Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves

Writer(s) Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarkem Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbel, Kodi Smith-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston

Release Date: July 11, 2014

Plot: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

4/5 Tonies

"Apes do not want war!"

After the release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011, the world had seen something new. They saw a film being brought back in a way that does justice to the original. We in no way saw its predecessor being slashed or defamed. Instead what we saw was a brand new franchise starting, and a succesful one at that.

We are now three years from the release of Rise of the Apes and are being given a sequel. Although, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is far from just a sequel. It feels as if it is its own film. The universe the sequel carries is in fact influenced by Rise of the Apes, but also carries its own weight. The heart of this film beats alone.

Dawn of the Apes takes place several years after the events of Will Rodman (James Franco). The wake of the ALZ-113 virus has caused the collapse of human civilization. The film then begins by showing Caesar as he leads and governs a new generation of apes in a community located in the Muir Woods. While walking through the forest, Caesar's son Blue Eyes and his friend Ash,  encounter a human, who the ape civilization once believed to be extinct.

This then leads to speculation of war of the humans and apes. A fragile peace is brought between the two species, but is short-lived. War breaks out and it is up to Caesar and new found friends to bring War to an end.

Dawn of the Apes is a film that breaks all barriers of what you once believed the summer blockbuster was. It transcends the idea and creates something new. Something that is smart, thought-provoking and haunting. In most cases, we are used to the explosion and laugh-out-loud films that summer tends to bring with it. Dawn of the Apes pushes all that aside. We are given a film that forces you to sit and pay attention to what is right in front of you. Of course there are some amazing action scenes involved, but they are far from being the main focus of the film.


There are many elements that brought this film together, but the two that stood out most were the writing and pacing.

The script is intelligent, full of wisdom and is skillfully told. It brings the ideas of the original Planet of the Apes and grasps them tightly. It allows us to explore the themes of war, responsibility of humanity, segregation, ignorance, arrogance and fear. It mirrors these themes and conflicts in credible way making this film much more than your average Sci-Fi film. Each theme is spaced out evenly within the film that it never once feels forced or jumbled. The dialogue is short yet leaves an impact. A lot of what we hear is followed by what we are shown and what we are shown is breath-taking. Much of the film's script allows the audience to become aware of the things around us and helps leave the question, “Are all men evil?” Are we born to show dominance and take any measures to show it? Are we truly evil? Is there good in the world? This film makes us question if the way we're living is the right way. The answer is: Who knows?

Aside from writing the pacing played a heavy role. The film does start off on the slow side, but it works to the films advantage. The story begins by giving us the idea that humanity ceases to exist. That apes are now the dominant species. There isn't much going on at this moment in time. So, the pacing is as calm as the films plot. This all changes when we are introduced to the our human characters. The pacing begins to speed up as the films external and internal conflicts begin to worsen. The story, writing, and pacing all go hand in hand. Which makes for an even deeper impact on the audience.

Let's break away from writing and lead to the visuals and damn were they beautiful. The CGI in this film is so realistic you begin to question if what you are seeing is just CGI. The colors are vibrant and at the same time dull. The environment is spacious yet secluded. There was so much that was put into this that clearly shows. I am normally critical towards the over-use of CGI. I personally feel that it hinders the films ability to show any hint of realism and begins to feel out of our reach. Which is far from what a film should feel like. This isn't the case here. The craftsmanship and talent that is displayed in this film can only be admired. Thinking about all the work that was put into creating a world from pure imagination and computers seems daunting and extremely difficult. I give these people a standing ovation. The talent in the CGI becomes more apparent through the talent of the actor. Andy Serkis and the rest of the cast bring these apes to life. They give them as much brain as there is heart and it shows. Behind our characters there is no trace of human. They are believable and feel completely real. The digital world in this film ceases to exist and that is impressive.

With all this said I've come to the conclusion that this film is in fact on of the best summer blockbuster films we have received in the past decade. Not only because of it's action or stunning visuals, but because Dawn of the Apes is a film that carries its own weight. It has heart and mind and this is all prevalent throughout. With the beautiful imagery, relevant story and breath-taking visuals it is safe to say that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is as close to a masterpiece as its predecessor was years ago. This is a film that will appeal to audiences everywhere. A film that holds a mirror up to itself and understands who and what is.

4/5 Tonies

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Written by Anthony Centeno