Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review: Can’t We All Just Get Along

I think an introduction to a review should be an ominous opener leaving the reader still guessing whether the object in question was enjoyed or loathed. But for this movie there should be no question, it is a master piece. Personally this is probably the first film I can confidently call a piece of art that should be experienced by all. In fact drop what you’re doing right now and go see this movie because you seriously will not be disappointed but feel better off for seeing it. If that hasn’t quite convinced you and you still need more I have a wealth of evidence that I hope will satisfyingly prove this first bold statement.

The story of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes picks up many years after where the predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, let off. Caesar and his colony of apes have set up a settlement and home in the forest while on the outside human kind has all but become extinct from the virus first contracted by a scientist in Rise. After almost a decade of no interaction between or knowledge of the other species’ developments when by chance a group of humans cross the path of the apes, tensions immediately rise and a ticking time bomb towards war between the two species is set. 

This cold war-esque storyline is a very interesting tale for the second movie of this rebooted franchise and not as clichéd as you would expect. Throughout it is not only interesting how either side deals with the new friend or foe in their lives but it is also surprising how the whole devastating mess of a first contact unravels; with even some characters taking on unexpected roles in how events are shaped. It was also very interesting to see how the apes had evolved since we lat saw them and moving onto becoming an almost superior species.

What makes the story and how it effects the characters so interesting, is how spectacular and deep the characters are; especially the starring apes. Each one had a very distinct personality from the strong and impressive leader of Caesar to the intellectual and kind Maurice. You really feel for these characters as much or if not more as the human cast on offer; who also do a brilliant job in the film.

The movie exploits to its full potential how you really will connect and feel for the characters making the whole experience honestly a roller coaster of emotions (sorry for the cliché but its true). For every beautiful, heart warming and astonishing scene there was always a devastating, heart breaking and encapsulating scene to follow. This always kept the momentum of the movie going and teasing you to wonder what will happen next and whether you need to be prepared for the worst; pushing you continuously, without mercy, to the edge of your seat.

What made these moments so heart wrenching is the phenomenal acting that has been put into the movie by all the cast. The obvious and well deserved standout was Andy Serkis as Caesar who could stop an army with a simple raise of his hand and seriously needs an Oscar after this motion capture performance of the decade. Another exceptional mention should go to Gary Oldman who in my opinion delivered one of the most touching moments of the whole movie that has been stuck in my mind ever since the credits rolled.

However one issue does arise from the acting of this movie. In the shadow of how bonded and strong the family of apes felt the main human family, for me, didn’t really show any chemistry towards each other which made their scenes together sometimes hard to get through.

On the other hand another triumph this movie delivers is the amazing awe inspiring visuals that the superb use of motion capture definitely heightens to a show of absolute mastery of their craft. This mastery created a lot of visually explosive moments and shots that left my eyes widened with impress. The spectacular visual effects also created a very high level of immersion which was almost never broken as you can really believe that these apes are actual apes both in acting and look, with some close up shots looking almost identical to their real world counter parts.

While all the almost political thriller aspects of the movie are very intriguing and leave a lot to ponder on, when all hell brakes loose it is, once again, astonishing. The action orientated pieces of the movie are exciting, thrilling and very well executed with innovative uses of the camera to bring fresh ways of conveying absolute mayhem and tragedy; with a finale that’s guaranteed to leave you once again impressed with the awesome set piece that just played out.

Overall this series is becoming very unpredictable, bringing a very serious edge to a concept that in other hands could have been taken very light heartedly. I didn’t want the film to end when I could sense the credits coming to roll and am very, very excited to see where the plot goes next. This film is undeniably one of the best of the year with and I recommend every one to see this fantastic movie.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes = 9.5/10

 

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