DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

US, 2014, 130 minutes, Colour.
Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbel, Kodi Smit- Mc Phee, Judy Greer.
Directed by Matt Reeves.


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to the very successful The Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2012.
The original Planet of the Apes appeared in 1968, an original idea, made more forceful at the end by the discovery of the ruins in New York and the fallen Statue of Liberty. In the immediate aftermath there were four sequels by the middle of the 1970s as well as a television series. Tim Burton re-imagined the original in 2001, some critics praising the film, others saying that it lacked the impact of the original. Then the decision was made to reboot the story with the 2012 film, proving very popular with audiences as was this film.

The plot concerns the community of the apes, the combination of an animal and intelligent society, ruled over by Caesar was subject to experiments in the former film, but developed intelligence and was able to speak. All is well in the society of the apes except that there is an ambitious ape, Koba, who wants to rule and attempts to kill Caesar, turning many of the adult male apes against Caesar and takes them into San Francisco to wage battle with the humans.

The humans have been depleted by a virus, attributed to the apes. There are two perspectives of the humans on the apes, a friendly group who want to go into the apes’ forests, to find the dam which supplied electricity to San Francisco and to restore it. They do have a trigger-happy member of their team who ultimately is sent back to the city while the group establishes trust with Caesar and the apes and are successful with their mission. In the meantime, under the leadership of Dreyfus, the humans have an antagonistic attitude towards the apes which comes to a head when Koba and his warrior apes, riding on their horses, storm into San Francisco.

There is a forceful confrontation between apes and humans but Caesar is able to restore peace and defeat Koba.

The role of Caesar is taken again by Andy Serkis who has had an unexpectedly successful career, firstly with Gollum in the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit, then with King Kong, then with the two Planet of the Apes films. Caesar is a striking and forceful leader. Gary Oldman is Dreyfus, fomenting the war against the apes. The genial humans are portrayed by Jason Clarke as Malcolm, Keri Russell as Ellie and Kodi Smit- Mc Phee as Malcolm’s son.

The design of the make up for the apes is outstanding. The visual effects and the action and stunt work is also compelling. So, there is no argument against another Planet of the Apes film.

1. 46 years of Planet of the Apes films, the concept, new stories, post-apocalyptic, virus and disease, humans and apes?

2. The predecessor, the clips included here, memories, Caesar and the rise of the apes, Caesar and his intellect and communication, speaking?

3. The production values, California, the forests, San Francisco, the ruins, exteriors and interiors? The special effects, the stunts? Action in battles?

4. The make-up and designed for the apes? The cast?

5. The prologue, revisiting the story, the apes, training, the uprising? The virus? Simian disease? The effect on the humans?

6. The battles with the apes, the separation, ape and not killing ape, but mistrusting humans?

7. Life, the forests, society, its regulations, Caesar in charge? His wife and her pregnancy, the birth? Her sons? The place of Koba, the rivalry?

8. The arrival of humans, the guns, the confrontation, the appeal the trust, the mission of the humans, the dam, electricity?

9. The return to San Francisco, the role of Dreyfus, his leadership, his human attitudes, hostility, no trust in the apes? The picture of the humans, the large crowds, but no trust, fear? The effect of the disease? Humans as prisoners?

10. The humans going back to the apes, the request, issues of trust? Malcolm and his peaceful attitude, his son and the drawings, Ellie and her accompanying the group, the death of her own son, the relationship with Malcolm? The group assisting, workers – and the trigger-happy member?

11. The work, for electricity, going to the dam, the processes, the ruins of the machines, setting things going again? The teamwork? The worker with the gun, his being ousted? His return, suspicions? The humans testing weapons? The apes following the humans and seeing the guns, the report?

12. Success, the lights on again, the interactions, Caesar and his wife’s illness, Ellie and are able her being able to help her? Peace?

13. Koba, his rivalry, tough, his lies, the attempt to kill Caesar? The son believing Koba? Koba leading the apes to battle? As warriors, riding their horses?

14. Caesar, wounded, but strong, reviving?

15. Koba, his leadership, his fanaticism, his behaviour in San Francisco, the brutality of the war?

16. Bringing Caesar to San Francisco, through the subway system? To the tower? The sonseeing him and changing his mind?

17. Dreyfus, his team, against the apes, thinking that he was allowing humans to survive? The explosion and its destruction in the tower?

18. The confrontation between Koba and Caesar, the fight, the fall, ape not killing ape, Caesar saying Koba was not a true ape?

19. The restoration of peace, the freedom of the humans, the apes and the gorillas who were sympathetic to Caesar, there will, being captured, freed? A new age?