“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a science fiction post-apocalyptic film that is filled with action and violence, as it is about a nation of apes threatened by human survivors of a virus that occurred a decade earlier, leading to war.
This movie is directed by Matt Reeves and is a sequel to the 2011 film “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
A lab-created virus, a simian flu, spread across the entire world and has turned San Francisco into ruin. The survivors are genetically resistant to the plague and a group of humans is about to run short of electrical power.
Caesar (Andy Serkis), the leader, and an army of apes’ home is invaded by a group of humans; Malcom (Jason Clarke), Ellie (Keri Russell), and Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who are trying to restart a hydroelectric dam to bring power back to the city of San Francisco.
Caesar attempts to retain harmony and coexist and they reach a temporary peace, but a few events lead to war of struggles between the humans the apes.
San Francisco is rainy and cloudy and the apes are somber, which creates a sense of gloominess throughout the film. Overall, the film is dark, moving, and powerful. Anger and tension permeate the entire film, as there are intense action and battle scenes, including one with apes with machine guns on horses. The violent scenes will have audiences on the edge of their seats.
In emotional scenes the apes communicate in sign language, grunts, but also show facial expressions which helps the audience easily perceive and interpret their emotions. There are also subtitles that show on the screen while the apes communicate.
The apes look realistic and detailed, despite being computer-generated through the use of stop motion animation. The characters’ emotions frequently consist of rage, grief, and passion. The movie is satisfying visually and there are many digital special effects an entertaining story that has overarching themes of family, power, leadership, and betrayal that do not disappoint.