After watching Rise, I was immediately excited to watch Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I have to say that I had no idea what I was in for, how exciting this film would be, or how much fun I would have watching it. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a superb sequel that shows the violent conflict between the humans and the apes.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the story of Caesar and his army of genetically enhanced apes being threatened by human survivors of the virus that was unleashed ten years earlier. One of the things that this movie does well is continue the story of the previous film while also standing on its own as a great sequel. There are a couple of plot points and character arcs that carry over to this film in a wonderful way. For example, we saw at the end of Rise that the virus that enhances apes has a vastly different affect on humans. Then, at the beginning of Dawn, we see that the virus has actually killed 150 million Americans. This leaves the apes as the dominant species on the planet. However, perhaps the most important aspect about this movie is how the conflict between the apes and the humans arises. While Caesar (Andy Serkis) and Koba (Toby Kebbell) both have opposing points of view about the humans, the most important thing about their relationship is that their points of view are CORRECT. They are both right in everything that they say about each other. This makes Kobas' betrayal, and his showdown with Caesar at the end of the film, so much more powerful. Also, like the previous film, Caesar is extremely adamant that the apes will only fight if necessary. This adds to the conflict between Caesar and Koba because Koba feels strongly that the humans are the enemy, and that they need to be eliminated. In fact, Koba feels as strongly about fighting as the humans do. The fact that Caesar sticks to his beliefs, even after Koba goes behind his back and does things without his knowledge, speaks volumes about Caesars' character. Tonally, this is a much darker film than the first, with many violent action sequences that enhance the story and the conflict between the characters. I would have liked to see a scene that explains Ellie's (Keri Russell) medical background but, other than that, this film is superb in every way.
Matt Reeves is the director of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. As per usual with the second chapter in a story, this film is darker and more violent than the previous installment. However, it does not start that way. The conflict slowly builds through several scenes that are quite dramatic and tense to watch. This is is not only because you do not know how the characters will behave in certain situations, but also because Reeves uses long takes and good reaction shots to build the tension. The scene where Koba pretends to be a playful ape in front of two humans, and then shoots them point blank with their own guns, is a perfect example of this. I also love the sequence in which the apes attack the stronghold where the humans are located. The cinematography is beautiful, and the quick cuts make the action incredibly intense to watch. The long P.O.V. "turret shot" is a personal favorite of mine. I also enjoy the way the fight between Caesar and Koba is handled. This fight, between two CGI characters, could have easily been silly and laughable. However, given the tone of the movie and the emotions going through these two characters, this is more an emotional battle than a physical one. Also, given the arcs of both characters, the end result just about makes you leap for joy. This film is one of the better sequels in modern cinema, and that is due to the tone that Reeves set for this movie, and the direction in which he takes the story and the characters.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a rare example of a sequel being better than its predecessor. It expands on the relationships between the characters, and the action sequences are incredibly exciting to watch. If you enjoyed the first Apes movie, you will LOVE Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
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