★★★★
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” takes place about 10 years
after the events of the first film. You’ll remember from the first film that
James Franco’s lab assistant inhaled some of the drug they were using on the
apes – the drug that ultimately gave the apes super-intelligence – and started
coughing up blood. This is the beginning of the end for the human race. When
the film opens, we learn that this virus has killed off a large chunk of the
human population. The small pockets of survivors are scattered about and most
blame the outbreak on apes, even naming the sickness after them.
Caesar (Andy Serkis) lives with his family and all the rest
of the apes in the redwood forest north of San Francisco. They’ve created a
peaceful habitat for themselves and don’t miss any human interaction. But one
day, they run into a group of humans lead by Malcolm (Jason Clarke). Malcolm –
along with his lady friend Ellie (Kerri Russell) and son Alexander (Kodi
Smit-McPhee) – is looking to reroute the power from a dam in the forest to get
the lights back on in San Francisco. They’re part of small group of survivors
lead by Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) who just want to reconnect with the outside world
and see how many other survivors there are.
Most of the apes, especially Caesar’s right hand Koba (Toby
Kebbell), don’t trust the humans. Koba believes that the humans will try to
attack them now that they know they’re living in the woods. Based on the
scaring covering most of Koba’s body, he has a reason not to trust them. But
Caesar has seen the good side of the humans and believes that if they get their
dam working, they’ll leave the apes in peace.
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is everything you’d want in
a summer movie mixed with everything you’d want in the prestige award-contending
films that open at year’s end. Director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfied”) has taken an
exceptionally written screenplay (by Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda
Silver) and turned it into one of the year's finest films by focusing on what
makes movies great: story and characters.
This easily could have been as flat and two dimensional as
just about every other summer film we typically come across. But a focus on
character and story turns what would have been a mildly entertaining popcorn
flick into something much greater. I’m reminded of the films many people
consider to be the greatest sequels ever made (“Aliens,” “The Empire Strikes
Back,” “The Dark Knight”). A new place will need to be made for “Dawn.”
The script is about as polished as anything you’ll see this
year. And I’m not just talking about the summer movies either. The script is
void of contrived plot devices, clichéd moments and stale character
developments. The setting is a post-apocalyptic world, which we’ve seen
numerous times before, but seems so original here. Reeves has been given so
much to work with that he’s able to focus on all the different human/ape
emotions and empathy with such ease. One of the best parts is the duality of
human and ape built into the story. Each camp has its own protagonist and
antagonist. And each camp is so similar in terms of empathy and rooting
interest that it makes the outcome of the film difficult to anticipate.
How anyone can say what Andy Serkis does isn’t acting isn’t
paying close enough attention. He is one of the most talented performers in
film and very few probably know what he looks like in real life. From his work
in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy to “King Kong,” the man is a master of
conveying emotions in every facet of his performance. Reprising his role as
Caesar might be the best we’ve ever seen him. He channels Brando’s Don Corleone
with shades of Eastwood’s Man With No Name in his performance. Every emotion in
Caesar’s face – and especially in his eyes – is all Serkis. A computer animator
can only bring so much emotion to the character being created. The genuine
emotion in someone’s eyes cannot be artificially duplicated. That’s what Serkis
does so well. He breathes life into his characters by completely embodying
them. The level of detail to the apes in the post-production animation is
virtually flawless that you forget you’re watching something completely
fabricated. Combine that with the masterful motion capture performance by
Serkis and you forget what you’re watching isn’t real.
It'll be difficult for the major studios to produce a better film than “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” this year. Reeves has delivered an unforgettable
adventure thanks to stunning visual effects and a solid screenplay. Combine it
with some of the best acting from an ensemble we’ve seen this year, “Dawn of
the Planet of the Apes” transcends the genre to become a masterwork of what all
sequels should aspire to be in Hollywood.
