Welcome to the New Age - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) Review

Mo-cap king Andy Serkis returns as Caesar for Dawn. Image from IndieWire.

            Today’s CGI-filled blockbusters seem to be devoid of smarts and human emotion, so how does Dawn of the Planet of the Apes fare?

            Taking place a decade after 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn continues the story of Caesar, who now leads a legion of evolved apes which encounter a group of humans that put both sides into the brink of war.

            Motion-capture king Andy Serkis, one of the reasons why Rise revitalized a near-dead franchise, gives a masterful performance as Caesar. Now the film’s lead, he makes us look into Caesar’s courage, confusion and insecurities through his every move, growl and smirk. Toby Kebbell as Koba, a former test subject in Rise who becomes the film’s villain, however, rivals Serkis. Even when their characters clash, their displays of human emotion grab the screen.

A behind-the-scenes image featuring Jason Clarke and Andy Serkis. Image from IndieWire.

            Sadly, Dawn fails to develop its humans, aside from lead human Malcolm, played by Jason Clarke. The great Gary Oldman plays the humans’ leader, Dreyfus, whose potential is squandered by rarely showing up. Malcolm and Dreyfus are clearly Caesar and Koba’s human counterparts, only less dynamic.

            Despite this, it’s still a visual spectacle, thanks to Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital. Director Matt Reeves executes the script of Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver with visuals that set the atmosphere of the film. It’s a beautiful chaos, from the camera placed beside a tank’s turret that revolves several times when attacked by Koba, to Malcolm’s struggle, done in one shot, to retrieve a medkit and escape unnoticed.

            Dawn of the Planet of the Apes may be full of CGI and few on humans, but it’s neither bad nor dumb. It’s part of a new age of sci-fi films, such as The Avengers and Avatar, where intelligence and heart are found in the midst of Hollywood magic. From the solemn beginning to the exciting final act, Dawn improves on everything its predecessor got right, especially its electrifying lead. Oscar, please give the underrated Andy Serkis a nomination. It’s been too long.

8/10 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi-Smit McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, and Judy Greer

Directed by Matt Reeves from a screenplay by Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver

a 20th Century Fox release