Film Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of The Apes   10/10

Director: Matt Reeves

Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke

Plot: just go see it, you don't need plot details - the less you know, the better.

It’s really difficult to describe Dawn of Apes using just words. To put it lightly, it’s bloody massive; a cinematic spectacle that needs to be seen on the big screen without fail. Director Matt Reeves, the man behind Cloverfield, has created a movie unlike any other. Dawn has done for motion capture, what Jurassic Park did for animatronics... How can you prove this? Well, the apes in this – as you’ve probably seen from the trailers – are unbelievably realistic.

For a first viewing, it’s all a little too much to take in. The opening scene, which involves a mass hunting, is one of the many highlights. The sheer pace of these scenes, which have been flawlessly assembled together, will have your heart pumping fast and your palms sweating. Andy Serkis, who portrays Caesar, is incredible. Serkis has been snubbed from countless award ceremonies, with a divide between those that believe he deserves it, and those that do not. I for one, believe that Serkis deserves at least a nomination (Toby Kebbell as Koba is also menacing and gripping to watch). Watching behind the scenes footage, and the movie itself, there isn’t a single blip or loss of character in his acting. After all, Serkis is playing an ape… is that not an unbelievable undertaking that requires a hell of a lot of skill? 

Not to forget Gary Oldman, who seemed to take up most of the trailers, and pops in and out of the picture throughout. As you’d expect, his presence on-screen is felt. As he takes on the role as leader of the humans, you really feel the fear and the human side to him. Really though, it’s the speeches of encouragement before the battles that are his most impressive moments. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast aren’t particularly memorable. It’s not to take anything away from them, as it’s the special effects, electric pace and sheer amount of ape screen time that we notice most. There’s little time to dwell with mere humans! 

I’ve likened this to Jurassic Park already, and it can also be linked to Avatar. Where Dawn of Apes seems to succeed over these two though (yes, really), is in its resounding message. There’s something about this that will never feel old. Perhaps it’s the almost post-apocalyptic feel amongst the humans, or the conflicts that will always exist like this in the world, it just doesn’t feel like this movie will age – it’s effectively timeless.

Finally, it’s important to note that Dawn of Apes is a sequel. 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes had scale and it successfully reintroduced us Apes fans back into that universe. Looking back, it was merely that. Dawn opens up the universe and takes us to an entirely different part of it. Not for one moment do you doubt that this is actually happening, and it’s nice to see the setting taken almost entirely to a forest. If you think about it, how many live-action movies have you seen, mostly in a forest and predominantly consisting of animals, and enjoyed? Exactly.

In Conclusion: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes may well be one of the most intense, stunning and truly unbelievable cinematic experiences you’ll ever have. Thankfully, a lot has been held back and kept well away from the trailers, including the final thirty minutes, which is truly incredible. The technological advancements since the first movie have come on leaps and bounds - it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.