BE WARNED THERE MIGHT BE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW SO IF YOU DON'T WANT THE MOVIE TO BE SPOILED READ THIS AFTER YOU WATCH THE FILM!
For the first 20ish minutes of the film there is hardly any talking and that isn't a bad thing at all because the first part of the film focuses solely on the apes who communicate through a mixture of sign language, body language and the occasional word or two. To be honest the first 20 minutes were actually amazing and I kind of wished the film kept going like this with minimal human interaction and lo and behold the film actually focuses more on the apes with the human element taking a back seat and acting as more of a side story.
That isn't to say that the human characters in the film were bad but they were just overshadowed by the apes in every way. The only point the humans served in this film was to compliment the apes story and show how similar the humans and apes are. Like I said the apes stole the show especially Andy Serkis who embodied the heart and soul of Caesar. With every small micro expression we could see and feel the decisions that Caesar had to make and how they affect him and his newly built community. This feat would have been unachievable without the work of Serkis. Also like i have said the humans in the story are there to parallel the apes like with Malcolm's (Jason Clarke) family who were the human counterpart of Caesars family showing that these two families are essentially fighting for the same cause.
It would be a disservice to write this review without mentioning Tony Kebbell who portrayed Koba. Why do I have to mention him? Because he gives Serkis a run for his money as he portrays the tortured Koba, a friend turned foe. Koba was the real villain of the film and a worthy adversary for Ceasar as he shows the corruption within every race but can you really blame Koba after everything that he was put through. One of the most harrowing and emotional scenes in the film for me was when Koba confronts Caesar after finding out that the humans will work on the dam and points to each one of his scars and says "Human Work". Honestly Koba is one of the most memorable and best villains to date as we see his rise and fall. What made him a great villain was the fact that we got to see him develop over the two films and tho it doesn't come as a shock that he is becomes the antagonist it is still shocking to see his extreme beliefs.
One of the greatest things that this film does is that it utilizes everything that was built in the first film and uses every scene in the movie to either foreshadow a future scene in the film (Koba's fall). While I was watching this film I was easily able to see the nods to the first film, for those willing to look there is a tonne of symbolism in the film and references to deeper themes such as fundamentalism, isolationism and so on but I wont mention that because I find that stuff rather boring.
Ultimately Dawn is a magnificent example of why I love films and shows what Hollywood and Weta can do when they actually try, it's an exciting, thrilling, visually breathtaking film that will have you feel for the apes . This movie easily rivals the magic of the original films and tops its predecessor and is a smart gripping sci-fi that has you hooked from the start of the film
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes gets my exclusive gold rating (5/5), it is definitely a film I would rewatch in cinemas for full price. Absolutely check this film out on the big screen to get the maximum impact, trust me you will not regret it.
Review by ArmoUr Dude
Review by ArmoUr Dude
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