El amanecer del planeta de los simios

Among Hollywood's recent output of mediocre (and in some cases: downright abysmal) remakes of Sci-Fi classics, 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' was the rare movie which stood out, for it had as much of a brain as it had a heart – plus an original approach to the well-known material and great visuals. Having said that, 'Rise' practically pales in comparison to Matt Reeves' sequel: the upcoming 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is as close to a Science-Fiction masterpiece as a 170 million PG-13 Hollywood summer blockbuster can possibly get.

The storyline picks up ten years after we saw Ceasar and his fellow simian escapees seek refuge in the woods near San Francisco, and although the film's trailers already gave away pretty much everything that happened during that time (and alas, way too much of what will happen), I'm not going to spoil anything for those who carefully avoided watching said trailers. As with all my reviews, instead of giving away any details about the story, I'll elaborate on all other aspects of the movie.

What needs to be mentioned first is what an astonishing achievement 'Dawn' is when it comes to the use of CGI. I'm normally very critical towards the (over-)use of CGI – but the level of craftsmanship displayed here simply has to be admired. It only took me seconds to forget I was watching digital characters (brought to life through the outstanding motion-capture performances by Andy Serkis, Toby Kebbell and Judy Grier – to name but a few), and I can't begin to imagine what a task it must have been for the artists and wizards in the animation department to work on every background and every tiny little detail of every character until this level of seamlessness and reality could be achieved.

But nearly every other aspect of the movie has been realized equally well: Michael Giacchino's haunting musical score fits and reflects the drama on screen perfectly, while the – often terrifying – beauty of the images on screen had me immediately wondering who the DoP was (now I know: Michael Seresin, the genius veteran DoP of such classics as 'Midnight Express' and 'Angel Heart'). When it comes to the action; well, 'Dawn' is not your usual summer blockbuster. This is no light-hearted, comic-book-style fantasy film with fun, over-the-top action scenes. What we have here is a gritty, realistic portrayal of a slowly escalating conflict, and when we do get to the battle scenes in the third act, those scenes are a spectacular, mesmerizing visual feast (and ultimately heart breaking).

But the core of this film – and also the reason why the action scenes in the third act really do have an impact and all the mayhem really gets to you – is the intelligent, skilfully told story with its well-drawn, believable characters (portrayed by equally believable actors). The tragic simian/human conflict mirrors our real – and very human – past and present day wars and social frictions in a very credible way and thus makes this film resonate far beyond what any mere Sci-Fi premise would let you expect.

So my verdict: With its beautiful imagery, highly relevant story and breath-taking effects, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' is as close to a Science-Fiction masterpiece as its mass-audience orientated constrictions allowed it to be (which – in this case – is very close); an astonishing achievement and highly recommended. 9 stars out of 10.

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054200841/

As someone who really enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, expectations were high for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. And apart from a rushed ending and the underdeveloped human characters Dawn of the Planet of the Apes didn't disappoint and is just as good. It looks amazing for starters, the cinematography and lighting are of great beauty and atmosphere and the scenery is equally striking. But the visual highlight, and most likely the best thing about the film, are the special effects for the apes, that they look so real and that it's hard to believe they were done by computer is testament to how good they look. The soundtrack is haunting and rousing with no dirge-like tempos and it doesn't feel overbearing either, even with sound with as much authenticity as here. The script also impresses, it's very intelligently done and has a lot of tension and heart. What impressed even more was how simple and nuanced some of it was, like when the apes speak they only need to say a few words and it still feels like it's saying a lot, a couple of times even a sideways glance brings more impact than you'd think. The story takes a bigger and somewhat bolder approach than Rise of the Planet of the Apes and this is an instance of it working very well, especially with the visceral action sequences which are very tense and look terrific and in the incredibly intense and emotional final act. It's compelling stuff where you feel compassion for and identify with every step of the way with Caesar and his family. Matt Reeves' direction doesn't make the mistake of being overblown or lethargic, there is at least a sense that he knows what he's doing. The acting is solid, Jason Clarke and Keri Russell are charming leads and Gary Oldman while criminally underused still gives a spirited performances. But other than the special effects the other highlight is the characterisation of the apes, which is just superb especially for Caesar(who is by far and way the most relatable and most compelling character in the entire film), Andy Serkis never fails to amaze me. All in all a really well done blockbuster, although the human characters do not register anywhere near as well as the special effects and the apes characterisations. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A really great follow up that builds on what the first film set up, and still features fantastic effects, performances and action, even if they still haven't fixed some of the problems with the original. The big issue across these two films is that the human characters are very one-note and bland. Gary Oldman is the only complex human character in it - the rest just have one personality trait that is well explored, if that, and a lot of them make very stupid decisions. But on the flip side, Caesar is a fantastic character, and I really like how the apes' opinions on humans are affected directly by their experiences of them - it makes their characters a lot better. Andy Serkis is still fantastic, and the effects have aged very, very well. The action is really well shot, and has a really nice gritty feel, particularly in the second half. I will say that the first half was a tad slow for me, but I did appreciate how the film spent time building up the characters in order to go all out for the finale. The cinematography is strong and the story is well developed - those opening few minutes really pack a punch now. Overall, I wouldn't call this one of the best sequels of all time, but it is a genuinely great and recommendable film.

I love the stories around "Planet of Apes" in their different adaptations. but "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is more than a good film from the serie. it has a powerfull, convincing, dramatic story. it has CGI as basic tool and that is fantastic for the art to use it not as jewel but as the right tool. it has the perfect cast. and it is a smart mix of parable, warning, feelings and picture of human virtues and sins. it has all the chances to be one of films proposing the new perspective about the near reality. that does it special. and more than a cityplex movie. but a good opportunity to reflect, in not conventional way, about the future of mankind. and that does it a real remarkable film.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is at the same time a great Planet of the Apes movie and a terrific science fiction movie. The way speech is brought upon in the movie is amazing and really brings a lot of reality to something so out of the box. The tension is palpable through the whole movie and there's never a dull moment.