MOS83 reviews "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
Can it be that we have another intelligent summer blockbuster???
By MOS83 -
Jul 23, 2014 02:07 AM EST
"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is that rarest of things these days in a summer blockbuster. It actually has a story, a well written script and characters that you actually care about, and again to praise the writing, our main characters are CGI monkeys! I can only think of 2 other films this summer that can be regarded as intelligent summer blockbusters and one involved a giant lizard and the other concerned mutants with special powers.
It's all about the writing and "Dawn" is quite epic in its scope but also manages to feel quite small and personal. It follows on from "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" as Caesar and his army of followers are now living in the forests on the outskirts of San Francisco. The film raises many questions about what it means to be human and the questions and decision making that we have to make on a daily basis. The story is great, its told in an intelligent way and it doesn't dumb anything down. it's quite bleak but powerful and moving and the same time. The CGI is superb and it's the best motion capture that I have ever seen. Praise must be given to Andy Serkis who has truly made the character of Caesar his own.
I think "Rise" is a better film but this is certainly a contender for blockbuster of the summer. Its not my choice but I can see why many would choose it. There is hope for the summer blockbuster yet.
4 out of 5 stars