Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

[Deep Wang]

My problem is that the film is not a lot of fun. Snowpiercer is delieriously bleak yet I was cheering through the whole thing. Here, the action scenes, well designed as they were, didn't carry much excitement and carried a lot of dread. Which makes the film very admirable but not terribly ENJOYABLE. Even in comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge fight in Rise.

 

I totally agree about it not being a lot of "fun," but I feel like that is absolutely the point.  War isn't fun.  Death isn't fun.  We've gotten so used to enjoying big action scenes and spectacle without the repercussion in almost every big blockbuster that we forget that this isn't supposed to be "fun."  

 

The weird thing is, while watching the movie, it made me think of The Last of Us on more than one occasion.  Which would also fit in with many critics complaint that the game wasn't fun.  It was an incredible game, but it was bleak and dark and not at all enjoyable.  So naturally I loved it for doing something that isn't done a lot in games!

[Gopher]

That's not what I'm getting at here. Go back to my Snowpiercer comparison. That's often a more horrifying adventure and more incisive in its social allegory. Yet it's a ton of fun, whether you're watching a fight or you're just watching the characters bounce off each other. You watch Dawn and you pretty much want to kill yourself. It's such an earnest, meaningful film with the 'right' story beats and the 'right' politics that there's honestly very little room in the script for nuance or spontaneity. The only nuance here is in the Ape performances, and I DON'T think this was the case with Rise.

[mattmav45]

No doubt Gopher makes good points here.

 

The action itself is simply not very involving.  After all the build it is a bit disappointing there is not a greater payoff present.  For me, Caesar's characters and the moral interplay was enough.  These things complemented the action enough to allow it to get by with me.  It is in fact why I remember the film for reasons entirely other than the action.  

 

I will say that the characters in general were pretty damn poor in both films.

[Deep Wang]

That's not what I'm getting at here. Go back to my Snowpiercer comparison. That's often a more horrifying adventure and more incisive in its social allegory. Yet it's a ton of fun, whether you're watching a fight or you're just watching the characters bounce off each other. You watch Dawn and you pretty much want to kill yourself. It's such an earnest, meaningful film with the 'right' story beats and the 'right' politics that there's honestly very little room in the script for nuance or spontaneity. The only nuance here is in the Ape performances, and I DON'T think this was the case with Rise.

It's obvious I won't get exactly what you mean until I see Snowpiercer!

[Deep Wang]

Let me ask you this, regarding Snowpiercer, is there a clear protagonist? I'm so in the dark about the movie because I don't want to know anything about it yet. In Apes, there are good and bad guys on BOTH sides of the conflict. They present both sides effectively enough for me that I didn't want either side to kill the other.

[Gopher]

Let me ask you this, regarding Snowpiercer, is there a clear protagonist? I'm so in the dark about the movie because I don't want to know anything about it yet.In Apes, there are good and bad guys on BOTH sides of the conflict. They present both sides effectively enough for me that I didn't want either side to kill the other.

 

Both sides are fucked up in Snowpiercer, even if the people we're following are "more" in the right. Similar deal with Apes but I think more varied and nuanced than what we're seeing here. Snowpiercer isn't a totally fair comparison to Apes (they're pretty different films) but unfortunately I saw it the same day as Apes (and Edge, very different sci-fi from both but also a superior film for me) and can't help but compare. 

 

I will say maintain that Reeves' and WETA's and Serkis' work in this film is incredible and worth seeing for that. But I loved Rise and I had fairly high expectations for this film that weren't really met for me. I am glad you guys dig it, though. I'm also glad me and Tim disagree for the first time in ages (agreeing a lot gets boring).  

Edited July 15, 2014 by Gopher

[Ezen Baklattan]

So Boner Omega is the anti-Baumer?

[Gopher]

Yes. I expect this information to figure into your Les Mis adaptation.

[Deep Wang]

So Boner Omega is the anti-Baumer?

