-->
Direction: Matt Reeves; Cast: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Toby Kebbel, Ken
Russel; Screenplay: Mark
Bomback,Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver based
on the Pierre Boulle’s Planet of the Apes; Producer: Peter Chemin, Dylan Clark; Editing: William Hoy, Stan Salfas; Music: Michael Giacchino; Genre:
Sci-Fi Action; Distributor: 20th
Century Fox ; Location: San
Francisco Running Time: 131 minutes
Technical Assessment: 3 Moral Assessment: 3.5
MTRCB Rating: G CINEMA rating: V14
MTRCB Rating: G CINEMA rating: V14
In
2016, the ALZ-113 virus—the genetic drug developed in Rise of the Planet of the Apes to cure Alzheimer’s disease but
enhanced the intelligence of Apes and became deadly to humans—has spread causing humanity to
totally collapse. Ten years, later, some of remaining survivors immune to the
virus establishe a colony in the ruins of San Francisco but are badly in need
of replacement for their dwindling power supply. A group led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke)
travel to the Mur Woods and get confronted by two apes. In a moment of panic,
the humans shoot one of the apes and the next minute stand face to face with
thousands of highly intelligent apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). Malcolm and the
group return to their home but Caesar decides to remind the humans that the
apes will protect their home as well. In a show of force, Caesar and the rest
of his ape leaders enter the human refuge and tell them to keep off their
territory. But Malcolm convinces his fellow leader, Dreyfuss (Gary Oldman) to
give his team three days to try to talk to the apes to allow them to repair an
old dam which could provide electricity to their community. Malcolm and Caesar reach a truce and
eventually earn each other’s trust. However, Koba (Toby Kebbell), Caesar’s
second-in-command who still holds a grudge against humans for being maltreated
as a laboratory experiment, betrays Caesar, incites the apes to revolt against
Caesar’s teachings and starts a war against the humans.
The
greatest strength of Dawn of the Planet
of the Apes is the level of emotions both the narrative and the expression
of the apes give us. It is amazing how the faces of the apes deliver the range of
feelings while suspending our belief that they are still non-human. The motion
actors (those performing as apes) make up for the very little requirement from
human actors. The scoring is brilliant, punctuating excitement and drama in a
specific way. This being said, the latter action sequences of apes fighting
humans and Caesar fighting Koba are indulgent—a little tightening could have
served the film better. While the storyline is heart-tugging it not entirely
new, and while the computer-images are impressive, they are not distinctive. Nonetheless,
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a passionately
insightful film whose sequel is worth waiting for.
Society is a matter
of trust. It would be hard to perform one’s responsibility if you do not have
faith in one another. Trust relies on love and selflessness as its foundation.
Trust, in turn, is the precursor of respect and peace. Leadership necessitates
trust because it is not about power or who dominates whom but about who helps,
who espouses peace and who desires to sacrifice for the greater good. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also
emphasizes family—both the immediate and societal. At the end of the day, a
good leader serves his people for the sake of his family and theirs as well.
Although the film delivers a strong positive message, some themes and violent
action sequences are not appropriate for younger audiences.
