Much to my surprise, and satisfaction, there didn't seem to be as much action in this movie as there was character driven sequences and emotional moments of conflict. How would you respond to apes having greater access and accountability to a world you believe should have greater dominance over? Or would you want to share the world with them and find just some ounce of peace?
'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' was a brilliant re-imagining of the Apes franchise. It was one of my favorite films that year it came out. And 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is a very good continuation on this new tale of social commentary in science fiction. Some of the most terrific motion-capture performances to date have come from this movie with the people playing the apes, especially Andy Serkis, one of cinemas modern acting legends.
Another thing I really admired was that there really were no majors bad guys, and/or no side had any more evil intentions than the opposing side. They're all just living in this dangerous world, fighting for their survival and doing what they believe to be right for the good of their own species.
In my brief, paragraphed review for 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' back in 2012, I wrote: 'This film is the epitome of a summer movie: Thrilling, sad, exciting and, most important, engaging. What I loved about this film was its steadiness.' I stand by that statement with 'Dawn'. The filmmakers behind this franchise, unfortunately, seem to be some of the only few left who understand what makes a movie not just enjoyable, but memorable. It's a real shame that Michael Bay still gets a free pass, especially in making Transformers movies that I believe have been brainwashing today's generation of young kids. The fact that the latest Transformers has also been having the highest rising ticket sales so far this summer is all the more hurtful.
Sorry I got on my soap-box there. I only wanted to prove my point on how differently the apes are doing this summer. Sure they had a big opening three day weekend, with over several dozen million dollars in receipts. But that is miniscule compared to what the new Transformers made, with over one-hundred million dollars in just 3 days! You have got to be kidding me!!
People, I know we can do better than that. We're smarter than that.
This summer, go see a film that will be worth your while, like 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' or 'How to Train Your Dragon 2', and not one that will treat you like you have the mentality of a six year old.
My rating: 3.5 / 4
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