Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Quite a while back I reviewed the surprisingly good Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011 that aimed to be a prequel to the original 1960s classic and explore how the apes took over. It was a bold move but it payed-off to produce a successful trilogy with the third entry that hit cinemas just recently, which reminded me to checkout the sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that thankfully appeared on Film4.

Following the last film's dramatic climax as the world started to become overrun with apes, the sequel takes place sometime in the future where electricity is gone and supplies are limited for the humans. Fortunately for them Jason Clarke leads a team to bring an old dam near San Francisco back into use and restore the city's power grid but it involves trekking through ape territory. But the film's true focus fall with the apes and Caesar, played by the ever-fantastic Andy Serkis, who are also trying to build a strong society and it's here where the film begins.

Director Matt Reeves had already proven himself capable with handling big projects in the shape of Cloverfield but his direction here, particularly in the opening ten minutes, is fantastic relying on acting and not just plain dialogue. The visuals too are great and the CGI really captures the actor's emotions from Serkis and an equally good Toby Kebbell. What's more though, this isn't a complicated film that rushes itself and that feels the need to hit the audience with exposition. Everything is carefully handled and I wish more Hollywood sequels took note from this.

Having missed it in cinemas, I look forward to seeing where War for the Planet of the Apes goes next and if it's as good as people say, this could be a perfect trilogy. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes avoids sequelitis through wisely pushing the story in a new direction and keeps the drama levels high throughout to make for a great experience. This is one series that I'd definitely recommend.