"
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" has triumphantly overcome the ever-popular sequel curse. Typically in a franchise the sequel tends to be a bloated attempt at recapturing the magic that made it's predecessor so successful. In 2011 when "
Rise of the Planet of the Apes" came out, I remember sitting in the theater after it ended, basking in the awe that poured over me. It was a refreshing interpretation of the popular canon of old. There was a level of emotion that I had not expected and the motion-capture and special effects done on the film blew me away. As the credits began to roll at the end of "Dawn..." I had an equally similar experience, only this time magnified immensely. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" succeeds on so many levels that it is insane to comprehend. I loved the film, and I am in awe of it.
Set ten years after the events of "Rise...", the film opens in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where the genetically altered apes, lead by Caesar are striving to thrive and live peacefully. When an unsuspecting band of humans, survivors of the deadly "Simian Virus" breakout ten years earlier, discover the apes' existence, a short-lived peace spans between the two surviving races. Ultimately there can only be one alpha species right? War is inevitable and the events that unfold are epic in scale and emotion.
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is by far the apex of motion-capture and digital characterization. It's absolutely stunning to watch the apes, who look so real, interact on screen. A majority of the film is spent with and among them. They can talk now, something we saw a glimpse of at the end of "Rise...", but a majority of the ape dialogue is seen through sign language and subtitles. You may think this is boring but I assure you it's not. I was amazed at how I was so captivated during scenes of quiet dialogue among the apes and how the level of emotion, which you could only really tell by their facial expressions and body language, were both moving and visceral. Motion-capture has become a forefront in digital animation. We were all amazed at how well Gollum turned out in "
The Lord of the Rings" franchise; the success of Gollum was the selling point for
James Cameron that his epic vision of "
Avatar" could be developed, which in and of itself was an amazing leap forward in this field. With that said, and keeping in mind that technology as come a long way and will continue to move forward, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" delivers the greatest visual experience in the field of motion-capture. Some come close, but ultimately fall short. This of course is credited to the talented animators,
Matt Reeves who takes over as the director, and almost more importantly, the actors...both apes and humans alike. It's fair to note that this film has a slew of talent.
Jason Clarke,
Keri Russell, and
Gary Oldman give us plenty to enjoy as they portray the leaders of the human survivors. However, as awesome as they are, I think the apes and those who play them overshadow their performances.
Andy Serkis, a master-class actor in my book, is the forefront genius of motion-capture. He obviously knows how to work within the spectrum and his level of dedication to his roles are insane. When on screen Serkis' Caesar is mesmerizing. Utilizing the actors' facial expressions and movements, the animators essentially capture the performances of the actors and use them in their animation. It's really fascinating to think about. Yet, for most of the film, you forget you're looking at a computer animated ape and you are completely caught up in the beauty and true extravagance of the reality of the apes as a whole. It's not hard to believe them to be as real as the world around them, which makes for a truly immersive experience. The story is equally engaging as the apes themselves. It moves at a pace which allows yourself to be drawn into the world, experiencing it almost from a first-hand perspective. The success of this I feel can contribute some credit to the foundation set in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". You were connected with Caesar and felt justified in his emotional responses to the film. "Dawn..." is no different, however it achieves this great emotional connection on a grander scale. You feel for the apes, you sympathize with Caesar, you sympathize with the humans. It's an emotional roller coaster that builds to an epic climax that is gritty, stunning and intense.
I feel cheap by saying this because I've said it before about other films, but "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is one of the best films I've seen this year. It's a triumph in film-making on so many levels. It was to "Rise..." what "
Empire Strikes Back" was to "Star Wars" and "
The Dark Knight" was to "
Batman Begins": a truly successful, dare I say masterpiece of a sequel. Yes it's true, I like practically every movie I see, but believe me when I tell you that this movie was nothing short of amazing. It's an exciting time in cinema when technology can truly elevate a film instead of hinder it. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" truly delivers.
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