Released: July 11th, 2014
Rated: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Staring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman,
Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Written by: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Personal Bias Alert:
grew up on original
series, not a fan of CGI-fests
8.2 of 10
All
hail the summer movie season of 2014.
It’s not often we get treated to this many great blockbusters, and I’m
far from the first one to point this out.
Still, there’s been a slew of thrilling, well-written, big-budget films
that are respectful of their audience, which is something that is, sadly, not
often produced. “Dawn of the Planet of
the Apes” joins this year’s standouts and will be touted not only as an example
of this summer’s greatness, but also as a high point in an eight-film
franchise.
“Dawn”
focuses on Caesar (Andy Serkis), the super smart ape leader with a healthy
respect for humanity’s diametric nature, and his struggles to lead his group
through their early encounters with a decimated human civilization. The plot follows a familiar pattern, drawing
the basics from 1973’s “Battle for the Planet of the Apes” and structuring it
as a straightforward blockbuster. That’s
never detrimental, though. The story of
civilization clashes are as old as storytelling itself, and the entertaining
plot finds a heart in Caesar’s attempts to save all those worth saving.
Serkis,
as always, delivers a grand performance while wearing the motion-capture suit,
and he’s found an equal in Toby Kebbell, who plays a mutilated former
laboratory monkey named Koba. They’re
the most complex characters in the film, and their tumultuous relationship is
the driving force thematically. A
misstep by either, or by the digital effects team who rendered their
performances, would have spelled disaster.
Instead, we get a timeless tale of deeply scarred individuals who will
never see eye to eye.
The
other characters, both human and ape, don’t fare as well. Malcom (Jason Clarke), a peacekeeping human who
works closely with Caesar, and Caesar’s son Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) are
filled out enough to serve their pieces of the story while the rest of the
characters walk around with one or two vague traits. The cast is filled with quality actors, and
their talent is largely able to smooth over this flaw. Only the most egregiously one-note character,
an ape-hating jerk named Carver (Kirk Acevedo), actually took me out of the
film.
Weta
Digital continues to advance motion-capture technology and here shows an
astounding leap forward from their work three years ago on “Dawn’s” predecessor. No matter how realistically rendered, I had
never seen a motion-capture creature that appeared to exist in the same world
as its flesh and blood counterparts. They
always seemed somewhat removed, as if something in their texture revealed the algorithms
that gave them life. Watching “Dawn,”
for the first time, I was convinced that these creatures actually existed. They were as present in the scenes as the humans,
which removed what would have been a constant reminder that I was watching a
film. That’s what makes this such a
grand achievement. It pushes what is
possible in reality-based storytelling further than ever before.
The
original “Planet of the Apes” film series was highly allegorical, wearing its culturally
significant commentary on racism and nuclear fears on its sleeve. The rebooted series is much less interested
in modern social commentary, preferring to deliver highly entertaining pieces
centered on timeless ideas. By
comparison, the newer series might seem less important than its originator, but
that comparison is unfair. Each series
has succeeded at its respective goals, and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” has
earned its place in this revered science fiction franchise.
Other Notes:
Ø The
beginning falls prey to some clunky plot points.
Ø When
Koba rode out through the flames, the lines from Caesar’s speech in “Conquest
of the Planet of the Apes” ran through my head.
Ø I’m
okay with James Franco being gone, but could we at least bring back Frida
Pinto? And maybe give her something to
do?
Ø You
can’t have a line like “ape not kill ape” scrawled across a wall and not have
me think of “Animal Farm.”
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