Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

I must have seen the trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes hundreds of times at the cinema over the last few months, and although the prospect of genetically engineered apes fighting with humans for dominance didn't really seem my cup of tea on paper, I decided to give it a go.

I caught up on the prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and popped off to an air conditioned cinema yesterday to avoid this ridiculous London heatwave and see what all the fuss is about.

Safe to say, Dawn did not disappoint and I'm now beyond tempted to go and see it again.

Picking up ten years after Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), human-ape relations are devastated after the deadly ALZ-113 virus has spread across the globe and decimated the human population. Survivors now live in small colonies with limited resources, with the human race almost certainly facing imminent extinction at the hands of the virus – only 1 in 500 are immune – and the violence it generates. The ape population, on the other hand, has thrived and significantly grown in the wild. In the trees of the Muir Woods in San Francisco, heroic chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis) leads a genetically evolved community of apes that have developed a sophisticated form of communication through sign and speech, and whose home displays the trappings of modern, civilised society. A fragile peace rests between the humans and the apes, but when Caesar’s community is threatened by a band of survivors in the midst of a fuel crisis both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will ultimately decide who is to become the dominant species.

(IMAGE SOURCED FROM www.dawnofapes.co.uk)

The real star of the film is Andy Serkis and his continued excellence in the field of motion capture, which in Dawn is quite literally out of this world. He continues to prove he is at the top of his game and leading the pack in terms of motion capture acting. As the godfather of the craft, his turn reprising the role of Caesar in Dawn is fundamentally a master-class in astonishing character acting. He plays the leader of the apes with a subtle intensity, sensitivity and a real sense of nobility, expertly bringing to the screen a leader conflicted over his loyalty to his species and his respect for the humans that raised him.

(ALL FURTHER IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)

Motion capture acting deserves so much more recognition that it currently receives. As Serkis has stated in the past (in an interview with Wired) motion capture is “about an actor acting a role, except with a different costume” and the key to performance capture it purely the fact that “it records an actor who’s playing a role that could not be achieved using prosthetic make up.” Clearly it is possible to act as apes with prosthetics – the success of the franchise is testament to that – but there’s something really special about the apes in Rise and Dawn. 

 [Andy Serkis as Caesar]

[Nick Thurston as Caesar's son, Blue Eyes]

(ALL GIFS SOURCED FROM keptyn.tumblr.com)

The work Serkis, Toby Kebell (Koba), Terry Notary (Rocket), Karin Konoval (Maurice) and the rest of the ape actors bring to the film is phenomenal, blending advanced technology with an intricate study and appreciation for animal movement. It’s very easy to forget that the apes are digitally created as the characteristics, mannerisms and appearance of each and every one is utterly flawless. The formidable team at Weta Digital were building on a solid foundation from the previous film, and have succeeded in completely outdoing themselves this time around, rising the bar dramatically. Despite motion capture ensuring actors are deemed ineligible for top awards such as the Oscars and BAFTAs in the past, one can only hope the rules change in the future.

[Toby Kebell as Koba] 

[Karin Konoval as Maurice]

As the posters denote, there’s a lot of apes riding horses, throwing spears and wielding guns throughout the film, all of which come together in an epic battle scene in the desolate streets of San Francisco. 

However, it’s the juxtaposition of these sorts of action sequences and enormous set pieces with tender moments between both apes and humans that lifts Dawn from being a brainless summer blockbuster. The stereotypical lines between good and evil are well and truly blurred in this world: a refreshing change from an industry than can fall into the common trap of oversimplifying plots in favour of an excessive use of special effects. A plethora of well-developed three-dimensional characters on both sides of the human-ape divide ensure that this never happens to Dawn, and the result is an intelligent and thoughtful film that raises questions of morality, gun-control and loyalty in both brutal battle sequences and gentle family moments. As Caesar preaches diplomacy in vain his lieutenant Koba seeks more violent ends; and within the human camp former architect Malcolm (Jason Clarke) appreciates the benefits of living in harmony while trigger-happy Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) sees no other option than to annihilate all apes into extinction. Not all apes are good, and certainly not all humans are bad.

Fans of the Planet of the Apes universe can already hazard a guess at where director Matt Reeves is going to take the rebooted franchise, and obviously eagerly await news of a certain iconic landmark. In the meantime, however, Reeves has successfully produced a film that both bridges the gap between the foundation of this new world and the talking, highly sophisticated apes expected in the coming 2016 instalment. At no stage does Dawn feel like a typical sequel, where old plots are rehashed and battle sequences are merely longer and with higher stakes. Brilliant characterisations, a brand new roster of humans and thought provoking themes ensure that this is paradoxically an original offering, and when combined with a tense plot and killer score from Michael Giacchino it’s definitely a film to remember.

Hail Caesar, indeed.

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is in cinemas now