Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Starring: Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Judy Greer
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A band of human survivors stumble across Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes in the wilderness outside San Francisco.

Review:

Tim: Even several years later, I'm still shocked at how much I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Rupert Wyatt's film completely reinvigorated this franchise (which had fallen on tough times). So, as much as I loved the last film, I was a little wary of this one. They changed out directors (although it was the capable Matt Reeves) and I have to admit I was skeptical whether they could maintain the quality. While this film isn't quite as good as Rise, it's still a great movie and a worthwhile sequel. I see big things for this franchise.

The movie made the good call to leap forward several years and change up the cast. As much as I liked James Franco and the others, it felt like their story came to a close in the last film. This one picks up several years later, after the Simian Flu has wiped out most of the worldwide human population. This felt like an ideal continuation of the story from the last film, but it also helped to differentiate the movie from its predecessor. This isn't a movie that is giving us more of the same.

The special effects are once again incredible- the apes, orangutans, and gorillas look amazing. Their movements aren't always realistic from afar, but the closeups are terrific. Now, as much as I loved the special effects, they weren't used nearly as effectively as in Rise. What I loved about that movie was how Caesar evolved from an ape to this self-aware conscious, thinking creature. That transformation was absolutely brilliant. We just don't have anything like that this time around. That's not the movie's fault, but it contributes to the slight drop in quality. Still, the motion capture and the effects look excellent.

I also have to give Andy Serkis a great deal of credit for bringing Caesar to life. He is such a fascinating, incredible character. I feel like I could watch a dozen movies with him. Some of this is due to the strong script, but much more is due to Serkis' experience with motion capture and his talent as an actor. Caesar is mesmerizing on screen and is still the highlight of these films.

The human cast is fairly strong, too. I like Jason Clarke more and more. He has something unique in his on-screen presence. He's strong but vulnerable, intelligent yet accessible. He does a great job stepping into the lead human character role. I also really liked seeing Keri Russell here. Russell has real talent as an actress but is too often overlooked. Her role is small, but she's effective. I do struggle when thinking about Gary Oldman. I love Oldman, but I'm a little sore at how the marketing for this film portrayed his role to be bigger than it was. He has a small supporting role and not a whole lot to do. His character isn't all that likeable by the end. It felt like a bit of stunt casting, as the role itself was beneath the talent of Oldman. I truly believe he was wasted in this role. I wish he had more to do. I liked seeing Kirk Acevedo here and he played his truly unlikeable role brilliantly. I think he has real potential. I wasn't a huge fan of Kodi Smit-McPhee. I think the kid has talent, but is going through an awkward phase and just didn't give a terrific performance. So, while the cast is mostly strong, there were a few weaker links that hurt the overall movie.

I really liked how the story opened up the conflict between the apes and the humans. The film had to walk a thin line- who are we rooting for and who are we rooting against? We know that we're supposed to be on the side of the humans, but Caesar is such an amazing cool character, it's hard to root against him. This movie does a terrific job of toeing that line and portraying both groups in a gray (not black or white) light. The apes are good and bad, and the humans are good and bad. That was probably a bit hard to pull off, but I really enjoyed how Reeves made both groups sympathetic. I am guessing that'll be harder and harder to do, as the apes eventually will need to become the antagonists. Still, it's a fun time in this journey.

I thought it was an interesting choice to have the bulk of the story's climax be about Caesar vs. Koba. I personally felt like their battle could have been even more emotional and built up. It was fine how it was portrayed on screen, but it wasn't nearly as effective as it could be. I was also pretty disappointed in the Clarke vs. Oldman showdown. It felt completely the wrong tone and rushed. The scenes beneath the tower were surprisingly bad. The whole conclusion isn't strong enough.

While I was just a little disappointed that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes wasn't as good as the last film, it's still stunning to see an 8th film in a franchise be this great. This franchise is truly resurrected and I'm eagerly anticipating the next movie (my guess is War for the Planet of the Apes). I applaud Matt Reeves and everyone involved for delivering a worthy sequel.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Rise of the Planet of the Apes