Review of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) by Ginak — 12 Jul 2014

If you are looking for an action picture that is not totally mindless, this movie is a good choice. It’s a little too long and generates more cloying sentimentality than genuine emotion. Still it has enough action in a sturdy enough plot to keep the audience quiet.

This was the first time CGI really annoyed me (has it reached its limits?) since the swarming apes, always shot from above, looked like swarming ants with identical ape decals pasted over them. On the other hand, digital makeup has improved enormously, or Andy Serkis is simply a genius at acting under these conditions.

In the end, I couldn’t decide if the pessimistic philosophy that war is inevitable and neither humans nor movie apes will improve (exemplified by the selfish “apes” who must go out for popcorn refills in the middle of a movie in a packed theater) or whether this philosophy was just a cynical excuse for another sequel.