Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

August 15th, 2014







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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

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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... See full summary »

Release Year: 2014

Rating: 8.7/10 (10,894 voted)

Critic's Score: 79/100

Director: Matt Reeves

Stars: Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis

Storyline
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.

Writers: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa

Cast:
Andy Serkis - Caesar
Jason Clarke - Malcolm
Gary Oldman - Dreyfus
Keri Russell - Ellie
Toby Kebbell - Koba
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Alexander
Kirk Acevedo - Carver
Nick Thurston - Blue Eyes
Terry Notary - Rocket
Karin Konoval - Maurice
Judy Greer - Cornelia
Jon Eyez - Foster
Enrique Murciano - Kemp
Larramie Doc Shaw - Ash (as Doc Shaw)
Lee Ross - Grey



Details

Official Website: Official site | Official site [Brazil] |

Country: USA

Language: English

Release Date: 11 July 2014

Filming Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $170,000,000 (estimated)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:
The name of Judy Greer's character, Cornelia, is most likely a nod to Cornelius, the helpful chimpanzee from Planet of the Apes (1968) played by Roddy McDowall. See more »

Quotes:



User Review

Author:

Rating: 9/10

Among Hollywood's recent output of mediocre (and in some cases: downright abysmal) remakes of Sci-Fi classics, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' was the rare movie which stood out, for it had as much of a brain as it had a heart – plus an original approach to the well-known material and great visuals. Having said that, 'Rise' practically pales in comparison to Matt Reeves' sequel: the upcoming 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is as close to a Science-Fiction masterpiece as a 170 million PG-13 Hollywood summer blockbuster can possibly get.

The storyline picks up ten years after we saw Ceasar and his fellow simian escapees seek refuge in the woods near San Francisco, and although the film's trailers already gave away pretty much everything that happened during that time (and alas, way too much of what will happen), I'm not going to spoil anything for those who carefully avoided watching said trailers. As with all my reviews, instead of giving away any details about the story, I'll elaborate on all other aspects of the movie.

What needs to be mentioned first is what an astonishing achievement 'Dawn' is when it comes to the use of CGI. I'm normally very critical towards the (over-)use of CGI – but the level of craftsmanship displayed here simply has to be admired. It only took me seconds to forget I was watching digital characters (brought to life through the outstanding motion-capture performances by Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbell and Judy Grier – to name but a few), and I can't begin to imagine what a task it must have been for the artists and wizards in the animation department to work on every background and every tiny little detail of every character until this level of seamlessness and reality could be achieved.

But nearly every other aspect of the movie has been realized equally well: Michael Giacchino's haunting musical score fits and reflects the drama on screen perfectly, while the – often terrifying – beauty of the images on screen had me immediately wondering who the DoP was (now I know: Michael Seresin, the genius veteran DoP of such classics as 'Midnight Express' and 'Angel Heart'). When it comes to the action; well, 'Dawn' is not your usual summer blockbuster. This is no light-hearted, comic-book-style fantasy film with fun, over-the-top action scenes. What we have here is a gritty, realistic portrayal of a slowly escalating conflict, and when we do get to the battle scenes in the third act, those scenes are a spectacular, mesmerizing visual feast - and ultimately heart breaking.

But the core of this film – and also the reason why the action scenes in the third act really do have an impact and all the mayhem really gets to you – is the intelligent, skilfully told story with its well-drawn, believable characters (portrayed by equally believable actors). The tragic simian/human conflict mirrors our real – and very human – past and present day wars and social frictions in a very credible way and thus makes this film resonate far beyond what any mere Sci-Fi premise would let you expect.

So my verdict: With its beautiful imagery, highly relevant story and breath-taking effects, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is as close to a Science-Fiction masterpiece as its mass-audience orientated constrictions allowed it to be (which – in this case – is very close); an astonishing achievement and highly recommended. 9 stars out of 10.

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/





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