Review Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

When I first saw the original Planet of the Apes (1968), I completely loved it, from the story down to the sets. It felt original and really enthralling from start to finish. Upon this film, a franchise was formed and numerous sequels and a remake has been released last 2001 and the reviews have been mostly bad. Come 2011 though, a reboot of sorts was released, it was called "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and it surprised everyone because it was a great reintroduction to the franchise and like the original one, it felt fresh. This year, we have what is probably my most anticipated blockbuster this year which is "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", will it be better or as good as the original or will it be another addition to underwhelming movie sequels? Click the jump and find out my thoughts!

Synopsis:
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. (c) Fox

The plot is pretty simple in this movie, both civilizations live separately with little to no knowledge if either of them still exists until one day, they have crossed paths. That was already a great set-up for the film but nothing will prepare you for what follows the film, why? Because it keeps you on guessing and I loved that in this film. It didn't become this no-brainer blockbuster film instead it chose to have an unpredictable storyline that really keeps you on the edge of your seat and surely made one hell of a thrilling adventure. There are a lot of instances where I thought the story was going in this direction but then I was wrong because it took a whole left turn and it was good because like I said it was unpredictable and the way they handled it was pure brilliance, it just keeps you on guessing and guessing on what will happen next.

The film took place 10 years after the events of the first film, at first I wasn't a fan of that but the way they showed this 10 years progressed and how the Simian Flu affected the society, the humans and even the apes was really well done because even though it was only shown in the beginning and some expositions in the introduction, you can still feel the presence of the past and really displayed how apocalyptic this world has become. I also liked how in this movie Caesar was basically the lead, this was not about how humans will fight the apes, instead it showed how both of these species will survive in this beautiful wasteland.

Reprising his role as Caesar is Andy Serkis, like before, his face is not visible because of the motion capture technology used to show how Caesar and the rest of the apes look like. Even though you cannot see his face, you can clearly see the emotions coursing through Serkis and it was damn perfect. The way Serkis acted Caesar was sympathetic and scary at times but you can't help but root for this guy because that's how good this character was written. Alongside Caesar is Koba who was just magnificent, Toby Kebell is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood today for some reason but his performance in this one was so powerful and scary which was really effective because it was the polar opposite of how Caesar is shown. In addition, the chemistry between Serkis and Kebell was so magnetic that you will be invested with these characters much more than the human characters. As for the rest of Mo-Cap actors for the apes, they also did very great job but it is clear that they are influenced by the master of Mo-Cap acting who is of course Andy Serkis.

Speaking of the humans, taking the reign of the lead role is Jason Clarke, and he was great in this film because his performance was so natural and so heartfelt which worked well with Serkis Caesar because this character serves as the bridge between these species. Going back to Clarke, he was so authentic in the role which is great for the character because this is way on how we can relate to this character. Another star in this film is none other than Gary Oldman, this guy is probably one of my favorite actors today and to see him in this movie was already a delight but to watch him perform just made me giddy like a school girl, why? Because even though he was only shown in a limited amount of time, he steals the screen every time and Oldman's charisma was just overflowing and it helps and builds the character he is playing. Also starring in the film are Keri Russell and Kodi Smit-Mcphee, their performance was good enough. The reason I said that is I just wish that we could have seen more from them but with the material they were given, they still did the best they can.

Composing the film's score is Michael Giacchino and my oh my his score in this film was terrific and dare I say it perfect. It was a great way to build-up action scenes, it resonated well whenever there are dramatic scenes but most of all it was a perfect way to show the tension in the film. The score felt unique because it reminded me of the scores of the films in the past yet it is also mixed with new sounds that is reminiscent of today's films. It was really a joy to hear. Moving onto other technical aspects, the VFX and the cinematography meshed perfectly together because it showed how grand and epic the scale this film is going for, it was great for action scenes and it was also great for backdrops in dramatic scenes. Like in its predecessor, WETA Digital is also responsible for the mo-cap VFX in this film but this time though, they did it a thousand times better. It was extremely detailed, from the textures of the skin down to the state of the apes' fur, it was a state-of-the-art masterpiece.

Matt Reeves has taken over the directing duties from Rupert Wyatt, with only two full-feature films under his belt, I was quite nervous with him directing even though I liked those two films that he directed because Wyatt did such a great job at breathing new life into this franchise. Needless to say, I'm glad my worries were subdued when I watched even just the first 20-minutes of the film. His direction of the film was flawless, the pacing was perfect, he brought great performances from his cast but what I liked most about his direction is that he was able to balance the drama and the action in the film yet the tension will not disappear and that's what made the film breathtaking for me. Also, props to him for doing a great job at handling a big production. I can't wait for his vision for the next film because the ending for this film is a perfect set-up.

Overall:

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is a breathtaking drama that is not only a great movie for this season but also one great piece of cinema and may well end up as one of the best films of the year. Serkis, Kebell and Clarke were a revelation, their performances truly capture the essence of the film and Matt Reeves' direction brought out the best in the franchise.

Grade:

Favorite lines/dialogue:

Caesar: Apes do not want war!

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Koba: Caesar loves humans more than apes!

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Caesar: Apes together strong!

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I also loved Dreyfus' (Gary Oldman) speech but it was so long I forgot about it.