Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Dir: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell,
Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smit-McPhee
“Dawn” is a fitting word to describe the second installment
of the “Planet of the Apes” films. Whether the transition from ignorance to
understanding, or the state of light invading darkness and alternatively the
resistance of darkness to light, these themes are explored throughout director Matt Reeves’
excellent “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”.
The film is introduced with a quick montage of information
explaining what has happened since the end of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.
In nearly ten years a deadly virus has spread killing off a majority of
humanity, leaving the world in anarchy and violence. The Apes have escaped into
the woods outside of San Francisco and have created a colony led by the
advanced Caesar (Andy Serkis). A small group of disease immune humans remain in
the city though they are without power and low on fuel resources. The humans,
desperate for electrical power, invade ape territory and are met with
resistance by Caesar and company.
Malcolm (Jason Clarke) is a father and subsequent leader of
the journey into Ape territory to save his group of surviving humans. Malcolm and
the powerful Caesar are basically the same character. Two men that are both the
leading hope for their communities though they are mostly trying to make a
better life for the family they have. Seeing them on two different sides of
battle makes for an interesting dichotomy. Caesar loves humans, being raised by
a human father figure (James Franco in “Rise”) and allowed to live in the same
environment as them. Malcolm has seen the worst in humanity and finds the Apes
“remarkable” in their advancements. Both men are from worlds filled with fear
and hatred for each other. In scenes were Caesar and Malcolm interact there is
mutual respect and most importantly for both, trust. The trust between Caesar
and Malcolm is met with hostility by both sides but especially from Koba (Toby
Kebbell), Caesar’s hostile second-in-command. Koba was an experiment when
captive, sliced and cut for the benefit of science. Koba wants revenge and Reeves
builds towards the inevitable altercation against Caesar with exceptional
tension. These small moments of interaction, both physical and psychological,
give depth to the narrative. The original 1968 “Planet of the Apes” composed
reflections of the social and political tensions of the time. “Dawn” also
echoes this theme however in a darker perspective. The future here has been
consumed by hatred that continues the prevention of resolution and humanity’s
response to “difference” evokes chaos; a societal outlook that proposes the
outcome of continued discrimination and intolerance.
Andy Serkis may not be the most recognizable name, or face,
but his contribution to film performance has been nothing short of remarkable
the last decade. Contributing performances through CGI that gave life to Kong
in “King Kong” and Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings”, Serkis brings brilliant
emotional content to these digital characters. His composition of Caesar is both
sympathetic and powerful, a performance impressive to watch. The remaining
cast, both human and ape, also contributes finely to the film. The use of
non-verbal expressions to communicate relationships between characters gives
the cast plenty to work with, even in very limited roles for some of the
actors.
It’s rare for a
summer blockbuster to propose thought provoking subject matter amidst the
bombardment of action extravagance and forced development. “Dawn of the Planet
of the Apes” is both highly entertaining, action packed, and provocative; a
credit to Matt Reeves for asking more from what is ultimately a genre film.
Monte’s Rating
4.25 out of 5.00
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