Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The Apes are back in their first 3D feature, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Like its immediate predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this feature displays sound and fury, signifying something.

The brain-booster which enhanced Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his fellow apes went viral. The end result is a complete and utter collapse of the human race. Ten years later, Caesar rules his apes in the woods outside San Francisco. They haven't seen a human for two years; as far as they know, they really are dead.

One day, the apes meet actual, living humans. These humans just want to reactivate a nearby hydroelectric dam to bring back power to the city. The Apes just want to be left alone. One of the humans, Malcolm (Jason Clarke), decides to negotiate with Caesar for the dam. It's an uneasy process but it looks positive for both sides.

Caesar's lieutenant, Koba (Toby Kebell), used to be a mistreated lab animal. So naturally, he can't stand the idea of making nice with humanity. Koba pushes the Apes to war on the humans; Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), the other human leader, is more than willing to fight back. Caesar has to step in to save the peace.

Director Matt Reeves takes over for Rupert Wyatt for this sequel. With him comes composer Michael Giacchino, who once again composes a memorably epic soundtrack. Editors William Hoy and Stan Salfas contribute action and suspense to the film's set pieces. One case is a highly-advertised scene of Koba acting goofy for unsuspecting humans.

The film continues its predecessor's use of motion-capture Apes. Once again, the end result is a visual highlight. These computerized characters look and act like real Apes. You wouldn't guess they were computerized unless someone told you.

In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the tensions between man and ape keep the audience on edge. Its human characters are just as meaningful as the visuals. The visual effects amaze the audience rather than overwhelm them. The end result shows that there is great life in this old franchise.