I liked 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'. I thought it was good, but not great. It was missing that little pizzazz that made watching it a second time a must. 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is so much better then 'Rise'. Every conceivable aspect of the first film was improved and pretty close to perfected.
What made this film work was that it isn't your regular, everyday Hollywood blockbuster.This is a film with a story to tell and it did that. We are on a journey to figure out how the planet got to where the apes ruled it. The basic premise is the humans need access to a hydroelectric dam and it is on the apes territory. The apes don't trust the humans and the movie explores that playground. Rather then focus on that bare plot, the writers and director decided to layer it with meaningful sub-stories. This movie had a focus on trust and family. All the time through the movie the apes were struggling with trusting the humans. It is expected when us humans used the apes as test subjects for years. But there was also the fact that if the apes did this for the humans, then the humans would leave them alone in peace. These themes put all the characters at odds with one enough. It is tough when no one is really backing up the leaders, Malcolm (humans) and Caesar (apes). The way the story unfolds was organic and had no dead points. I felt everything was crucial to the story. There were some truly beautiful moments, mainly when the apes and humans had a moment of harmony and understanding together. There were turns I didn't expect, but still loved. The fact that this story explored bigger themes, rather then try to just entertain you was a huge accomplishment for this film.
The performances were just amazing. What more can you say about Andy Serkis? This guy knows exactly what notes to hit and how to connect the audience to a character. It is amazing that he made an ape so relatable with nothing more then a few words, some grunts, and his actions. I mean this was Oscar-worthy stuff. Caesar was a being struggling with the decision to trust humans or listen to his family, and they captured that so brilliantly with the mo-cap. I was just in awe every time Caesar or really any ape was on-screen. Toby Kebbell is a name we will hear a lot about in the future. I didn't know much about, besides him being the future Doctor Doom, before this movie, but after this I am excited to see that play out. Kebbell really gave Serkis a run for his money on the mo-cap performance. Koba probably had the most interesting character arc. I feel like it couldn't have been accomplished without Kebbell's performance. This ape went from hater to dictator during the course of the film and I loved every second of Koba. Nick Thurston as Blue Eyes, Caesar's son, was another fantastic performance. It was very subtle, and it worked. Blue Eyes is also a very conflicted ape, torn between what he thinks is right and what his father believes. The character had a certain innocence to him and it was perfect. The human cast wasn't give much to do, but that was due to this being an ape-centric story. Jason Clarke was a much better lead then James Franco. Clarke was the human mouthpiece, but he was also the key human relationship with Caesar. This relationship was one of the best in the movie. This were both leaders struggling with their positions. Gary Oldman wasn't given much to do, but he was entertaining. And Keri Russell was just underused. She was there to give the human story some emotion and heart, and she succeeded. She gave us a bit to connect to. Overall, the performances were some of the best, no matter the amount of material given.
Something has to be said about Michael Giacchino's score. What he crafted is so unique and different from anything else we have heard. It has originality and creativity that we haven't heard from a film in a while. Giacchino uses many different instruments to create this. I felt like the score elevated the movie in so many ways. That were a bunch of different wheels spinning. It was just so unique and fantastic. Great work by Giacchino.
The VFX/action parts were jaw-dropping. There wasn't much action, per se, but the action that was present was fantastic. The was one particular battle at the very end that was just plain cool. It was intense, epic, and yet intimate. There was also a big-scale battle that was pretty darn awesome. Seeing it all come together and some of the choices they made, enhanced the battle. The VFX were amazing, if you couldn't already tell. The apes look and feel like humans. The thing that is awesome is the fact that they can hold a scene with no humans together. They are the most interesting characters on screen at all times. Bravo to Weta, Serkis, Matt Reeves, and the other mo-cap actors for what they accomplished with the apes.
Overall, this was the best 'Apes' film. It probably had something to do with the ape-centric story and the fantastic performances. Matt Reeves really succeeded with making an epic, yet thought-provoking film. Adding in those themes and giving them some credibility on screen, all while make the film interesting is really a truly remarkable thing. I can't wait to see what Reeves brings to the next 'Apes' movie.
