Title: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Running Time: 130 min
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbel, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Kussel
Review:
When Producer Arthur P. Jacobs bought the rights to Pierre Boulle's novel "La Planète des Singes" in 1963, he probably didn't expect that he'd start a franchise that would last 50 years and counting. The original film adaptation with Charlton Heston was a huge success and turned into a classic. Now, four sequels, one television series, an aweful reboot, and a critically acclaimed "re-reboot"/prequel later, we get the latest installment of this incredible saga*. Following the events of "Rise" the movie takes us a step further to how the Planet of the Apes actually came to be. And it does so in an amazing way.
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" keeps you invested from the very first scene until the end credits roll. It is a true blockbuster, that is very well paced and full of action, heart and a lot of social commentary. The latter is actually impossible to miss, as the whole story evolves around two groups (in this case species) that are at the brink of war, mostly because of missunderstandings, preconceptions and radical individuals within their own ranks. This believable depiction of conflict might make the story predictable at some points, but only because real conflicts really do seem to follow similar patterns.
And then there's of course theelephant gorilla in the room: The visual effects! If you are not in it for content, there is no need to worry for this movie is truely a feast for the eyes! With the most advanced technique of performance capture Weta Workshop has done a groundbreaking job with the visuals. Seeing how they trasformed the actors into such realistic apes simply leaves you in awe and is an enchanting experience. If this movie does not get the Oscar Gold for its VFX, i doubt there is a sane person left in the Academy.
However, this method is called performance capture for a reason and in no way should the computer animation overshadow the fantastic job these actors have done. Andy Serkis, the god of playing animated characters, outperforms himself once again and elevates all his co-stars on to his level. Not only do they get the strong emotions across, but they physically play apes at the same time. Posture, movement and facial expressions are so spot on, that at no point in the movie you have the feeling you are watching film actors pretending to be apes, but rather apes acting in a film.
Further it needs to be mentioned that, unlike in Avatar for example, 90% of the scenes were shot on location, which meant an even greater challenge for the actors and the VFX-Team. But before I run out of positive adjectives, I urge you to check out all the behind the scenes footage you can get your hands on and much more importantly to watch this film in theaters!
*so basically the sequel of the prequel of the planet of the apes, which is basically a reboot.
For Fans Of:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Malcom X (1992)
Click Here To Watch Trailer!
And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!
Running Time: 130 min
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbel, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Kussel
When Producer Arthur P. Jacobs bought the rights to Pierre Boulle's novel "La Planète des Singes" in 1963, he probably didn't expect that he'd start a franchise that would last 50 years and counting. The original film adaptation with Charlton Heston was a huge success and turned into a classic. Now, four sequels, one television series, an aweful reboot, and a critically acclaimed "re-reboot"/prequel later, we get the latest installment of this incredible saga*. Following the events of "Rise" the movie takes us a step further to how the Planet of the Apes actually came to be. And it does so in an amazing way.
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" keeps you invested from the very first scene until the end credits roll. It is a true blockbuster, that is very well paced and full of action, heart and a lot of social commentary. The latter is actually impossible to miss, as the whole story evolves around two groups (in this case species) that are at the brink of war, mostly because of missunderstandings, preconceptions and radical individuals within their own ranks. This believable depiction of conflict might make the story predictable at some points, but only because real conflicts really do seem to follow similar patterns.
And then there's of course the
However, this method is called performance capture for a reason and in no way should the computer animation overshadow the fantastic job these actors have done. Andy Serkis, the god of playing animated characters, outperforms himself once again and elevates all his co-stars on to his level. Not only do they get the strong emotions across, but they physically play apes at the same time. Posture, movement and facial expressions are so spot on, that at no point in the movie you have the feeling you are watching film actors pretending to be apes, but rather apes acting in a film.
Further it needs to be mentioned that, unlike in Avatar for example, 90% of the scenes were shot on location, which meant an even greater challenge for the actors and the VFX-Team. But before I run out of positive adjectives, I urge you to check out all the behind the scenes footage you can get your hands on and much more importantly to watch this film in theaters!
*so basically the sequel of the prequel of the planet of the apes, which is basically a reboot.
For Fans Of:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Malcom X (1992)
Click Here To Watch Trailer!
And check out my friend's review over at B.A.'s Screentest for a second opinion!
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