[Movie Review] Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Rick Jaffa (written by), Amanda Silver (written by), Mark Bomback (written by), Pierre Boulle (novel La Planete des Singes)
Runtime: 130 min
Main Cast:
- Andy Serkis as Caesar
- Jason Clarke as Malcom
- Gary Oldman as Dreyfus
- Keri Russell as Ellie
- Toby Kebbell as Koba
Review: by Anthony and Lee
We loved the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). It was a great reboot for the Planet of the Apes franchise. The movie ended on such a interesting note, and we were excited to see what Caesar and his fellow apes have been up to in the forests of San Francisco.
It has been 10 winters since Caesar and his apes have taken to the woods of San Francisco. While the apes have flourished and multiplied in this new age of peace and building, things have not been so kind for the humans. The experimental drug from Rise of the Planet of the Apes, ALZ-113, that granted increased intelligence for the apes, has birthed a virus that is deadly to humans. Dubbed the “Simian Flu,” this virus has decimated the human population all over the globe. A band of genetically immune humans, sheltering in what remains of San Francisco, desperate to rebuild and reclaim the world they lost, crosses paths with the apes, and war becomes inevitable.
What We Liked:
If you do not know who Andy Serkis is, you should take the time to find out. He is simply fantastic. Typically, the motion capture/voice actor isn’t heralded, but Serkis is transformative. The emotion he brings to Caesar through facial expressions and different vocal inflections is nothing short of amazing. His Caesar is level headed and calm in the midst of aggressive hostile animalistic apes; however, when the only understandable language is violence, he brings it.
Toby Kebbell was also great as Koba. We’ve loved him since 2008’s Rocknrolla, and he’s barely recognizable in DotPotA. Actually, the voice acting, in general, was just amazing. The live action actors were pretty good as well. Jason Clarke did a solidly decent job as the main human character, Malcolm, and Gary Oldman as Dreyfus was… well, he was Gary Oldman. He usually gives pretty good performances, but he is too good at being an antagonist.
The story itself was captivating yet frustrating. It was difficult to watch things play out, knowing that things could have been different. With this being Dawn of the Planet of the Apes it wasn’t surprising to see the apes having majority of the screen time. Caesar is the leader of this new tribe of apes, some freed from captivity others born in this new world he’s created for them. Not only a leader, he’s a husband and a father to a son who looks to him as a role model, along with many others in their tribe. Watching Caesar weigh each decision he had to make was vastly interesting. How he struggled to balance loyalty to the apes, compassion for humans, and keep in consideration what those decisions might mean for the future.
Caesar was, by far, the most compelling character, and watching his plotline carry itself out was the highlight of the movie.
Finally, the special effects were stunning. The apes were done so well that everything actually looks seamless. The special effects really make the world believable.
What We Didn’t Like:
These characters, especially Koba, were possibly too convincing. We were becoming legitimately frustrated with the backward thinking of some of the humans and apes alike. I (Lee) must have muttered “f-ing Koba” twenty to thirty times.
Summary
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was a fantastic movie. The acting, voice acting, special effects, and writing all worked together to create a simply stellar movie. It is definitely worth seeing in the theaters.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
