It really pains me to see such a terrific film run to sparsely filled cinemas.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the sequel to which all sequels shall be compared to for the next decade or so. It is beautifully written, terrifically paced, with some wonderful acting by those under the guise of Mo-Cap.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set ten odd years from where Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011) ended. The Human population, having succumbed to a virus only known as the Simian flu, are slowly dying out, leaving those immune to the virus to search for means of survival. The merry band we’re introduced to make their way up to the mountains to generate electricity from a dam, only to realize that the entire region has been taken over by the apes, led by the enigmatic Caesar(Andy Serkis). Caesar strikes a deal with one of the doctors(Jason Clarke, of Zero Dark Thirty fame) much to the disgust of Koba(Toby Kebbel). What unfolds next is for you to see.
One of the few things I loved about this film is that there are no black and white characters in it. Nobody in the film is good or bad, rather they all appear to be victims of circumstance. This builds up an interesting premise leaving you with no one to root for or no one to despise either.
As for the cast, the mo-cap apes are something to marvel at, mostly thanks to the actors who portray them. Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbel are phenomenal, with the former clearly in contention for an Oscar, if the Academy revises it’s rule on lead actors. Kebbel is fantastic as the volatile Koba and undoubtedly gets the best scenes in the film. The supporting cast which includes a rather underused Gary Oldman are seemingly adequate too. I don’t want to give too much away considering how entrapped the film had me whilst I was watching it.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the probably the best film you’ll see this summer/monsoon. Trust me, there is a marked difference between staring into Caesar’s eyes on the big screen and doing the same on your TV/Laptop. Go, have a blast. You won’t be disappointed.
