At the Theater - "Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes" - (2014) - Set in the year 2026, a decade after the ape rebellion and subsequent simian flu outbreak that ravaged Earth's human populace, the genetically engineered and hyper-intelligent chimp, "Caesar" (Andy Serkis), now rules peacefully over two thousand apes in the forests of San Francisco. Conflict arises as a small party of humans, seeking to repair a nearby hydro-electric dam that could restore power to their city-based community of survivors, stumbles into the apes' territory.
Without hesitation, I will acknowledge that this particular Apes entry is far superior to it's 2011 predecessor, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"- although not a bad film, Rise... was marred by James Franco's (This Is The End) milquetoast human lead (he's much better suited to comedic roles) and a climactic, Golden Gate Bridge staged, apes versus humans onslaught that was utterly ridiculous- apparently everyone in San Francisco owned a simian.
Dawn... is a far more substantial, spectacle-driven effort and features an exponentially larger scope; the production was allotted nearly twice the budget of the 2011 film and I believe it was utilized rather well. The digital and motion-capture effects regarding the various apes and post-apocalyptic landscapes are thrillingly razor sharp, comfortably amongst the finest computerized effects ever put onscreen- I found myself fascinated with the level of detail on display whenever the film's simian characters were featured in close-ups. Andy Serkis's (also "Gollum" in the Lord of The Rings/Hobbit films) performance as Caesar is awards-worthy, while many will undoubtedly remember Toby Kebbell's (RockNRolla) turn as the nefarious "Koba"- the multi-scarred, one-eyed bonobo, harboring designs on usurping Caeser as leader of the apes, is a scene-stealer. My pick for best overall effect of the film would be in those presenting the amiable orangutan "Maurice" (played by Karin Konoval).
Director Matt Reeves (Let Me In) keeps the film moving in a confident, aesthetically-pleasing manner. Reeves is a decidedly talented filmmaker to keep track of, though he's restricted by the boundaries of a targeted PG-13 rating with this particular big-budgeted effort. There are indeed a number of tense and violent scenes within, though none of them could be described as "bloody" or "gory". As far as a Director's personal trademark is concerned, I believe a super-cool tracking shot involving the hijacking of a tank will prove a standout. For the most part, Reeves's direction wins out over a script treading familiar territory- the nature of which any seasoned film goer would surely recognize in rapid fashion.
I've often found myself wondering how dynamically different these summer tenpole films would be if filmmakers weren't caged in by the demands of avoiding an R-Rating. I understand this isn't an MPAA issue as much as it's an audience issue- the masses simply don't stampede into theaters to view R-Rated films, no matter what the subject matter may be. Those less sensitive souls should Google "chimp attack" to better understand why I digress here... the violence in these mega-budgeted Sci-Fi/Actioners is acceptable as entertainment, though highly unrealistic. Remember, angry chimps appear to enjoy biting off fingers, toes and genitalia- there's also that whole pulling arms out of their sockets thing...
While the ape-driven drama is a highlight, there is remarkably little depth allotted to the film's non-ape characters- the human involvement here is rarely compelling and often appears as a pesky, obligatory plot device to help motor the narrative along to a promised conflict between the two diverse factions. You'll enjoy the film while Caeser and company are onscreen- the humans, not so much...
Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) is merely serviceable as the central human protagonist here; this revamped franchise seemingly appears reliant on either casting weak leads or manipulating talented actors into giving listless performances. Clarke's previous films have proven him talented, though I'm not so sure he's leading man material. His everyman, "Malcolm", simply isn't given enough to do of a dynamic nature to stick in the memory past an hour of leaving the theater.
Gary Oldman (The Professional) is underutilized as the militaristic leader of the San Francisco based human survivors. Much like most of the human characters in the film, his "Dreyfuss" is essentially a thinly-drawn rehash of a myriad of characters movie-goers have seen in stories of this ilk time and time again. The narrative only briefly touches upon a man whose motives are defined by the loss of loved ones- there's no good reason this particular character arc couldn't have been fleshed out a bit more.
Keri Russell (August Rush) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) round out the notable (human) cast as Malcolm's wife and son, respectively.
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A few plot-related issues:
1. Two supporting human characters, members of a small party seeking to repair the aforementioned dam (played by Jon Eyes and Enrique Murciano), bewilderingly vanish from the narrative near the final act and with nary an attempt at an explanation. I was wondering if maybe their characters met a violent end that was cut from the film to secure the PG-13 or to further manipulate our sympathy with the apes... we may never know.
2. The apes are smart enough to operate fully automatic weapons, though I can't seem to recall one shot of any of the simians reloading their firearms... come to think of it, none of them carried extra ammo mags either...
3. A sequence where a female ape delivers a baby amongst masked nurses is laughably bad... deep in the forest...in an open treehouse... surrounded by wet, mud-covered, open-wounded monkeys... yet wearing nurse masks... C'mon, Man!
4. I found it interesting/disheartening (and rather typical of liberal Hollywood) that the filmmakers chose to present a trio of firearm-reliant human characters as hateful, simpleton stereotypes- you know, the kind that deserve to die (lame).
***End of nit-picking***
Reeves's sure-handed guidance sets the course towards an explosive climax that delivers the goods in spectacular fashion. I chose to check this out in 2D as opposed to shelling out for the extra dimension and find myself second-guessing that decision. The film is commendably lensed by Cinematographer Michael Seresin (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) while Michael Giacchino's original score is a welcomed affair that harkens back to the music featured in 1968's Planet of the Apes.
Audiences will be treated to a third cinematic volume of this rebooted series in 2016- remember a few brief snippets of news that periodically popped up in the first movie concerning a missing Mars space probe named "Icarus"? I'm fairly certain that particular vessel will be reintroduced in a future installment in some manner.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes would be my pick as the second strongest entry in this long-running franchise, behind only the 1968 original- although an obviously rather dated film, the narrative theme/underlying messages were far more powerful and timely, star Charlton Heston was a vastly superior human lead and the ending will remain iconic for generations to come. Where Planet... was bound by the technology of the era, Dawn... is bound by current sensibilities; the effects are outstanding, though the lack of ferocity in the material hinders the experience. I find it important to add that I felt similarly about Steven Spielberg's kid-friendly, dinosaurs run amok film, Jurassic Park (1993).
All things considered, Dawn... comes recommended as a spectacle experience- I believe the effects work coupled with a strong third act are enough to warrant a theatrical viewing. Those seeking an experience of substantial dramatic weight will more than likely be disappointed. It's a film that is somewhat reminiscent of Avatar- see it once then pick it apart later...
8.0 out of 10
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval and Judy Greer
Run-Time: 130 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief strong language
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