It's pretty crazy how similar our tastes are!I'm waiting on him to see Boyhood!!Come on you fucker!

[Wormhole]

I actually thought of TLoU when watching this as well, if only because their post-apocalyptic worlds looked similar. Also thought of "The Road" a bit. 

[Gopher]

It's pretty crazy how similar our tastes are!I'm waiting on him to see Boyhood!!Come on you fucker!

Two weeks from today, man.

[Deep Wang]

Two weeks from today, man.

 

Dang it!

[BK007]

Snowpiercer is not even better than the likes of Lockout and Pandorum.

 

Director and source material blinding critics, but that is to be expected, I suppose.

[Dark 33Legend of the Sith]

What an awesome film.

 

It builds on a fantastic "Rise" movie and takes it to another level. I didn't feel like anything was slow as it continued to develop the characters nicely early on. Watching Caesar slowly come to the realization that the Apes are very similar to humans was an interesting dynamic to unfold.  Koba is a fantastic villain who you loathe but can also understand his point of view.  Gary Oldman, IMO, wasn't much of a villain, though his mindset was similar to Koba. The performances by the apes were amazing and Clarke did a nice job as well. It really comes down to a wonderfully made survival films with 2 species that don't trust each other.

 

I must say Matt Reeves did a tremendous job directing this movie.  Sign him up for more summer blockbusters as the visuals and shots were amazing. 

 

The last shot of the movie was phenomenal.  The sadness and inevitability of what was to come and the look on Caesars face was a phenomenal and fitting end to an amazing film.

 

Right now it would be a coin flip between this and Dragon 2 for my favorite film of 2014.

 

A

[MovieGuyKyle17]

I have so much amazing things to say about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that I really don't know where to begin. The acting is amazing from Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke but the standout here is Andy Serkis. Even with all of the motion capture technology, Serkis is able to shine through it and just blow everyone away. The plot is more complicated then what you would expect for a summer blockbuster. 

The film is intense, brutal, very dark, and yet some how still has a few moments of laughter. Even though I went into the movie hoping to see Apes on horses, destroying stuff with guns, the movie made me really want to see the Apes and Humans make peace. The characters are more then just one dimensional, and when the characters do something, even though its painful at times, you can't blame them for acting in that matter. 

The only real complaint I have and its a real small complaint, is that Gary Oldman wasn't in the movie enough. Besides that, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the best movie of the summer and I can't wait to go see it again. 

Grade: A

I can't stress how close I was to give this film the perfect score. I been debating in my head if my small complaint is considered a complaint or nitpick.

[Gopher]

Snowpiercer is not even better than the likes of Lockout and Pandorum.Director and source material blinding critics, but that is to be expected, I suppose.

Don't be an asshole. I've never seen THE HOST or read the source material. I went into SNOWPIERCER knowing the cast list and that's it.

[Deep Wang]

Snowpiercer is not even better than the likes of Lockout and Pandorum.

 

Director and source material blinding critics, but that is to be expected, I suppose.

 

Have you actually seen Lockout?  I have, that shit is one of the worst theatrically released movies I have ever seen.  There is absolutely no way it's better than Snowpiercer.  

[JohnnyGossamer]

Have you actually seen Lockout?  I have, that shit is one of the worst theatrically released movies I have ever seen.  There is absolutely no way it's better than Snowpiercer.  

Guy Pearce's "WARNING: OFFENSIVE" t-shirt's hilariously bad.

[CoolioD1]

pretty good. don't have much else to say. I enjoyed it. I got invested in the characters in a way I didn't with the last one. 

[Ezen Baklattan]

To be honest, I think I may have preferred the first one, simply because it had a stronger grasp on its characters and world.Also, Gopher, Boner Omega has already appeared as one of the like whores, and I've implied that Baumer is of high class, so there is already something to be said about that.

Edited July 17, 2014 by Spaghetti