¡°Rise of the Planet of the Apes¡± (2011) was the boldest, most inventive series reboot Hollywood has attempted in recent years, and I¡¯m happy to report that its sequel keeps pushing the envelope. ¡°Dawn of the Planet of the Apes¡± begins a decade after the previous film and its opening montage of a virus wiping out most of humanity is chilling indeed, especially with Ebola currently raging out of control in Africa. A haunting shot from Earth¡¯s orbit shows lights slowly going out across the globe.
The apes who escaped their labs for the redwoods outside San Francisco have thrived in the absence of humanity, but when a scouting party of survivors shows up looking to power a nearby hydroelectric facility, a misunderstanding leads to conflict. (Also, a blockbuster movie that sends the message ¡°We don¡¯t hate you, but we need our energy, so we have to invade you¡± is incredible.)
Andy Serkis¡¯ remarkable performance as Caesar ¡ª the ape raised by humans and given an intelligence-enhancing drug ¡ª was the linchpin of the first film, and he continues to work his motion-capture magic here, capably assisted by the effects team at Weta Digital. ¡°Dawn¡± really marks a new pinnacle of expressiveness in digital animation.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| Director | Matt Reeves |
| Language | English |
| Opens | Sept. 19 |
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.