Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 3D Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Violence and Action, and Brief Strong Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 10 Minutes

Cast-

Andy Serkis-Caesar

Jason Clarke-Malcolm

Keri Russell-Ellie

Toby Kebbell-Koba

Gary Oldman-Dreyfus

Kodi Smit-McPhee-Alexander

Kirk Acevedo-Carver

Judy Greer-Cornelia

Nick Thurston-Blue Eyes

Karin Konoval-Maurice

Terry Notary-Rocket

Doc Shaw-Ash

Lee Ross-Grey

Jon Eyez-Foster

Enrique Murciano-Kemp

Keir O'Donnell-Finney

Kevin Rankin-McVeigh

Jocko Sims-Werner

Richard King-Stone

Scott Alexander Lang-Luca

Lombardo Boyar-Terry

James Franco-Dr. Will Rodman (archival footage only)

Directed by Matt Reeves

Andy Serkis delivers a fantastic, awards-worthy performance as Caesar in Matt Reeves' "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."

Note: Screened on Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at Williamsburg Cinemas (Mini-Red Carpet Premiere).

Even in this age of prequels, sequels, reboots, and remakes, Hollywood still has the ability to surprise me and one of the biggest surprises in recent memory was 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" directed by Rupert Wyatt. Billed as both a reboot and a prequel to the original "Planet of the Apes" pentalogy, "Rise" was a film few anticipated or even wanted given that the previous attempt to bring the long-running science-fiction franchise back to life was a disastrous nightmare for fans. As far as summer blockbusters go, Tim Burton's 2001 'reimagining' of Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 masterpiece isn't as dreadful as most people make it out to be (Rick Baker's outstanding makeup still holds up to this day) but the whole affair remains an emotionally hollow action-adventure that only pays lip service to the social themes that made the original a critically-acclaimed hit in the first place. Of course, there was also that 'WTF' ending that left a bitter taste in moviegoers' mouths. I still can't make sense of it to this day, a sentiment that was repeatedly echoed by many, including Tim Roth, who played the villainous General Thade in the film. The only memorable aspect of Burton's loose remake is the strange love triangle between Mark Wahlberg's Captain Leo Davidson, Estella Warren's Daena, and Helena Bonham Carter's Ari, who's an ape. I'll say this: Burton certainly had a lot of balls to sneak something as insane as bestiality past 20th Century Fox. Given Ari's frequent longing glances towards Davidson, it's pretty clear that she wants to straight up f*ck him. Hell, I'm sure there's fanfic of this already if you know where to look!  

Although it was a box office success, grossing $362.2 million worldwide, the dismal reception to Burton's film tainted the "Planet of the Apes" franchise and led to its dormancy for the next ten years. Wyatt's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" arrived during the tail end of summer 2011 while riding a wave of skepticism. To longtime fans, it just seemed like a desperate attempt to revive an exhausted series that should've been left alone in the first place. This is one of those rare instances where fans were glad to have been proven wrong as "Rise" turned out to be far better than many had expected it to be. With great reviews (82% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a $481.8 million worldwide box office haul, a sequel was all but inevitable. That sequel—titled "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"—has finally arrived, with "Cloverfield" and "Let Me In" director Matt Reeves replacing Wyatt. Anchored by a genuinely moving, awards-worthy performance from Andy Serkis, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is a fantastic summer blockbuster, a daring and accomplished piece of sci-fi cinema that also ranks as one of the best films of the year so far.

Humanity finds itself on the brink of extinction after being ravaged by a deadly man-made virus.

Humanity lies on the brink of extinction ten years after the deadly ALZ-113 virus—dubbed the 'Simian Flu' and designed by Gen-Sys Laboratories to potentially cure Alzheimer's disease—was accidentally unleased upon the world. The lawlessness that arose in the virus' wake has led to the collapse of modern human civilization, with a fragmented, primitive society emerging from those who survived. A cluster of these survivors—naturally immune to the virus' effects—have managed to build a home for themselves in the remnants of San Francisco but they face certain doom unless an alternative power source is found to replace their dwindling reserves. Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), the leader of the survivors, tasks his friend Malcolm (Jason Clarke) to form a small team that will go into the Muir Woods and bring an old hydroelectric dam back to life. The team, which includes Malcolm's wife Ellie (Keri Russell) and his teenage son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee), encounter the evolved ape known as Caesar (Andy Serkis) not long after they enter the woods. Having built a thriving ape community over the past ten years, Caesar initially regards Malcolm with suspicion but soon recognizes that the human has the same propensity for goodness as those who raised him. Caesar allows Malcolm and his team to work on the dam under his supervision. However, this decision creates a contentious divide amongst the apes, with Koba (Toby Kebbell) deeming Caesar to be unfit as leader and plotting to overthrow him, allowing the ruthless ape to target what's left of mankind for total annihilation.

