If “Transformers 4” is a big, dumb gorilla flinging its feces at the audience, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a hyper-intelligent chimp treating the audience with the respect they deserve. The superior being, it’s what all summer blockbusters aspire to be, or at least should be aspiring to be: a rollercoaster ride not just in action but also in drama and emotion, all three of which director Matt Reeves knocks out of the stadium. Recognising that spectacle without heart or purpose is empty and meaningless, he gives “Dawn” a real emotional weight and a robust narrative pushed along by its characters and their clashing ideals. The result is an all too rare breed: an emotionally charged summer blockbuster whose dazzling spectacle has meaning and purpose, and consequently, real, juicy meat on its computer-generated bones.
On top of all that, the eighth film in the 46-year sci-fi franchise is quite simply a rock-solid piece of old-fashioned storytelling. At the conclusion of the previous “Apes” movie, Rupert Wyatt’s surprisingly terrific prequel/reboot “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” genetically engineered super-chimp Caesar led an ape rebellion against mankind as a deadly man-made virus began its spread across the globe. Now that virus has wiped out most of human civilisation, and Caesar and his apes live in peace away from the few remaining humans. That is, until a chance meeting between human and ape ends violently, sparking a conflict between Caesar’s colony and the humans who survive in a ruined San Francisco.
For the film’s opening 10-15 minutes, we’re with the apes. We watch them as they hunt for food in the woods, look out for each other’s safety, teach their young how to read and write, and bond with their families. This bold, gripping and surprisingly touching opening is like its own little silent film, with the apes communicating not through speech but through sign language, as well as the occasional huffs and grunts. Providing us with an intimate look at their daily activities, it allows us to understand the apes’ way of life and form a strong emotional connection to them. In particular, we form a connection to Caesar and his family: his son Blue Eyes, basically your average stroppy teenager but hairier, we see is still young and learning, and his wife Cornelia we witness giving birth to her and Caesar’s new son. Through their affection and strong sense of family and community, we see that the apes are just like us, if not better -- though common sense tells us these are complex creatures, and this peaceful bliss cannot last forever.
In “Rise,” Caesar shared the lead role with James Franco’s human scientist Dr. Will Rodman; in “Dawn,” he shares it, albeit to a lesser extent, with Jason Clarke’s Malcolm, a human survivor living in San Fran with his new wife Ellie (Keri Russell) and step-son Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee). With the human community in need of power, and the only power available requiring the cooperation of the apes, Malcolm bravely enters the ape community to ask for their cooperation. As he and his family stay in the woods and live among the apes, the apes’ initial distrust begins to fade, as ape and human bond like family unseparated by fear, hatred and species. However, Malcolm and his family are joined by one rather nasty human whose hatred of the ape community prevails and soon causes trouble. Here, Reeves shows that the ape vs. human conflict is not simply a battle between good and evil, with the apes good and the humans evil, but one between differing ideals on both sides -- and it’s this complexity which makes it so compelling to watch. In any community, be it ape or human, there’s good, evil and everything in between, something Caesar realises all too late.
Caesar is once again performed by mo-cap whiz Andy Serkis, whose every expression and emotion bursts through the digital effects like they were merely make-up. These effects are so convincing one often feels like one is watching a living, breathing creature -- this is thanks, of course, not just to Serkis’ commanding performance, but also to the painstaking work of the animators at Weta; the sheer level of detail that goes into creating these photorealistic apes is incredible and the results are truly breathtaking. Motion-captured alongside Serkis is Toby Kebbell as Koba, a bonobo chimp whose man-inflicted scars have left him with nothing but burning contempt for the human race. Koba is a frightening beast, his brutish aggression matched with a cunning mind and a thirst for vengeance against mankind.
It’s he whose deception really kicks off the battle between the apes and the humans: unhappy with Caesar’s increasing tolerance and trust of the humans, he takes matters into his own stinking paws. And thus begins an explosively spectacular climax in which we absolutely care about the characters and feel the stakes of the action. Emotionally, we’re fully involved because crucially, the drama at the centre of it all is absolutely working. As a result, this action-packed finale is seriously intense and utterly exhilarating, which ought to be something of a relief for anyone who sat through “Transformers 4.”
If there’s a criticism to be made against the film, it’s that the plot follows a mostly predictable path; most viewers could probably map out the individual story beats in advance with little difficulty. But Reeve’s patient telling of this story is so gripping and involving that knowing what’s inevitably coming doesn’t weaken its impact or raw emotional power. Blockbuster movie-makers would do good to look at how Reeves has made this movie: here’s a blockbuster that’s smart, emotionally resonant and balances spectacle with story in a way that’s both thrilling and utterly compelling. In a year of great blockbusters, with “Godzilla,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” all proving more than worth the price of admission, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is one to really get you pounding your chest in excitement.
Rating: 9/10
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