Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Movie #10 of 2024:

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

[Edited version of my original review from 2017.]

Still a very strong picture, but not quite as good as Rise in my personal opinion. This sequel is the first time that the modern Apes series goes fully post-apocalyptic, but we’ve jumped forwards ten years, and there’s not a whole lot of worldbuilding for how ape and human society alike have changed over that span. The human characters are likewise pretty thinly-sketched compared to Will and his father in the last film, with both Gary Oldman as the primary villain and Keri Russell in the middle of her Americans era getting frustratingly wasted here. The ending too leaves a lot up in the air for the next movie to theoretically resolve — though it ultimately doesn’t — resulting in this one feeling somewhat adrift between two superior entries. (A string of short web films and a pair of tie-in novels by Greg Keyes are intended to bridge those canon gaps, but I’d imagine most audiences aren’t even aware of them.) And finally, as a big fan of the franchise, I can’t help but notice how much this title remixes key elements from Battle for the Planet of the Apes, like agitators on both sides ruining the chance for peace and Caesar’s belated realization that his species can be just as cruel as humanity.

Nevertheless, it uses those familiar pieces well, and is overall a compelling immediate story in its own right (if rather inelegantly named). The decision to tell much of the dialogue through subtitled ape sign language gives it a radically different feel from its 2011 predecessor, which presented an extraordinary amount of character and plot information through nonverbal visuals alone. In contrast to the humans, the apes around Caesar seem much more fleshed-out this time thanks to how much more they can communicate to one another / us. And even though the script ends on an apparent cliffhanger with the incoming military forces, the central conflict between the human settlers and their ape neighbors is well-told with legitimate motivations on all fronts. While I do think their individual characterizations could be deeper, I appreciate that the various antagonists are basically reasonable people who care for their loved ones, and that the production goes out of its way to humanize (/chimpize?) them all.

At 130 minutes of runtime — 25 longer than Rise — matters could stand to be more propulsive, but it’s hard to argue with the striking images like apes on horseback firing machine guns, a gas station reclaimed by woods, or Koba’s deceptive minstrel performance for the human guards. This probably ties with Battle for the single most forgettable Apes installment, but in the moment, it’s solid enough.

[Content warning for gore.]

★★★★☆

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