DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

The majority of Earth's human population has been decimated by a virus and the chaotic violence that ensued. A collective of survivors have built a home for themselves in what once was San Francisco. But the fuel resources used to run their vehicles and generators are depleting and an alternative power source is needed. This necessitates a group of humans to venture into the woods north of San Francisco to access a dilapidated power plant, but they're confronted by an army of apes, lead by Caesar. Although an uneasy verbal memorandum of understanding is established, human fears and ape bitterness boils to the surface and leads both species to war.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes begins ten years after the concluding events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). The opening sequence in the movie creatively summarizes the events of the past decade and the state of the dwindling human populace. On the other hand, Caesar's community of apes are burgeoning. The simplicity in the film's story is one of it's advantages. In order to reach the power plant the humans must go through ape territory but the apes just want to be left alone. This plain dilemma opens up many paths to take the story through and this is exactly what the film-makers have done. Just when you think you've got the story figured out, they take you on a detour.

The ensemble cast of actors give the film another layer of quality. The three main non-CGI actors, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell and Gary Oldman are commendable even though Oldman is sorely underused as the human-villain Dreyfus. As far as acting performances go, this film belongs to the apes. Toby Kebbell who plays the ape-villain Koba is riveting. But the marquee performance is that of Caesar played by the astounding Andy Serkis. He has brought Performance Capture Acting to new heights with his poignant portrayal of Caesar.

One of the hallmarks of great special effects is if it doesn't draw too much attention to itself. From the movement of their bodies to the glint in their eyes, these apes look incarnate. The Art Department of the film responsible for the set design along with the Cinematographer have immensely contributed to the overall cinematic atmosphere. The production value of the sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has improved by leaps and bounds when compared to the earlier Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Director Matt Reeves who is noted for directing the sleeper-hit Cloverfield (2008) has gone above and beyond the directorial call of duty. Along with the screenwriters, production team and actors Reeves has shown how a “movie reboot” should be made. After Tim Burton's stale re-imagining Planet of the Apes (2001) the franchise needed resuscitation. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the perfect revival to move the story in a new direction and now the sequel has certainly surpassed my expectations.

Rating: 9/10

S. V. Fernando