The sequel to the 2011 film, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” and the second prequel to the 1968 Charlton Heston original, “The Planet of the Apes,” continues the saga of how humans let the apes take over the world.
Taking place 10 years after “Rise,” the humans have been decimated by the ALZ-113 virus, a manmade virus created in an effort to combat Alzheimer’s disease. The ALZ-113 virus became lethal to most humans and allowed the apes to take the next step in their evolution. As humanity became limited to the few who had a natural immunity to the virus, the genetically altered apes have continued to evolve. With apes now living in an organized society and capable of reading and speaking English, “Dawn” becomes the story of how the humans and apes were unable to coexist.
In the 10 years since “Rise,” the apes have thrived in a forest outside of San Francisco, where they have been separated from the surviving humans, with little interaction between the two species. This comes to an end when a group of humans, on a quest to restore power to San Francisco, walk through ape territory attempting to find and repair a hydroelectric power plant and dam. A member of the trespassing human party shoots an ape, igniting tensions between the two species.
After an appeal to the ape leader, Cesar (voiced by and modeled after Andy Serkis), the first ape to evolve, the humans are allowed to access the dam, but only long enough to fix it and be on their way. The humans being in ape territory does not go as planned, and eventually the two species find themselves in a battle to determine which species will reign.
The human downfall appears inevitable as even the survivors become divided. Gary Oldman, who plays Dreyfus, the leader of the surviving humans, is quick to want war; however, Malcolm and Ellie, played by Jason Clarke and Keri Russell, want a peaceful coexistence after befriending Cesar.
The best part of this movie is the apes. No longer just actors in gorilla costumes as in the Heston original, the computer-generated apes are as realistic as any special effects I have ever seen. Even in the 2001 Mark Wahlberg remake of “The Planet of the Apes,” the viewer was never convinced that there were really primates on the screen; however, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is so realistic, not once was I distracted and thinking how ridiculous the apes looked.
While the starring human actors were less than inspired — even Oldman did not deliver one of his best performances — the special effects make this movie one to see. There is something inherently exciting about seeing a primate charging atop a horse as he fires a fully automatic machine gun.
The movie does have many battle sequences where humans and apes alike are killed, so parents should be careful of young eyes catching the movie. However, the PG-13 rating is an excellent guide to who should attend the movie.
Ultimately, the special effects and amazing images of the computer-generated apes make this one a must for the big screen. It is a value at a matinee and even worth date night prices. While this may be a better movie for a guy’s night out than a date night, either way, it is enjoyable and, despite the disappointing acting by the humans, worth a trip to the theater to see on the big screen.
