Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Three years after the surprise hit (and surprisingly good) Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we are treated to another serving of simian special effects-laden action. This time, Cloverfield director Matt Reeves takes over from Rupert Wyatt, and delivers more of what was great about its predecessor. Namely, Andy Serkis and the astounding motion-capture and visual effects.

Ten years after the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar and his army of apes have created a home in what I can only guess are the North Coast mountains. A deadly epidemic called "Simian Flu" has wiped out the majority of the human population on Earth, and only a few pockets of survivors inhabit a desolate and powerless planet. After a less than desirable encounter, the humans and apes begin to interact in what can only be described as increasingly hostile meetings where a few bad apples spoil the relationship, inevitably leading to all-out war. There are power struggles, morality, glimpses of the follies of man, and a glimpse of a dystopic future that is grim, but not altogether far out (except for the genetically engineered apes who can talk). I can't say that the story isn't predictable, but that's alright. What fills the screen is sheer movie magic, and with an accompanying score that is nostalgic of thrillers and action films of the 80's and 90's, it's just a fun time at the theatre. Just what movie-goers needed.

The characters are very basic, and although Jason Clarke and Keri Russell do their darnedest to put on a good show, and Gary Oldman is wasted as the shallow and undeveloped leader of the humans, the apes are the reason we bought tickets, and they are presented front and center for almost the entire film, which is the best thing about it. Andy Serkis gets top billing, and rightfully so. I still think he has been snubbed by the awards ceremonies for years, with his previous portrayal of Caesar and Gollum. He is truly a master of his craft, and with the announcement that he has a role in the new Star Wars film, at least he's paying the bills if nothing else. I'm hopeful that he will get some recognition for the emotional and physical genius that he puts into his characters, but I'm doubtful as he would have to be in the Best Actor category based on the billing and his screen time, and not the Supporting Actor that he might have a shot at a nomination for.

This summer has been lackluster in its presentation of quality action films. Edge of Tomorrow was the lone impressive movie-going experience, but Apes is great. Summer popcorn at its best. I'm excited for August's Guardians of the Galaxy, and think Expendables 3 will be fun, but that pretty much concludes our gargantuan movie season. Studios seem to be pushing off their big guns to the fall and winter, and nobody can seem to compete with superheroes these days, but those who try are either disastrous or mega-successful. Apes brought in $73 million its opening weekend, which well exceeded expectations. Consider this opening the green light for the next installment in 2016.

This fall and winter are packed to the gills with potentially great films. The Independent festival circuit has captured the attention of studios due to their relatively risk-free returns on investment, and film makers and actors are seemingly becoming more interested in quality over paychecks. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's the impression I am getting. Maybe Hollywood is entering a recession. Partially pushed by the death of the DVD (yep, I said it here first) and partially by the overseas potential with more unimaginative fare (cough...Transformers). Last year's box office numbers are much higher as a comparison. I heard 20% and 25% from two different sources through 4th of July weekend. However, there were big films opening just about every weekend last summer, so per blockbuster, I imagine that this summer is doing better. Besides, technology is getting better and better. Films are getting more and more expensive, and budgets are ballooning every year. Remember in 1997 when Titanic surpassed the $200 million mark for production budget and people thought it was crazy? Three films this year have surpassed the $200 million mark, with four more nearly hitting that amount. And we are only in July. In fact, since Titanic, there have been 35 films with budgets over $200 million. This may also be why so many studios collaborate now as well.

I'm done with my rant. Back to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. There isn't much more to say about the film. Andy Serkis and his team do an exceptional job, as usual. The apes are emotional, masterfully rendered, and their seamless integration to the sets and interactions with the humans are commendable to say the least. This is a fun movie, plain and simple. A few minor oversights (how can an orangutan ride a horse?) but altogether it's a fitting film just in time to save July. Go see it, there's nothing else worth seeing right now. 9/10.