Digital monkey magic
The craft of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is so spellbinding that it becomes easy to overlook its rather unexceptional story, and in more ways than one the apes steal the show. But with a summer season of film lacking much pizazz in its tent-pole offerings, this sequel to 2011’s surprisingly good “Rise of the Planet of the Apes, is still one of the best films in theaters right now.
A decade has passed since an angry pack of apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis in magnificent performance capture form) stormed into the forest of Muir Woods after their rampaging showdown with humans on the Golden Gate Bridge. Their brood has grown and maintained a peaceful civilization building an elaborate wooded sanctuary (think of the Ewok village on steroids). Unfortunately for the humans, the deadly virus dubbed “the simian flu” has killed off nearly 80% of the worlds’ population.
A small survivor’s colony of homo sapiens, hoping to revive a nearby hydroelectric dam for its lifesaving power supply stumbles upon some of the apes, and one of the chimpanzees is shot alerting the rest of the apes and setting the stage for a cataclysmic confrontation between monkey and man…again.
Many of the apes return from the previous installment including Caesar’s volatile right-hand lieutenant Koba (Toby Kebbell), and trusted orangutan friend Maurice (Karin Konoval). Caesar is still the most advanced intellectually having helped other apes to speak broken English and while he is still mistrusting of humans, he wants a peaceful society. Whenever “Dawn” features the apes communicating in their familial environment, the film is fascinating and compelling.
Unfortunately the reverse is true when the humans are involved. Gary Oldman is always interesting, even here with limited screen time as colony leader Dreyfus. But the most important human characters, architect Malcom (Jason Clarke) his wife nurse Ellie (Keri Russell) and son Alexander (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) feel underwritten and weak by comparison. From the moment we meet trigger-happy, loose cannon Carver (Kirk Acevedo) we know he is going to do something stupid to incite everyone’s anger.
Though much of the human reaction here is a bit predictable, there are some great action sequences and one particular rescue that hearkens back to the previous installment in all the right sentimental ways. At first, the film feels it has a racial bias, but a surprise plot twist proves the apes aren’t all perfect either.
“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a fitting sequel whose digital magic is often breathtaking even if its storytelling is not quite as memorable.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief strong language.
Grade: B+