If you look at the official poster for "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," you'll notice that the horseback-riding Caesar is wielding an assault rifle. A number of critics have commented that the film has an anti-gun subtext but I respectfully disagree. It would be more accurate to say that it has an anti-violence subtext. Writers Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver recognize that whether guns exist or not, war was always going to break out between what's left of humanity and the nascent apes. When you add guns into this powder keg mix, it just makes the killing easier. 20th Century Fox may be billing "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" as the 'latest must-see summer blockbuster' but Reeves' film is actually more akin to a drama, albeit one that's backed up by a $170 million production budget. What sets "Dawn" apart from all the other big-budget films released this summer is that it actively ponders the repercussions of its violence and what makes it all the more heartbreaking to watch is that under a different set of circumstances, peaceful coexistence between these two species would have been possible. 

Humans and apes struggle to co-exist even as tensions rise.

When "Dawn" opens, we're treated to a fifteen-minute sequence where barely a word is spoken. In the ten years that have passed since "Rise," Caesar has built a thriving community of evolved apes while humanity suffered from the sudden outbreak of the derogatorily named 'Simian Flu'. Despite gaining the ability of speech, the apes largely choose to continue to converse in sign language. Having not seen a living human in over two years, Caesar naturally assumes that they're all extinct and that's fine by him, although he admits to orangutan Maurice (Karin Konoval) that he stills thinks of them, given that he was raised by one. However, it is soon revealed that humanity is not extinct but they are close. Caesar's teenage son Blue-Eyes (Nick Thurston) is walking home with his friend Ash (Doc Shaw) one day when they run into a human named Carver (Kirk Acevedo), who quickly panics and shoots Ash, although the wound is fortunately not fatal. This disastrous run-in almost leads to both sides coming to blows but Caesar doesn't want to go to war and given all they've lost already, he correctly guesses humans don't either. Unfortunately, we know war is inevitable and much of the film is focused on the select few who are desperately trying to stave off that inexorable conclusion. Glimmers of hope are shown when Malcolm and his family enter Caesar's territory in order to reactivate a hydroelectric dam that will restore power to San Francisco. The humans and apes initially regard each other warily and again almost come to blows but Malcolm and Caesar manage to calm the more radical elements on their respective sides, allowing the two species to actually work together! One beautiful scene that really tugged at my heartstrings is when Maurice comes to Alexander's tent and watches him while he's reading. Sensing the orangutan's interest, Alexander gives his book to Maurice and sits down to read with him aloud. Moments like these heighten the tragic nature of "Dawn" and what we're meant to take away from the film is not that guns are bad (although they arguably make things worse), it's that hatred, fear, and paranoia will always trump peace when they are allowed to fester. Unfortunately, these are aspects of human nature that can't be controlled, dooming both humanity and apes to war. It doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture when this theme is then applied to real life.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the absolutely flawless visual effects work from WETA Digital. The motion-capture technology used to bring the apes to life is a marvel to behold, with every nuance and shade of emotion—whether large or small—perfectly captured and expressly communicated on-screen. In fact, the CGI is so authentic and photorealistic, they begin to exist as all good visual effects should: invisibly. However, these effects would be nothing without the excellent actors and actresses who don skin-tight mo-cap suits and breathe life to the apes through their performances, transforming what is essentially a pile of pixels into characters with real depth and emotion. Many of the most poignant moments come from the apes themselves and when a film brings you to tears, you know you're watching something special. If I had to name one flaw, it's the 3D. The cinematography from Michael Seresin is beautiful but it has a dreary color palette that doesn't especially lend itself well to 3D. I suggest sticking to regular ol' 2D when you go see the film.  

"Home. Family. Future."

Andy Serkis continues to be the unsung hero in mo-cap acting as his performance as Caesar is truly worthy of an Academy Award nomination. Although what we see on-screen is CG, all those emotions and mannerisms that the character exhibits come from an extremely dedicated actor and I really hope Serkis finally gets the recognition he so rightfully deserves. As Caesar's rival Koba, Toby Kebbell is a revelation here, bringing a unique physicality that emphasizes his character's cunning and treachery. Koba may be the villain yet his destructive tendencies stem from being trapped as a lab rat all his life and serves as a potent reminder that hate only breeds more hate. I wasn't all that excited about Kebbell's casting as Dr. Doom in the "Fantastic Four" reboot but my expectations have now shot through the roof!  While the human cast—led by Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee—isn't as developed compared to their ape peers, they all manage to deliver fine performances and convincingly portray the desperation that pervades their characters' daily lives even as they struggle to hold onto some sense of normalcy. Gary Oldman makes the most of his limited screen-time as human colony leader Dreyfus. Like Koba, Dreyfus isn't outright evil but all the hardships he's endured have left him a cynical man.

Released on July 11, 2014, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" has received phenomenal reviews with a whopping 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the film for having 'intelligence and emotional resonance to match its stunning special effects,' and concluded that it 'expands on its predecessor with an exciting and ambitious burst of sci-fi achievement.' Audience reception at the advance screening was highly enthusiastic, with "Dawn" poised to earn at least $70 million over the weekend. If you were to ask me thirteen years ago about whether we'd see another "Planet of the Apes" film in theaters, I would've laughed in your face. This kind of franchise revitalization isn't common and it's doubly rare to see films in a once-exhausted series turn out this good. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is the type of summer blockbuster that all Hollywood studios should aspire to make.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"War has already begun."