-boggling scenes that left me scratching my head.” (2011) ✭✭✭

❑ Homeland (TV3, 10.40, 5.1, R) Brody confronts the lone survivor among the insurgents that held him, leading Carrie to believe she may be proved right about Brody once and for all. ✭✭✭✭✩

❑ The Good Wife (TV3, 12.25, 5.1, R) When the teenage son of a former friend hires her to defend him in a murder case, Alicia makes a difficult journey back to her old life. ✭✭✭✭