What made this film work was that it isn't your regular, everyday Hollywood blockbuster.This is a film with a story to tell and it did that. We are on a journey to figure out how the planet got to where the apes ruled it. The basic premise is the humans need access to a hydroelectric dam and it is on the apes territory. The apes don't trust the humans and the movie explores that playground. Rather then focus on that bare plot, the writers and director decided to layer it with meaningful sub-stories. This movie had a focus on trust and family. All the time through the movie the apes were struggling with trusting the humans. It is expected when us humans used the apes as test subjects for years. But there was also the fact that if the apes did this for the humans, then the humans would leave them alone in peace. These themes put all the characters at odds with one enough. It is tough when no one is really backing up the leaders, Malcolm (humans) and Caesar (apes). The way the story unfolds was organic and had no dead points. I felt everything was crucial to the story. There were some truly beautiful moments, mainly when the apes and humans had a moment of harmony and understanding together. There were turns I didn't expect, but still loved. The fact that this story explored bigger themes, rather then try to just entertain you was a huge accomplishment for this film.
The performances were just amazing. What more can you say about Andy Serkis? This guy knows exactly what notes to hit and how to connect the audience to a character. It is amazing that he made an ape so relatable with nothing more then a few words, some grunts, and his actions. I mean this was Oscar-worthy stuff. Caesar was a being struggling with the decision to trust humans or listen to his family, and they captured that so brilliantly with the mo-cap. I was just in awe every time Caesar or really any ape was on-screen. Toby Kebbell is a name we will hear a lot about in the future. I didn't know much about, besides him being the future Doctor Doom, before this movie, but after this I am excited to see that play out. Kebbell really gave Serkis a run for his money on the mo-cap performance. Koba probably had the most interesting character arc. I feel like it couldn't have been accomplished without Kebbell's performance. This ape went from hater to dictator during the course of the film and I loved every second of Koba. Nick Thurston as Blue Eyes, Caesar's son, was another fantastic performance. It was very subtle, and it worked. Blue Eyes is also a very conflicted ape, torn between what he thinks is right and what his father believes. The character had a certain innocence to him and it was perfect. The human cast wasn't give much to do, but that was due to this being an ape-centric story. Jason Clarke was a much better lead then James Franco. Clarke was the human mouthpiece, but he was also the key human relationship with Caesar. This relationship was one of the best in the movie. This were both leaders struggling with their positions. Gary Oldman wasn't given much to do, but he was entertaining. And Keri Russell was just underused. She was there to give the human story some emotion and heart, and she succeeded. She gave us a bit to connect to. Overall, the performances were some of the best, no matter the amount of material given.
Something has to be said about Michael Giacchino's score. What he crafted is so unique and different from anything else we have heard. It has originality and creativity that we haven't heard from a film in a while. Giacchino uses many different instruments to create this. I felt like the score elevated the movie in so many ways. That were a bunch of different wheels spinning. It was just so unique and fantastic. Great work by Giacchino.
The VFX/action parts were jaw-dropping. There wasn't much action, per se, but the action that was present was fantastic. The was one particular battle at the very end that was just plain cool. It was intense, epic, and yet intimate. There was also a big-scale battle that was pretty darn awesome. Seeing it all come together and some of the choices they made, enhanced the battle. The VFX were amazing, if you couldn't already tell. The apes look and feel like humans. The thing that is awesome is the fact that they can hold a scene with no humans together. They are the most interesting characters on screen at all times. Bravo to Weta, Serkis, Matt Reeves, and the other mo-cap actors for what they accomplished with the apes.
Overall, this was the best 'Apes' film. It probably had something to do with the ape-centric story and the fantastic performances. Matt Reeves really succeeded with making an epic, yet thought-provoking film. Adding in those themes and giving them some credibility on screen, all while make the film interesting is really a truly remarkable thing. I can't wait to see what Reeves brings to the next 'Apes' movie.
Highlights:
My Opinion: This is a must-see. See it in the theater for the full experience. If not, definitely rent it. The film has something to say, which is a nice change from the usual summer blockbuster. | The Score: 9 out of 10 Stars The amazing performances, scope of the film, and message all really make this film a great. But it is missing that one magic ingredient to make it a 10. |