Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

[#ED]

Discuss.

[BK007]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not your average blockbuster.

 

The sequel to the unexpected 2011 hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is even dissimilar to its predecessors more conventional narrative and setup. This is a slow burning sci-fi political thriller that is more concerned with developing its characters than showing off its admittedly visually impressive dystopian world and it works well, though I am pretty sure when I say it will not be a movie for everyone. The Transformers generation, heck, the Marvel generation may not have the patience to sit through this movie's build and its tendency to emphasize its themes than its action. There is a haunting scene in which Caesar's child witnesses the destruction and devastation of war that is some of the most powerful imagery I've seen in a film; in that, I have to give a standing ovation to the motion capture actors, the visual artists and the director. The potency of the sequence seen through Blue Eyes is incredible.

 

The human actors besides Jason Clarke aren't given much to do but perhaps it's a little nitpicky to fault it for this given the movie is about the apes, but he still plays his foil or perhaps more clone of Caesar well.

 

A-

 

ps: I have a lot more thoughts to expand on, but I've something more personal being turned over in my mind, so I'll edit or add later, maybe.

[Deep Wang]

Fucking phenomenal.

 

The shot on the top of the tank is an all-timer.

[Vanilla]

Best film f the year.

[BoxOfficeZ]

Amazing film. Some people may not like the theme, but it definitely resonated with me. 

 

A

[eXtacy]

There are a number of remarkable things about this movie. Foremost are the visual effects, particularly the apes and the motion capture performances. This is a much darker film the first and after seeing it this is NOT a family friendly film. It tackles some seriously dark issues and the atmosphere is like-wise dark and somber. The actions scenes truly shine and possibly beat Days of Future Past best moments. However the film is not without flaw. The start is quite slow and the apes communicating through sign language so you have to read as subtitles. Also the actors performances I found to be quite lackluster.

 

My rating is an overall B+

 

 

Looking forward to future installments of this franchise

Edited July 10, 2014 by eXtacy

[chasmmi]

A bunch of CGI monkeys just outperformed 90% of Hollywood. Fuck that was an impressive film.

 

Possibly the best thing I've seen since Life of Pi. I really really hope this finds a way to win the summer now. 

 

It deserves to.

[jb007]

Excellent movie. The slow pacing may reduce its potential for blockbuster performance.

 

A-

[KATCH-2D2]

I'm always a cold-hearted bitch. There must have been less than a dozen movies that could make me feel anything remotely similar to what the other people call 'touching' or 'moving'.

 

This movie did that rare thing, ironically with a bunch of CGI Apes.

 

It isn't a popcorn movie. It isn't fun to watch. It's just a movie that worth watching by everyone, with or without popcorn.

 

9/10

Edited July 10, 2014 by KATCH 22

[chasmmi]

I'm always a cold-hearted bitch. There must have been less than a dozen movies that could make me feel anything remotely similar to what the other people call 'touching' or 'moving'.

 

This movie did that rare thing, ironically with a bunch of CGI Apes.

 

It isn't a popcorn movie. It isn't fun to watch. It's just a movie that worth watching by everyone, with or without popcorn.

 

9/10

 

Agree with all of this. If the story was about an ancient or indiginous civilisation and not chimps, this would be getting Oscar mentions in my opinion. The characters are just spectacular

[AniNate]

Excellent. Felt like somewhat of a return to 80s/90s blockbuster filmmaking. While it's loaded with cliches, it spins them all into spectacularly engrossing drama that makes you simultaneously angry with and sympathetic to both sides of the war. Matt Reeves is definitely on the A-list now.

 

A

[filmlover]

Seeing this Saturday (in the balcony/restaurant level of the megaplex). It's been almost exactly a month since I've been this excited to go to the movies, can't wait.

[Wormhole]

That shot with Koba and the tank... 'Nuff said.

 

A+

[Kvikk Lunsj]

Great movie. The movie has great character build up which makes everything worth it. I nned to see this again.

4.5/5 or 5/5

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

Just got back from seeing it. The film is tense, smart, action-packed, sometimes heartwarming, and well-made. I think the beginning is the strongest part of the film as it sets up this beautiful contrast between the apes (who are evolving) and humans (who are decaying). However, even though the film portrays the humans in a worse light than the apes, it also makes sure to show that both sides have their moral shortcomings. Both sides are too distrustful of the other (admittedly for good reasons), which leads to petty conflicts. And each side has members who are willing to lie/cheat in order to help their side gain an advantage in the conflict. The result is something admirable: a film that isn't ready to just feed you a simple tale of good guys vs. bad guys. Sadly, the film's complexity is undermined with the character of Koba who turns into the main villain of the film. I know they gave him a back story to explain why he is so distrustful of humans, but I just felt like any sympathy that the writers had tried to give to the character was lost in the aftermath of all of the terrible things he does. He became a simplistic villain, and I thought that such characterization was a step back for the film. (Then again Koba is in Rise, and maybe if I rewatch that, I'll change my mind). Even with that misstep though, I enjoyed the film. That's because of the stuff I wrote above, the fact that it's filled with awesome action sequences, the fact that Caesar is awesome, and the solid performances (especially by Oldman). 3/4 (sorry for the long review).

[lilmac]

A+

 

Surprisingly good.  Taut script.  FANTASTIC acting from apes and humans alike.  Great drama and special effects.  

 

One of the best films of the year.  Despite being down in numbers, 2014 will go down as one of the best years this century as far as AAA level tentpole films (Lego movie, CA: WS, DOFP, Apes, and Godzilla)

Edited July 11, 2014 by lilmac

[Kalel009Shel]

Best film f the year.

Damn Vanilla !! You liked it better than Cap2 , Xmen 2, Godzilla and Dragon 2?? :-O!!

[Ethan Hunt]

Damn Vanilla !! You liked it better than Cap2 , Xmen 2, Godzilla and Dragon 2?? :-O!!

I think you mean Days of Futer Past, my good friend.

[Fanboy]

All I was hoping for was a movie good enough to warrant repeat viewings, boy did this deliever. Instantly superior to Rise (which I surprisingly enjoyed very much), Dawn is a morally ambitious, slow-paced emotional thriller that features specatular CGI and easily the best line-up of motion capture performances I've seen (sorry Avatar).I don't think I can grade it just yet, but I will say it has definitely surpassed The Grand Budapest Hotel as my favourite movie of the year so far.

[lilmac]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is of course a sequel to the 2011 reboot of the 2001 remake which is really just fine by me.  

 

Hilarious!

http://www.theonion.com/video/the-onion-reviews-dawn-of-the-planet-of-the-apes,36436/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default

Edited July 11, 2014 by lilmac