I just saw DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES last night. I was blown away. This movie might take the top spot as best movie of the 2014 summer season. At the beginning of the summer I would not have picked it for such high praise. It deserves all the praise I can give it. A solid 7 out of 10.
WARNING ~ SPOILERS MAY LAY AHEAD
The original series saw the eventual rise of Caesar and ended with the dawn of the apes rule of planet Earth. The new franchise seems to be heading in this general direction. One aspect about the original series that I find so entertaining and intriguing is the fact that in the first two films we are thrust into a world so alien from our own and then it is revealed it is our own! Perhaps the greatest sci-fi twist in cinematic history. Unfortunately by the end of the second film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the world is destroyed in fire leaving a prospect of a sequel very difficult to produce. It is here that the filmmakers embark upon a trilogy of films telling us how our planet became their planet.
Ambitious filmmaking indeed! The first film in the series is certainly the masterpiece of the franchise but I dare say going back in time to see how that future occurred across the scope of three films is a far greater adventure in my opinion. There we see the rise of Caesar and the takeover of the planet, leading us to the distopic future Captain Taylor encounters in the first film. A story coming full circle at last.
As I said in the previous review of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the new franchise has gone back to tell us again how it all began. RISE carefully puts the pieces into place setting up the ICARUS space flight of Captain Taylor and the rise of the apes. DAWN takes up the reigns 10 years after the events of the previous film. Caesar has led the apes away from the city, built a city, and built a family. The apes have continued to evolve in body and in mind. A virus has wiped out 90% or more of humanity. Only a small number of humans exist, isolated and cut off from the rest of humanity.
The movie retains its empathy and emotional potency. It's paced very well between interesting characters, intriguing plot, and exciting action! The spectacle of seeing apes riding horses is revitalized in this film. And Caesar proves to be one of the best characters I've seen in a long time, a truly fantastic character. By the end you'll find yourself begging for a sequel!
Final Ranking: 7 out of 10
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