Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman
Length: 131 mins
Country: USA
In 2011, 20th Century Fox decided to grant the long dormant Planet of the Apes franchise the ever-enduring “reboot” treatment, with one of the many changes including replacing the world-renowned prosthetics of the apes with digital motion-capture creations from the WETA Workshop. Though people feared for the worst, the quasi-prequel Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a surprise critical and commercial hit. Essentially a prison break drama with apes, the film followed intelligent ape Caesar (Serkis) as he led a rebellion against his human captors, and lit the fire of revolution for his own kind. Picking up 10 years later, the Simian Flu outbreak has decimated civilisation. Caesar now leads an ape community in the Muir Woods, under the belief that humanity has died out. But when a group of immune human survivors discovers them, their peaceful lives are soon threatened as rifts begin to open in both human and ape clans. The volatile natures of both species are exposed as Caesar struggles to maintain the peace, while also trying to keep an emotional distance from his new human companions.
While the film does have its share of terrific action set-pieces, this is an altogether different beast than the marketing material may have suggested. A slower, more calculated reflection on the state of the story so far. The slow-burn introduction to the apes features little dialogue beyond grunts and sign language, and when the apes finally do open their mouths to speak for the first time, it’s as genuinely shocking and uncomfortable a moment as you’d expect. Though it eventually becomes customary, it’s the audience’s gradual readjustment to this new world that adds to the effect.
The film represents both species in an incredibly balanced way, assessing both situations in equal manner, and exhibiting both the animalistic sides of people, and the evolving humanity of the apes. This is aided by the brilliant integration of the actors’ performances of the anthropomorphized apes. CGI has never looked better, with WETA Workshop’s digital creations integrated seamlessly into the earthy outdoor environments unlike anything you’ve seen before. Serkis has received star billing this time round and once again owns the role, as do the other ape performers like Toby Kebbell, brought on-board to bestow soul to the malignant Koba.
The deep socio-political undercurrents of the original films may have taken a back seat to sentiment, trading in its sci-fi roots for something approaching a Joseph Conrad novel, but they are very much still present, integrated into both the agile dialogue and the magnificent scenery and framing.
The human characters are all well drawn and duly performed by all. Malcolm (Clarke) is a greatly sympathetic lead, and Oldman’s performance as the human leader is wonderful, if not dwelled upon. The same goes for many besides Clarke, although they are all given sufficient enough backstory nods and emotional drive to keep them somewhat involving. There is time given for us to care about the outcome of events for either side, displaying prominently that both Caesar and Malcolm have something to lose, with both looking towards the future instead of trivial warfare. The story is driven heavily through emotional conflict, which is applied well with the plot and respects the themes of family, belonging, benevolence, trust and upholding moral values. The entire story almost conjures up a Shakespearean spirit with its dramatic placement and structure. While there are no clear-cut heroes or villains to begin with, the eventual reveal of the primary antagonist feels authentic. Making choices based upon their past experiences with the other species, they are believably motivated by corruption, distrust and the preservation of their own way of life.
While not as gorgeous looking as Rise, Dawn’s more “guerrilla” approach to filming only boosts its grimy outdoors aesthetic. Cinematographer Michael Seresin keeps the camera on the go, but shoots action scenes of great construction without backsliding to shaky cam. The brilliant Michael Giacchino score, offering a similar instrumental arrangement to that of the original one by Jerry Goldsmith, compliments it superbly.
At times the plot itself may come across as ordinary, but it’s the handling of the content that keeps it advancing and engaging. The emotional attachment to both the characters and the unfolding events are bound through its flawless execution. The ending still gives leeway to continuation, giving the film a slightly more episodic quality unlike its predecessors, but these new films really hold a shifted focus towards the journey of Caesar, focusing on the smaller picture that will lead to bigger things. The deep socio-political undercurrents of the original films may have taken a back seat to sentiment, trading in its sci-fi roots for something approaching a Joseph Conrad novel, but they are very much still present, integrated into both the agile dialogue and the magnificent scenery and framing.
This may be an unforgivingly bleak experience for a summer blockbuster, but it’s a spectacular achievement in character driven storytelling that’s dense with compelling, believable conflict. It’s the best kind of sequel you could possibly ask for, and one of the best films of the year.
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