I might as well start this blog off with the most recent movie I caught which was Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Granted I watched it late at night and it was a pretty awful stream of it which probably compromised a lot of the visuals but it was what it was. Starring the indomitable facial expressions of Andy Serkis as Caesar this movie had a lot more heart than I was expecting. It is ten years after the spread of a deadly disease which wipes out 90% of the human population leaving an overgrown San Fransisco now inhabited with a large tribe of Apes and a small colony of (extremely well armed) humans. How a tank has gone unnoticed by the Apes for this length of time is a minor plot oversight. The whole movie could have done without the “Humans are bad” storyline or the humans at all for that matter as the animation and fascinating development in the social habits of the Apes is incredible to watch. The struggle that Caesar faces between his tormented past with the humans and his wish for a peaceful society without guns and war tears at the fabric of his animal tendencies. When he is finally betrayed by his second in command (Koba played brilliantly by Toby Kebbell) who’s scars of torture have turned him into a vengeful ape hell bent on fuelling his violent animal tendencies, Caesar finds himself fighting a war on two fronts to save both the apes and the humans.
I am a great fan of Jason Clarke and think he brings weight to the movie along side Gary Oldman who does the best he can with very little dialogue and a lose back story presented to the viewer on an Ipad!??
The battle scenes are well presented and although probably a touch too long it’s an entertaining instalment of what is sure to be a solid franchise
For years I have cringed at some the use of CGI in movies as it can really ruin a wonderful story with its lazy and sometimes reckless inclusion. Its use in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is practically flawless courtesy of Weta Digital. The details of the fur alone are worth a look. Click on the link to see how they did it.
http://www.wetafx.co.nz/features/dawn-of-the-planet-of-the-apes/
Colin’s Rating
Putting Pen to Paper 