Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I think what impressed me the most about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is that this is the first blockbuster we've gotten this summer that's aimed squarely at adults.  Sure, we've had some comedies aimed at adults, but this is a big budget special effects spectacle that's smart and powerful.  It can also be quite violent, perhaps too much so for the kids I saw with their parents at my screening.  There are plenty of viewing options for kids this summer.  This isn't one of them. 

The movie is a continuation of 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and continues to chronicle the events that led to the original films.  Just like before, the apes themselves are brought to life through stunning CG and motion capture performances.  The lead ape, Caesar, is once again played by Andy Serkis, in a performance that is stunning in just how much emotion he can get out of just his movements, and limited speech. (The apes started to talk near the end of the last movie.  Their vocabulary has expanded when this film picks up.) Serkis has brought many characters to life through motion capture, including Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, and King Kong.  Caesar is definitely his crowning achievement, the perfect blend of an actor's physical performance and CG technology.  Given the work he does here, as well as his previous achievements, I would say some kind of honorary Oscar is well over due. 

Serkis is so vital to this film, as it is Caesar who drives a good part of the story.  We don't even get to see a human actor on screen until a good 20 minutes or so into the movie.  It is the apes who are the real stars of the film, and thanks to the technical wizardry of the motion capture, they are easily able to hold our attention.  The apes more or less are ruling society, after the disease outbreak that closed the last movie wiped out a good portion of humanity.  There are, however, small pockets of humanity that are struggling to survive.  The one we are eventually introduced to is located in the ruins of San Francisco, and is led by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), and lead survivalist, Malcolm (Jason Clarke).  Their society is running low on power, however, and only has two weeks worth of fuel left.  If this small society wishes to survive, they must make their way into the forest which the apes have made their home, and reactivate a dam that can supply electricity.

Malcolm ventures out with a small team, which includes Ellie (Keri Russell), Alexander (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) and Carver (Kirk Acevedo).  Naturally, both the humans and the apes don't trust one another, despite Malcolm's efforts to earn Caesar's loyalty.  Over time, Caesar is somewhat willing to cooperate with the humans, but there are some within the ape community who would rather seek out war.  After all, before the apes became intelligent and started their society, many of them were tortured or mistreated within labs.  There will inevitably be violence between the two sides, and even war within the ape tribe itself, as some go against Caesar's decision to aid the humans.  As the plot falls into place, we can see the pieces that will ultimately form the overall storyline of the series.

There is a tragic element as Caesar finds himself torn between wanting to help these humans who are only seeking to survive, and his overall distrust of humans in general.  As some of his own kind, even those within his family, begin to turn against his ideals of a peaceful society, we can sense and see the pain and anguish he is feeling.  Again, this is thanks to the extraordinary performance that Serkis provides, as well as the brilliant effects work.  Unlike, say, in the Transformers films, these are effects being used to tell a story, rather than effects being used to distract us from the fact that there is not much of a story to be had.  They are being used to create real characters with empathy and emotion, and truly come across as being tangible.  Not once did I feel like I was watching an effect that was added in later to replace an actor's performance.  I simply was focused on the characters - human, simian, and computer generated.

I also appreciated how director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) gives the film a fresh look.  This is not an assembly line summer movie, with shots that look like they were stolen from other films.  When the army of apes storm the human compound, it is grand and terrifying.  It manages to capture the chaos of battle, while at the same time keeping a steady lock on the action, so that we can keep track of it all.  The way that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also made me care about just about everyone on the screen is also not a small feat for any summer movie.  Sure, some of the human characters are underwritten, but again, this is not really their movie.  It is the apes and their hidden world that they are building that draws us in.  This is a movie that actually cares enough to create a new world we haven't seen before, and then invites us to explore it, before the explosions and action sequences take over.  It takes its time, it builds our interest, and it pays it off with a satisfying conclusion, as well as a promising lead in to the next inevitable film.

This is not only the best movie of the summer so far, but also the best film in the Planet of the Apes franchise in quite a while.  The series has found a noted filmmaker in Reeves, and the screenplay by Rich Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Mark Bomback trusts in and rewards our intelligence.  I hope the series is able to hold onto this talent, and that they continue down the same road they took with this film.  This is more than just a summer spectacle.  It's an emotional experience not soon forgotten.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

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