Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review

Posted by Andrew Lewis

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a superb followup to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Not only does the movie have a worthwhile message that sets it apart from simple-minded fare like Transformers, the tremendous detail put into the CGI adds a wonderful sense of realism to the story.

Unlike the first one, Dawn focuses primarily on the CGI and the brilliant actors who played the apes. The first thirty minutes feature the apes using nothing but sign language, other than the occasional "No" being shouted. This reminded me of 2001: A Space Odyssey and how it makes you focus on everything else in the shot. While the moment in Dawn isn't as stunning as 2001, it brings attention to the design of the world around them. Director Matt Reeves and Cinematographer Michael Seresin showcase a broken, beaten, and battered landscape where the humans are almost extinct and the apes are thriving. Every scene showcases this feeling no matter the emotion playing out, which proves important for the films more sappier moments.

The main reason why I liked Dawn of the Planet of the Apes so much was due to the message of life and death. There is a moment when a mother ape gives birth and you routinely see a circle of life theme as the battle rages on. There was care put into the scenes when someones demise was about to take place and it hits you hard when it happens.

Now, the biggest question on everyone's mind is about the action. I can assure you the action is good. The great CGI allows for awesome battle sequences and there is no distracting/dizzying camera work. Each element to the fighting is exciting. While most of it is CGI action, it is a million times better than Transformers. Each moment of the action means something to the story. None of it is mindless. Also, one of the best shots is a nice first-person view of a tank. It not only means something to the story, but you see the havoc being caused firsthand.

Unfortunately, this is where the praise for the movie ends. The acting just wasn't that good, despite its credentialed cast. Gary Oldman gives a very stiff performance that is very much by-the-book action flick. Keri Russell sits back and looks pretty half the time before she jumps into action. Jason Clarke really tries his best at conveying the emotion necessary for some scenes but it all falls flat. To be honest, if it wasn't for the spectacular motion capture work done by Andy Serkis and gang, the two hour running time would have been painful to get through. After the good performances is Rise, I had high hopes for the acting so I kind of felt cheated. Regardless, the end result is a very good movie overall.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not a masterpiece by any means. It has very high moments but it has a few too many shortcomings that prevent this from being an "A" grade. That being said, Dawn is the best summer movie of 2014. It is not just another mindless action vehicle as there are bits and pieces for all moviegoers to enjoy. Here's hope that this type of trend continues.

Rating: B+