July 16, 2014mikeyb @ screenkicker

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014) – A Review Full Of Monkey Business

apes_1

This Dawn of the Planet of the Apes review is special moment for me. The film is the sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet Apes which happens to be the first movie I ever reviewed. And I really liked it. So how does the next installment in the monkey vs human saga stack up? I’m happy to report that director Matt Reeves knocks it out of the park.

We pick up the story ten years after Rise in a world where the human population has greatly diminished due to a virus known as ‘Simian Flu’. Meanwhile leader of the ape uprising Caesar has carved out a nice living along with his monkey pals in the forests outside San Francisco. Life is good for the primate tribe until a chance meeting with a group of humans sends them on a collision course with us hairless losers.

"You guys see the game last night? There's no way that was a penalty"
“You guys see the game last night? There’s no way that was a penalty”

The best aspect of Rise was the strong characterisation of Caesar who went from cute, anthropomorphic, intelligent chimp to proud, aggressive, independent leader of the ape uprising. The writers of Dawn realise he was what made the film so successful so focus on how the slightly older Caesar lives the idyllic dream of monkey-kind hanging out peacefully. The apes’ home in the forest is beautifully designed, it’s peaceful and tribal and just feels right. The children are taught by a big friendly orangutan called Maurice while Caesar leads hunting parties with his right-hand ape Koba. I actually wanted to move in right away.

Instead I would be stuck with the humans in a derelict, overgrown San Francisco which takes it’s visual cues from the excellent PS3 game The Last of Us. Power is running low there and desperation is starting to set in. The only hope is a dam which could provide electricity but its in ape territory. Can man and monkey put aside their differences and co-exist peacefully or will human nature take its course and end in war?

image
“And then Christian Gray took her in his big manly arms and…”

Luckily for us its the second outcome. Which is great if, like me, the sight of a chimpanzee riding a horse into battle makes you immediately punch the air with excitement. This is primarily an action flick and the action that comes is beautifully choreographed. I’ve written before about my fear of monkeys so seeing a full battalion of the banana munching primates go apeshit and attack with deadly force is both horrifying and exhilarating.

Despite all of the frenetic violence its the characters that kept me hooked. No, not the humans, they’re fine with a likeable performance from Jason Clarke as the hero of our species. No its the apes that grab you emotionally. Caesar is once again captured perfectly by Andy Serkis (when is this man going to get an acting award?) while Koba (Toby Kebbell) is an absolutely terrifying bonobo with a grudge (never thought I would write a sentence like that!). You’ll be hooked as misunderstandings and mistakes lead to aggression on a grand scale.

The paintballing trip took a strange turn
The paintballing trip took a strange turn

There is a message in the film but its a pretty grim one about the nature of states and how war can come from the smallest disagreements and how trust is a fragile part of any peaceful society. Its effectively conveyed by the director, writers, and actors coupled with a kickass score from Michael Giacchino. There won’t be many surprises but then that may just be a comment on the inevitability of conflict. And if you don’t care about all that socio-polotical shoegazing then I’ll point you again to the important bit – damn dirty apes riding horses while firing machineguns. In the immortal words of Gwen Stefani “this shit is bananas”.

8/10

 

Screenkicker Quality Index (SQI)

BEST

-80ff70ca-0e2f-4841-9038-68c5e83fb50a

red_dawn_1984_cast

twilight_breaking_dawn

WORST

51 comments

  3. Could you get a bigger disparity in quality between your SQI Best and Worst today Mikey?? lol!

    THis was such an excellent adventure man, I LOVED it! Caesar is rising quickly to the top of my favorite characters — ever. He is truly stunning, and that line he says towards the end “My friend,” damn I almost lost it there!

    Like

    Reply

  5. Good review. It’s a very exciting blockbuster, but also has plenty of heart and emotion added to the proceedings as well. You know, just for that extra oomph.

    Like

    Reply

  7. Great review Mikey. Loved the bit about The Last of Us. I’ve never played that game but from what I have seen it does look like it! All in all, I believe we are looking at the best blockbuster of the summer, and one of the better films of the year so far.

    Like

    Reply

  8. Great review, dude! I want to see this, but I don’t know if any of my friends do… :/ Might have to go solo for this one. Sounds like it’s worth it!

    Like

    Reply

  11. Nice review Mikey, I wasn’t going to bother with this at first even though I liked Rise… but I’ve read a few very good reviews including yours and my mind has been changed. Will try and catch it before it goes from cinemas.

    Like

    Reply

  14. I just lost respect for a buddy of mine. He sent a text my way saying that Purge was excellent (have not seen it yet) and followed it by claiming that he also caught Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Now, I feel that he was lying because he said that he was not a fan. HOW IS HE NOT A FAN? THAT SHIT IS BANANAS!

    Great review as usual dude! Loved the Last of Us comparison! And laughed at your fear of monkeys! I used to dream of owning one when I was later…

    …Years later, I heard about a woman who got her face ripped off by her pet monkey. **** THAT.

    Like

    Reply

  15. Great review, Mike! Stop agreeing with me, dammit!

    This was awesome. Loved it!!! STILL trying to decide if it gets 2nd or 3rd place on my 2014 list. Hmm……… (It’s between this & Her) : )

    Like

    Reply

  16. Great Review Mike. Apart from its few shortfalls, namely the rather unimaginative story, I thought Dawn was absolutely stunning. CGI Visuals used for character instead of just dazzle, AT LAST!!

    Like

    Reply

  17. Had to bookmark the reviews again. Only just saw the film.

    Great review. The film is an excellent visual and conceptual improvement of the first and that’s impressive in its own right. And Andy Serkis retains his Title as the master of motion capture.

    “Apes. Together. Strong.”

    Like

    Reply

  19. Great film. Even better review! Love how this was your first review and now your back with the sequel. May the blog and the POA franchise grow and grow.

    Like

    Reply

  21. The art of eloquence stars Richard Gere as senator Tom Watts – a powerful man with a dark secret. Inquisitive Washington Post journalist, Rett Chilver (Chris Pine) is on the verge of breaking the biggest story of his career – but will bring him down before it brings down the senator.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply, go on, don't make me come over there