Review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) by Danny R — 02 Jul 2015

Matt Reeves' engrossing, tremendously poignant sequel is vastly superior to the original 2011 blockbuster hit sci-fi film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." It takes place in a post-apocalyptic near future, a decade after the events of original film where a deadly super-virus was released and has wiped out most of humanity.

A race of intelligent apes who are led by Caesar, a genetically evolved and hyper-intelligent chimpanzee, who is magnificently played by British character actor and motion capture expert Andy Serkis, who is renown for his amazing motion capture performances as Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films, as Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and as Kong in Sir Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of "King Kong.

" The Apes has taken over and are the world's dominant species, Caesar and his kind live in the Redwood forest near to what remains of the city of San Francisco which is now a ruin, they encounter a small band of good humans who need their help and want to live in peace with the apes, but the their peace is about to be shattered by small colony of war-mongering human survivors who have an irrational hatred for the apes and now threaten there existence with their large arsenal of firearms.

All will lead to the final an unforgettable showdown and battle between Humanity and the Apes. Astute direction by Matt Reeves, with solid supporting performances by Gary Oldman, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kirk Acevedo, Toby Kebbell, Judy Greer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Karin Konoval.

Visually stunning thanks to the striking cinematography by Michael Seresin, with an haunting score by Michael Giacchio. The film is a technical triumph with dazzling CGI visual effects and jaw-dropping action sequences.

A true epic in every sense of the word! Highly Recommended.