“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a solid sci-fi flick as
well as the best of the Planet of the
Apes movies. This installment moves events closer to a merge point with the
1968 Charlton Heston original. As with the other Apes movies, the story is allegorical, but there’s no heavy-handed
preachiness. The movie makes its point about the destructiveness of racial
hatred as an integral part of the narrative. Plus the personalities for both
people and apes are developed well. The story begins with an unspecified period
after the conclusion of its predecessor, Rise
of the Planet of the apes. Humankind, ravaged by a virus and the
lawlessness that arose in its wake, has lost its position of prominence atop
the global food chain. The collapse of civilization has resulted in a
fragmented, primitive society with a band in San Francisco under the leadership
of two survivors, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) and Malcolm (Jason Clarke) struggling
to regain some of what was lost. Their immediate goal is to restore the power
grid; to do that, however, they must venture into Muir Woods where the apes,
still led by Caesar (Andy Serkis), have become increasingly advanced and
sophisticated. Caesar has learned speech (a skill soon mastered by others). Men
and apes clash and, while the moderate elements in each species struggle to
broker and agreement to promote mutual cooperation and forestall a war; the
more extreme elements seek only to annihilate their opponents.
To his credit, director Matt Reeves has focused his efforts
on story rather than mindless explosions and special effects. That being said,
the movie has a lot of visual flair from apes riding horses to the eventual
battle between man and ape. Plus Andy Serkis does a remarkable job of making
Caesar the most compelling character in the movie. In addition to Caesar, key
simian players include Maurice the orangutan; Caesar’s grown son, Blue Eyes;
and the embittered Koba. The humans are represented by Malcolm and his
compatriots: Ellie (Keri Russell), Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Carver
(Kirk Acevedo). The script gives
each human a scene designed to provide depth and breadth to what could have
been a one-dimensional character. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” takes its
time, especially during the first hour, where the focus is on the ape society,
and it ends on a satisfying (if downbeat) note that promises a sequel. 7/11/14
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