You absolutely know you’ve bought into this hugely ambitious blockbuster sequel when the sight of an ape riding a horse while firing machine guns with each hand makes perfect sense rather than looking ridiculous.
In a year of mostly superior blockbuster fare, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes could just be the most genetically superior of the lot
The world built by Rupert Wyatt’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011) is impressively expanded upon here, while the astonishing visual effects service, rather than drive an engaging story of Shakespearean proportions.
The fact that the lead ape is called Caesar is entirely fitting to a tale of brotherhood, betrayal and tragedy that beats its chest in appreciation of the Bard’s Julius Caesar, just as Rise… took elements of Henry V in its depiction of Caesar’s ascent to leadership. Although Dawn‘s lofty aspirations don’t always hit the mark, the zeal in which it goes about it is something to applaud.
Caesar (Andy Serkis) in battle mode in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
It’s been 10 years since the so-called Simian Flu has reduced the human race to the point of extinction and, inversely, led to a growing utopian society of genetically evolved apes, led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). This idyll is turned upside down by the sudden and unexpected arrival of a group of humans, including Malcolm (Jason Clarke), his son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee, who’s making a habit of appearing in apocalyptic dramas following The Road) and Ellie (Keri Russell).
The encounter reignites old enmities in Caesar’s second-in-command Koba (Toby Kebbell), who believes the humans pose a direct threat, while in the human colony this mutual suspicion is shared by uneasy leader Dreyfus (Gary Oldman). Caesar and Malcolm, meanwhile, try to build a shaky détente in the hope that war can be averted.
The human survivors, including Malcolm (Jason Clarke), Ellie (Keri Russell) and Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) are told to “Goooooooo!!!” in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
The devastating effect of the Simian Flu, introduced during Rise‘s post-credits sequence is dealt with in the film’s efficient opening credits, which skilfully weave in real life news footage to establish how Charlton Heston’s astronaut could come to his horrific realisation at the end of Planet Of The Apes (1968).
The 10 years separating the two films are written on the faces of the protagonists. Caesar has grown into a responsible, benevolent leader; a husband and father who espouses the central rule of an orderly society: ‘ape do not harm ape’. On the other side of the divide, desperation is etched on the human survivors, who unwittingly traverse into ape territory in the search of a much-needed power source.
The human survivors seriously underestimate Koba (Toby Kebbell) in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
As soon as humans and apes come into contact, we know that war is inevitable, but the journey to get there is effectively handled by director Matt Reeves and scriptwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Mark Bomback, who get us to empathise with each character’s motives.
Dawn… has been criticised for too neatly presenting the different factions as mirror images of each other – Koba and Dreyfus represent the hawkish shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach bred by a combination of antipathy and fear; while Caesar and Malcolm are the peacemakers who see diplomacy as the way forward rather than conflict.
The benevolent Maurice (Karin Konoval) in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Watch the film, however, and this approach makes perfect sense; the apes and humans are far more alike than either might wish to admit, something acknowledged in a wry observation by Caesar late in the film to his conflicted son Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston). This is a direct nod to the original Apes series and underlines how this most unique of franchises is forever adaptable to the times in which we live.
With so many apes on screen, the action scenes could easily have descended into disengaged confusion; however, we’re never left high and dry and there is even room for a number of bravura shots, including one in which the camera positioned on a slowly revolving tank turret shows us the full-scale of the battle and a startling shot (achieved on the spur of the moment, apparently) of Koba perched atop a battered American flagpole staring at his enemy.
Human leader Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) in Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes
Serkis further rubber stamps his standing as cinema’s motion capture godfather with a sublime turn as Caesar, while Kebbell is equally expressive as the tortured Koba. On the other side, Oldman invests Dreyfus with an all-too-human frailty and Clarke is efficient without setting off too many fireworks. Meanwhile, Russell’s thankless turn only serves to underline the dearth of decent female parts.
In a year of mostly superior blockbuster fare, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes could just be the most genetically superior of the lot.
three rows back 
agreed – I loved this one – I wasn’t a fan of the original series, but these reboot films are incredible
Yeah, quite agree. Far superior than I was expecting.
Great review Mark! Definitely superior, not just this Summer but of this entire year. Everyone’s talking about Guardians of the Galaxy right now and whilst that one is fun, it certainly doesn’t leave an impression the way this one did.
I’m seeing Guardians tomorrow so will compare then but it’s going to have to go a long way to beat this! Thanks very much Ruth 🙂
Another fantastic write up as always. Lots of praise for this everywhere, looking forward to inevitably catching it on tv a few years after everyone else 🙂
Ah, thanks buddy. Oh the joys of fatherhood, eh?!
Excellent review, its the best summer movie i’ve seen this year
Cheers buddy. It’s a toss up between this and Escape From Tomorrow for me.
Fantastic write-up, Mark!
Muchos gracias Fernando!
😀
Good review. An exciting blockbuster that also knew what it meant to have some heart as well.
Appreciate that Dan. Quite agree.
If I see three or four reviews up on my Word Press reader for the same film I always go to your one because they are so well written. Enjoyed this review, won’t bother with with Apes though because I’d rather see Guardians or Joe a second time.
Ah, muchos gracias buddy. That’s a lovely thing to say, thanks very much. You should try Apes though; it’s well worth it.
Excellent review Mark. You hit the nail on the head in regards to the mirror image thing – it works because, as the film progresses, we see that both civilisations are so similar. Really, really enjoyed this one.
Adam.
Ah, cheers mate. Glad that you enjoyed it as much as I did. Just as strong as Rise… and I loved that.
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More love for this movie. I really need to see it.
Yes you do!
It’s funny that before Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I never even cared about this franchise and now the reboot has made me excited for it like never before. This was darker, bigger & better… exactly the thing a sequel is supposed to be. Excellent review.
Thanks for the kind words. Bigger doesn’t always mean better as we’ve discovered on too many occasions, but this was definitely a case of a sequel matching its excellent predecessor. I did see the original franchise and loved them, which shows this is a concept that is ageless.
LIke you said yourself Mark, GotG will have to go a loooong way to overcome the genius that is DOTPOTA. I simply have been floored by the level of realism achieved by these films so far. Rise of the Planet of the Apes I watched immediately before this, so I had a great and fresh memory of what had led up to it all going in. I think that helped overwhelm me. This might be my favorite blockbuster as well.
Stellar review
It’s a tough call between this and Edge of Tomorrow, which was a real surprise in the same way Rise… was. You know a film’s special effects are really special when you don’t even notice them or get waylaid from the action. These were sublime, among the best I’ve seen. Cheers as always Tom, your comments are never less than excellently astute!
Great film. Contender for film of the year!
I certainly think so!