Apes Together Strong

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes took things to a whole other level. Effectively topping the groundwork that Rise of the Planet of the Apes left behind. With even more stunning visuals that are difficult to distinguish from reality. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is very different then what came before. 10 years after the Simian Flu hit, the human population has decreased dramatically. Making the movie much more of a post-apocalyptic survival thriller.

Since there’s only a small community left, but enough of the humans. It’s really the apes that we care about. They’ve established a colony with Caesar as their leader. Andy Serkis gives us a more complex Caesar who has a family and speaks infrequently. With only a few exceptions, the rest of the apes all speak in sign language. Just like before, a few plot points are now taken from Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Specifically having Caesar attempt to establish peace between the humans. Jason Clarke’s character is the one who makes the first leap. There’s also the law that “Ape not kill ape.” A rule that Koba exploits.

It was clear from his introduction that the disfigured lab ape with a deep hatred for humans would become the villain. I didn’t think it was possible, but Toby Kebbell’s mocap performance very nearly surpasses Serkis himself. Koba is just that entertaining. His best moment is on horseback with two guns. In the end it’s clear that war between the humans is inevitable. Even if connections can be made. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the deepest examination of this world to date.